Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/389

 He also  restored to  them  the  sacred  vessels  which  Nabuchodonozor  had  carried  away. Thereupon more  than  forty  thousand Israelites, under  the  leadership  of  Prince  Zorobabel  and  of  the High Priest  Josue,  returned  to  Judaea,  the  name  thenceforward given to  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Juda,  together  with  the  remnants of the  other  ten  tribes,  which  had  joined  themselves  to  Juda  and Benjamin before  the  downfall  of  Israel. They immediately  built an altar,  and  offered  sacrifice  every  morning  and  evening.

One year  after  the  return  from  captivity,  the  foundations  of the  new  Temple  were  laid  in  Jerusalem. The priests  and  the Levites were  there  with  their  trumpets  and  cymbals,  as  of  old, singing to  the  Lord  canticles  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  while  the people all  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy. And when,  after many years,  the  Temple  was  completed,  it  was  consecrated  and dedicated with  great  solemnity.

Many of  the  old  people  who  remembered  the  former  Temple, wept to  see  that  the  new  one  did  not  equal  the  old  in magnificence.

But the  prophet  Aggeu  consoled  them  with  the  assurance that the  second  Temple  would  be  more  glorious  than  the  first, because the  Messias,  the  Desired  of  all  nations,  would  be  seen  in it,  and  would  honour  it  with  His  presence. The same  prediction was made  by  the  prophet  Zacharias.

About eighty  years  after  their  return  from  captivity,  the  Jews, by command  of  the  king  of  Persia,  commenced  to  rebuild  the walls of  Jerusalem. The Samaritans  opposed  them  and  tried even by  violence  to  prevent  the  people  from  rebuilding  their  city. But the  Jews  prayed  to  God  to  assist  them,  and  in  order  to