- 539 BC, Cyrus the Great comes to power in Persia and conquers Babylon.
Under his rule, captive people can go back to their homelands and practice their own religions and culture. Jews held in Babylon returned to Jerusalem, built the Second Temple. Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah among others become important figures.
- 323 BC-170 BC, after Alexander the Great died, the Seleucid dynasty ruled Jerusalem. A Seleucid king attempted to force everyone under his rule to worship Zeus, but Maccabees led a revolt and won. Today Hanukkah celebrated to commemorate those events.
- Maccabee descendants, Hasmoneans, rule next 100 years until...
- 63 BC, conflicts erupt over rightful king. Romans come in, and under Pompey, settle the dispute.
- 37 BC, Rome appoints Herod, a non-Hasmonean, King of Judaea. He leans away from Jewish faith towards Roman.
- When Herod dies, more disputes and rebellions erupted, and more deaths.
- 6 BC, Rome takes direct control