Event Old Testament
The exile and the return
Also known as Babylonian exile, Return from exile
Babylon burned the temple and carried Judah into exile, apparently ending the line of David. Jeremiah had promised that after seventy years God would bring the people back, and the decree of Cyrus of Persia opened the way home and the rebuilding of the temple.
Why it matters. The exile is the shadow over the Gospels' opening pages: Matthew's genealogy counts generations to and from it, and the people Jesus met were still waiting for the consolation of Israel. The return showed that God keeps promises even through judgment.
- Primary passages
- Dates
- 587 to 538 BC (approximate) (high confidence, Fall of Jerusalem (587/586 BC) to the decree of Cyrus (539/538 BC))
The destruction of Jerusalem in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year and Cyrus's first year over Babylon are both fixed by Babylonian and Persian records, with a one-year uncertainty on each end.
- Witnesses
Chronology confidence: high
Kings, Chronicles, Jeremiah, and Ezra tell the story from different angles: the fall of the city, the seventy years, and the decree of Cyrus. Chronicles and Ezra explicitly connect the return to Jeremiah's word.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The covenant with David precedes The exile and the return
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe exile falls in the reign of Zedekiah, the last of David's line to rule in Jerusalem before Babylon.
Evidence:The exile and the return precedes The annunciation to Mary
Historical inferenceHigh confidenceMatthew's genealogy counts fourteen generations from the exile to the Christ, and Luke sets the announcements in the days of Herod, centuries after the return.
Evidence:The exile and the return occurs at Jerusalem
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceBabylon burns the temple and breaks down the walls of Jerusalem; the return is to rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
Evidence:The exile and the return develops the theme Promise and fulfillment
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceChronicles and Ezra both say the decree of Cyrus fulfilled the word of the LORD through Jeremiah.
The exile and the return explicitly fulfills Jeremiah 29:10
Explicit fulfillmentHigh confidenceEzra and Chronicles explicitly present Cyrus's decree as fulfilling Jeremiah's promise of a return after seventy years. This is a fulfillment inside the Old Testament, and it shows the pattern the New Testament will use for Jesus.