Page 95 - Biblical Backgrounds

Jews living in Babylonia under Persian control had houses and furniture much the same as during the
days of the Babylonian Empire (see last chapter). Those who settled in Judah once more tended to
pattern their houses after those of the people they found living in the land. It appears that some still
went back to the models of houses of the people of Judah before the Babylonian captivity.

Trade and Economics

As indicated before, Darius I developed trade routes across the Persian empire, both on water and land.
Sea routes linked the Indus, Tigris-Euphrates, and the Nile river valleys. These linked valleys were a hive
of most economic activities, including agriculture, and were the most populated regions of the empire.
On land, he built roads, notably the great royal road extending 1,600 miles from Susa to Sardis. Thus, the
whole vast area from the Indus to the Aegean and the Mediterranean and across a chunk of North Africa
became a single political and economic unit under central control.

Other boosters of trade included the introduction of a common standard of weight and measure across
the empire and the usage of one language, Aramaic, as the official language. Although money was
gradually replaced by goods as a means of payment for other commodities, Darius adopted a bimetallic
money system of gold and silver.

Persia also increasingly grew in its forestry ventures. New species of trees were introduced and supplied
the need for wood in the building of houses, war chariots, carts, weapons, furniture, etc. Coupled with
ongoing explorations of mineral deposits of gold, silver, copper, and iron, the empire became self-
sufficient in supporting industrial activities and crafts.

Given such an economically viable environment and the vastness of the empire, opportunities also
opened for others to go out as business personnel, government representatives, sailors, or soldiers.
It was indicated in the “government” sub-section that keeping the borders of the Persian empire from
external invasion was increasingly becoming expensive, especially in the last century. Heavy military
funding was required. This, in turn, meant huge taxes from the subjects. The cost of living soared for the
peasants of the empire while wages were heavily depressed, keeping most of them in perpetual debt.
Vos. H. F. notes that “Judah experienced serious economic distress in the days of Nehemiah. Heavy
Persian taxes and poor crop yields forced many of the poor into bankruptcy, and together with their
children, they were reduced to slavery. Some of the wealthy took advantage of the situation (Nehemiah
5:1–5). Nehemiah demanded that the wealthy forgive the debts and restore what they had taken. This
they agreed to do.” 139

God’s Restoration of His people

There were mainly two contingents of Jews returning to Judah. One under Zerubbabel in 539 BCE,
immediately following Cyrus’ decree. Another one under Ezra in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I or 458
BCE (Ezra 7:1, 8). Those who returned to Judah were the ones God “stirred up” (Ezra 1:5) to do so. Those
who remained generously helped finance the venture (Ezra 1:6). King Cyrus, for his part, sent along
5,400 gold and silver articles that Nebuchadnezzar confiscated from the temple of Solomon (Ezra 1:11).

139 Ibid., p. 342.

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