Yehud Medinata

Coordinates: 31°47′N 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E / 31.783; 35.217
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yehud State
Yehud Medinata
c. 539 BCE–c. 332 BCE
Obverse of Jewish Yehud, a silver coin from Persian period of Judea
Obverse of Jewish Yehud, a silver coin from Persian period
Yehud Medinata (in pink) under the Persian Empire
Yehud Medinata (in pink) under the Persian Empire
StatusProvince of the Achaemenid Empire
CapitalJerusalem
31°47′N 35°13′E / 31.783°N 35.217°E / 31.783; 35.217
Common languagesAramaic, Hebrew, Old Persian
Religion
Second Temple Judaism
History 
• Cyrus' invasion of Babylonia
c. 539 BCE
c. 332 BCE
CurrencyDaric, siglos
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Yehud (Babylonian province)
Coele-Syria
Today part of Israel
 Palestine

Yehud Medinata (Aramaic for the State of Judah), or simply Yehud, was part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. It was within the satrapy of Eber-Nari.

It was roughly like the older kingdom of Judah but had less land. The area of Yehud Medinata is roughly the same as the previous Babylonian province of Yehud, which was created after the kingdom of Judah was invaded by the Neo-Babylonian Empire (c. 597).

Yehud Medinata continued to exist for two centuries, until Alexander the Great conquered it and made it part of his empire.

History[change | change source]

Exact times for Babylonian and Persian rule do not have complete agreement. Other dates are plausible.

Year Event

587 BCE Conquest of Jerusalem by Babylonians; second deportation (first deportation in 597); Gedaliah installed as governor in Mizpah
582? BCE Assassination of Gedaliah; refugees flee to Egypt; third deportation to Babylon
562 BCE Jeconiah, king of Judah deported and imprisoned in Babylon in 597, released; remains in Babylon
539 BCE Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II, ruled c.550-530 BCE) conquers Babylon
538 BCE "Declaration of Cyrus" allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem
530 BCE Cambyses II (ruled 530-522 BCE) succeeds Cyrus
525 BCE Cambyses conquers Egypt
522 BCE Darius I (ruled 522-486 BCE) succeeds Cambyses
521 BCE Negotiations in Babylon between Darius and the exiled Jews
520 BCE[1] Return to Jerusalem of Zerubbabel as governor of Yehud and Joshua as High Priest
520-515 BCE[1] Rebuilding of the Temple (Second Temple)
458? BCE Arrival in Jerusalem of Ezra (7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes I, king 465-424 BCE)
445/444 BCE Arrival in Jerusalem of Nehemiah (20th year of the reign of Artaxerxes I)
397? BCE

(possible)
Arrival in Jerusalem of Ezra (7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes II, king 404-358 BCE)
333/332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers the Mediterranean provinces of Persian Empire; beginning of Hellenistic age

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Rainer Albertz, Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century BCE, (2003)

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