Re: The folks who offered to help were not fit to touch the temple.

Fordtunateson,

Re: Fordtunateson,

Hi 88

Yes, an example of more Hebrew squabbling. There is an account in Ezra 4 of some of the Israelites/Samaritans (not Judeans) from the Assyrian wars wanting to 'help' the Judeans from the Babylonian Exile in rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Remember that only skilled people were hauled off, so there were still farmers, etc., in both Israel/Samaria and Judea.

The Judean turned their brothers down and said "No thanks, we'll build it ourselves <img border=

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That started the Samaritans on a campaign of deceit, coercion, and bribery to stop the Temple from being rebuilt in Jerusalem (remember, Samaritans have always maintained that God is to be worshipped from Mt. Gerizim).

So they wrote a letter to Xerxes and said "these guys are rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem, and unless you stop them, we'll stop paying taxed to you.

It actually worked. And because of the their own brothers, Temple and city wall construction was suspended until Darius became king.

All that history helps to understand the story of the 'good', instead of the usual 'bad' Samaritan, lol.

The folks who offered to help were not fit to touch the temple.

Fordtunate Son

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Apr 9, 2024, 11:39 AM

<...the motivation of the Samaritians was more political than assisting in the motivation of the Judeans which was to return to proper, legal and devout worship of God.

Me too. Why on earth would folks who felt the only place God should be worshipped was at Gerizim, want to 'help' rebuild a Temple that they disagreed with? That was a fox trying to get into the henhouse.

Another example of "Brotherly Un-love" between the Hebrews.

Nevertheless, God never gives up on them. As I trace the End Times stories in my longer posts, almost every prophet along the way, from 722BCE forwards, includes the 10 Tribes returning, and the 12 brothers of Jacob, and all their kin, somehow all getting along again someday.

>I was asking about western civ in general and if you know of records from the secular history which mentions the events in Ezra.

Persia would have been the regional power then, roughly 520 BCE, so any secular records would be through them. The next guy to pass through the area would be Alexander the Great and his Greeks, but he won't arrive till 200 years later, in 323 BCE. So my gut feeling is that unless the Persians talk more about it, there won't be a record.

I'll see what I can find.

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Re: Fordtunateson,

If you had three more sons you could call the youngest triple X.

Fordtunateson,

Re: Fordtunateson,

The folks who offered to help were not fit to touch the temple.