The Persian Era

At the close of the Old Testament, the Jews were under Persian control, yet they were able to maintain relative autonomy. Thanks to King Cyrus of Persia, the Jews were in their own land (559–529 bc; Ezra 1:1–4) and worshiping freely in the reconstructed temple behind the completed wall of Jerusalem (sanctioned by Darius, 540–486 bc; Ezra 6:1–12).