In order to appreciate the attitudes of the Jewish leaders it is necessary to go back to the exile. Two matters are significant here: (a) The prophets and other parts of the OT clearly suggest that the reason for the exile was not a simple political matter of a strong empire adding to its conquests, but that God allowed, even caused, the exile as a punishment for disobedience to his law. Now the major aspect of this disobedience was the replacement of the worship of God by the worship of idols, but