The Dedication of the Second Temple
March 12, 516 BC
In 538 BC, Cyrus permitted the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Judea. Solomon’s temple had been destroyed in 586. Following the urging of the Prophet Haggai in 520, the Jewish settlers endeavored to complete the rebuilding of the temple. This smaller “second temple,” a far cry from the splendor of Solomon’s, was dedicated on March 12, 516.
In 165 BC, the temple suffered desecration by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, instigating the revolt of the Maccabees, who defeated Antiochus and cleansed and rededicated the temple in 164, an event commemorated by Hanukkah.
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James M. Kushiner is the Director of Publications for The Fellowship of St. James and the former Executive Editor of Touchstone.
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