The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-12-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

international Lesson for January 1, 1893
--Iseturning from the captiyity--Bxra
1s1-11.
thy captivity. and have compassion upon thee.
.-Deut S0:a
DATB or TEfs Lnsson.--The edict OF Cyrus
was given b. q $50 and the return followed
soon aater. in the spring Of 500 According 70
Esdras, IL was the same month rs the exodus,
800 years before
PLAcE.--Babyion and Jerusalem The lnnd
Of Israel now begins to be called Judea, and the
people Judeans, shortened 10 "Jews"
PLAcn IN MoDRRN GRoGRAPHY.-Jeru-
salem sttl exists Babylon was situated d.
recty south Of the modern Bagdad, in the
southeast extremity Of the Turkish empire
RULERs.-Cyrus. king OF the Persian empire,
RO 55e5co, and Of Babylon (as sole ruler),
6ael2o Darius reigned in Babylon under
Cyrus. who was elsewhere, b. C. 53S5s6 Zerub-
bsbe1, prince Of the royal Limo OF David, was
governor Of the returned Jews at Jerusalem
Hfs title was Trshatha, tho origin Of the Turk.
ish ~Pasha."
EZRA was Jewish scribe, . Levito, and de-
seendont Of Aaron and OF that high priest Hill.
ktah, who found the book of the law In the tenn
pie In tho days Of Jonah He was born about
Il O, 4oS -Rawlinson. He lived in Babylon
and, nearly eighty years after the return under
zerubbaScl described in this lesson, brought to
Jerusalem another company Of returned cxiles
He was the euthor OF tho book OF Ezra, though
tho events described IN the first six chapters
took ,placo many years before his time
According to jewish tradition be. was the
founder OF the great synagogue, out OF which
the later ssnheilrim grew: was the collector Of
the books Of the Eibie. which he edited and re-
vtsed: the author Of Chronicles. Ezru, and
Nehemiah: ana the originator OF synagogue wor-
ship The latter part Of his life WAS spent
IA ~
knowledge OF tho inw and for his zeol for its OBJ
servance He died, according to Rawiinson.
II. G. tcoslD. at Ar sdvanced age. in Jerusalem
NOTES OF THE RETURN.
The Three Periods Of Return. In the
history Of the restoration of the Jews
to their own country, the names of
three Jewish leaders and three Persian
kings are prominent:
/. The first Jewish leader was Zerub-
babel, who left Babylon when Cyrus
came TO the throne, B. G. 535 (seventy
years after the first captivity. After
IN interval of about 20 years, he was
enabled to complete the rebuilding of
the temple, in the reign of Darius
Hystaspes tseventy years after the de-
struction of the temple)
2. The,second Jewish leader was Ezra,
who went up from Babylon about
eighty years after Zcrubbabel, +. c.
45S. in the seve nth year of Artaxerxes
Longimanus. He laborcd chieAy to re-
store the institutions of Moses.
8. The third Jewish leader was Nehe-
miai, who went up from Susa, or
Shushan. in the twentieth year of the
Same Artaxcrxes, B. c. 445. He rebuilt
the wnll and set up the gates of Jerusa-
lem. and promoted many reforms.
Leaders IF tn: First Return. The re-
turn described in to-days lesson was
under Zerubhabel, a prince. of the royal
line of David. called the Tirshatha, or
Pasha ta:63l. and under Joshua, the
hereditary high priest.
The numbers who returned are given
in s:S4, 65, as about $1,000, of whom Az
$50 were householders, and 1881 were
servants. Among them was a company
Of 200 singers (a:e5, 10Y. By far the
greater number, and especially those
of the wealthier classes, preferred to
remain behind, to hold the property
which they had acquired and pursue
the avocations to which they were ac-
eustomed on foreign but now friendly
soil II has been calculated that those
who returned stood to those who stayed
behind in the proportion of one to six.
Esther 9:5-ls shows that large and
hourishing communities of Jews re-
manned. Daniel also did not return
he was very old man at this time. at
Least eighty-six years old. and he could
probably aid the ca,ise more by holding
his high Office.
The March Homs. If we may trust
later traditions, the setting ont of the
Captivity for Palestine was joyous in
tho extreme. (Read Ps. 1861 An escort
sf one Thousand cavalry accompanied
them, for protection against the desert
Arabs, then as now, given to plumber.
and they started to the music Of tabrcts
and flutes Esdras 5:o). Forth from
the gates of Babylon they rode, to the
sound of joyous pusic-a band of
horsemen playing on the flutes and
tnbrets, accompanied By their own two
hundred minstrel slaves, and one hun
dred and twenty-eight singers Of the
temple ezra 3:4l. eS). respond
ing to the prophets voice, as
they Quilted the shade of the
gigantic walls and found themselves in
the open desert beyond. ,'Go ye out Of
Babylon. Flee from the Chaldgans,
with voice OF singing declare ye,
tell this, nt$er 1t even to the
md of the earth; say ye, The Eternal
hath redeemed His servant Jacob" Usa.
$500. 2n. 1t was like the procession of
tho Vcstal Virgins, with the sacred FIRE
In their hands, in their. retreat from
Rome; like Eneas with his household
gods from Troy. The few rich among
them INDUCED in the luxury of horses,
or Of mules. The aged, the children,
and the delicate women rode on camels
Ten leaders, under Zerubbabel and
Joshua, twelve in all, perhaps in touch
ing allusion TO the original number of
the tribes, marshalled tho host in rs
many divisions Even the rank and file
were descended from the flower Of the
nation stTSha h,,rex ~ sOv va G cy,cI, aa