Babylon in the book of Isaiah reflects Cyrus’s subjugation of the city. This suggests that YHWH’s world-wide rule is identified with the rule of the Persian empire. Secondly, the final form of the book of Isaiah presupposes that the Temple has already been rebuilt (see Isa. 56; 60–62), but the full manifestation of YHWH’s rule has not yet occurred (see Isa. 65–66). This corresponds to the situation of the late-fifth century BCE when Nehemiah and then Ezra returned to Jerusalem to begin their work.
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