Beit Avi Chai presents "We Were Like Dreamers" -- The return to Zion: from destruction to revival.
Only 48 years elapsed from the day Jerusalem was destroyed until Cyrus declared that the Jews could return, but the Babylonian Exile and the Return to Zion became concepts whose influence exceeded the boundaries of time and space. In this four-part series we will learn about the era of the return to Zion: its chronicles, literature, and place in Jewish history.
Series organizer and moderator: Prof. Sarah Yefet, Israel Prize laureate in Bible studies
Part 1: Back to the Sources
The destruction of the Kingdom of Israel by Assyria and the Kingdom of Judah by Babylonia are described by Biblical and epigraphic texts and archaeological finds. In this session we will discuss the tale they tell of the destruction, foreign rule over Eretz Israel, the fate of the exiles, and the condition of the Jewish population of Eretz Israel during this time. We will also examine the contribution made by the texts and by archaeology to historical reconstruction of the period.
Monday, January 4, 7:30 PM
Part 2: "Thus Said Cyrus"
The collapse of the Babylonian Empire and the onset of Persian rule represented a dramatic turning point for the conquered lands. In the first part of the session we will look at the two versions of Cyrus's announcement and its counterparts in the ancient Near East; in the second part we will trace the stages of the reconstruction of the Temple up to and including its dedication, according to the various sources available to us.
Monday, January 11, 7:30 PM
Part 3: "My God, Remember to My Credit All I Have Done for This People"-The Works of Nehemiah
At this session we will discuss the story of Nehemiah, who was appointed governor of Judah, and his actions on behalf of Judah and Jerusalem: constructing a wall around Jerusalem, attracting people to the city, carrying out social and economic reforms, refurbishing the Temple, and more.
Monday, January 18, 7:30 PM
Part 4: Ezra the Scribe
This session will focus on Ezra, the religious leader of the return to Zion who shaped the character of the Jewish community of Judah and left behind a halakhic and religious legacy that endures to this day. Who was Ezra, and what were his role and status in Jewish history?
At the end of the final session we will discuss the significance of the era of the return to Zion in Jewish history, and its place in Zionist political thought.
Monday, January 25, 7:30 PM
This is a Hebrew-language only event.
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