And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.
And this is how they answered us, saying, 'We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and established.'
The Jewish people boldly declared to their questioners that they served the God of heaven and earth and were rebuilding the temple that King Solomon had originally constructed.
📚 Historical Context
This response was given by the Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem around 520 BC. They were being questioned by Persian officials about their authority to rebuild, and they referenced the original temple built by King Solomon around 960 BC, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
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