The Biblical and Historical Origins of the Problems in...

The Biblical and Historical Origins of the Problems in the Middle East The present day situation in Israel may be the most difficult political situation in world history. It dates back to thousands of years before Christ, and deals with a large number of issues including political, religious, and cultural issues. In order to understand the current day issues, we must first understand the Biblical and historical issues. In this paper, I will first explore what the later books of the old testament, specifically the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah, and Malachi, and than talk about the modern day issues. This was an interesting part of the Bible to research, because it is the part that most people know very little†¦show more content†¦The first book that I will discuss is the book of Ezra. Ezra lived during the time several hundred years after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile, which would be around 400 BC. Ezra was a priest, who was an expert in the law of the Torah. The first six chapters of the Book of Ezra describe the return of the Jews from the exile in Babylon, which actually happened before Ezra was actually living. The last 6 chapters deal with the restoration of Jewish life in Israel after the exile in Babylon. In this time period, there were two restorations going on. The first dealt with the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, even though the Temple had already been built after the return from exile. The second dealt with the rebuilding of Jewish religious life in the postexilic period. Because he was a priest and an expert in the law, Ezra was primarily responsible for the religious rebuilding. A major problem of the time was that Jewish men were taking foreign wives, and at this time, Ezra prohibited mixed marriages. The men who had married foreign women had to abandon them. There was also a covenant renewal at this time. The second book that I will discuss is the book of Nehemiah. It isn’t known who came first of Ezra and Nehemiah, but while Ezra was the religious leader, Nehemiah was the political leader. Nehemiah began his work in Babylon around 445 BC,Show MoreRelated Palestine and Israel Essay1463 Words   |  6 Pagesonly on the battlefield but now on the streets and in homes of innocents. The war between Palestine and Israel may be able to date back to Biblical times and there seems to be no end in sight for either side. (Winder) The war in the Middle East is a great one. The cause for the fighting between both sides has changed repetitively. One of the earliest problems dates back to the bible. It is said that an angel promised the exiled slave Hagar that her son Ishmael would be the father of a countryRead Moreâ€Å"What Were the Major Reasons for the Creation of the State of Israel?3085 Words   |  13 Pagesestablished in nearly 2,000 years and was the culmination of efforts by the Jews to secure a homeland for themselves. 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