Ex-Exiles

When the Persians overran Babylonia in 536 BCE, the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple. Despite extremely difficult conditions, the Jews completed rebuilding the Temple in 515 BCE. Jews lived relatively peacefully in Jerusalem, with their holy Temple serving as a religious center, for hundreds of years under the rule of different nations.

Greek-Syrians

Jews, however, lost their religious freedom with the rise to power of Antiochus IV. In an effort to unite his kingdom, Antiochus IV tried to force the Jews to adopt Hellenistic culture and religion. The study of Torah was forbidden. Jewish rituals, such as circumcision, became punishable by death. And the Second Temple was desecrated.

Maccabees

The Maccabees led a victorious rebellion against the Greek-Syrians. The victory reached a spiritual high when the Maccabees cleansed and rededicated the Temple in 164 BCE. The Jewish festival of Chanukah celebrates the Maccabees' victory and the Temple's rededication.

Romans

The Romans, who moved in to help rule Jerusalem and its surroundings, appointed a Roman Jew named Herod as King of Judea in 37 BCE.

Herod embarked on a massive building campaign which included expanding and renovating the Second Temple. While the Second Temple lacked some of the holy features of the First Temple, such as the Ark of the Covenant, it became reknown for its splendor.

According to the Talmud, "He who has not seen the Temple of Herod, has never seen a beautiful building." (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Batra, 4a; Shemot Rabba 36:1)

Herod's building campaign made Jerusalem one of the most impressive cities in the world. According to the rabbis of that day, "Ten measures of beauty descended to the world; nine of them were allotted to Jerusalem."

As the Romans began to impose their ways on the Jews, relations between Jews and Romans deteriorated and then quickly escalated into war.

Titus lead Roman forces to conquer the city of Jerusalem. The Romans encountered surprisingly strong opposition by the Jews. Despite the intentions of Titus and Caesar to the contrary, the Second Temple was burnt and destroyed in 70 CE during the fighting.

Israelis

The Western Wall (HaKotel in Hebrew), which stands in Jerusalem today, is a remnant of the Second Temple. Today Israelis and visiting Jews from around the world often go to the Western Wall to pray.