7. Between Archaeology and Text: A Reevaluation of the Development Process of Jerusalem in the Persian Period

Abstract

A clear picture emerges from the archaeological finds. The significance of these finds is that the Babylonian destruction is well documented by archaeological research, and even more - there is no evidence of human activity of any kind in Jerusalem between the time of the Babylonian destruction in 586 BCE and the beginning of the Persian period. It would seem that the inevitable explanation for this is that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and was emptied of most of its population. During the early years of the Persian period, the Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt and the cult was renewed. Explanations dealing with negative finds should be taken seriously, but in archaeology they cannot be the basis for the reconstruction of the development and contemporary situation in Jerusalem during most of the Second Temple period. Keywords:archaeology; Babylonian destruction; development process; Jerusalem; Persian period