Second Temple, The

This is the tragic story of the downfall of a nation. It is the story of a once proud and noble people reduced to a nation of wanderers, beggars and slaves, of a people, once admired and revered, who became the object of scorn and hatred. It is the story ...

Studying about the construction and details of the 2nd Holy Temple informs us in the building of the final third Temple.

Fifty three years following the destruction of the First Holy Temple (see Jewish History for the 9th of Av), Zerubabel and Joshua the High Priest began construction of the Second Temple, with permission from King Cyrus of Persia. The offering of sacrifice...

"On the 24th day of the 11th month, which is the month of Shevat, in the second year of the reign of Darius, the word of G-d came to Zachariah the son of Berechiah the son of Ido the prophet, saying: '...I will return to Jerusalem in mercy, my house will ...

The joyous dedication of the second Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash) on the site of the 1st Temple in Jerusalem, was celebrated on the 3rd of Adar of the year 3412 from creation (349 BCE), after four years of work. The First Temple, built by King Solomon in 8...

Built 70 years after the destruction of the First Temple, it stood for 420 years.

One of history's greatest conquerors, Alexander of Macedonia, interacted with the High Priest, Shimon HaTzaddik.

Inspired by Haggai’s prophecy on the first of Elul (see entry for that date), Zerubavel son of She’altiel, ruler of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the High Priest, began the preparations for the construction of the Second Temple (Haggai 1:15). The ac...

On this day, the prophet Haggai received a divine message to pass on to “Zerubavel son of She’altiel ruler of Judah and Joshua son of Jehozadak the High Priest” (Haggai 1:1), instructing them to continue their efforts to build the Second Temple, whose con...