THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS: JEWS CONTINUE UNDER PERSIAN RULE (CA. 424–331 B.C.) From the perspective of a secular historian, this is no point at which to begin a new era. Nothing earth-shattering happened with the death of Artaxerxes. Life continued much as it had during the time of Nehemiah, Haggai, and Malachi. The Persian rulers, with varying degrees of consistency, continued the policy inaugurated under Cyrus in 539 B.C. of allowing Jews in exile to return to their homeland
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