Three Expeditions to Jerusalem.  The return from Babylon covered a long period of time and consisted of three separate detachments under as many different leaders.  There were important intervening events and contributory causes. (1) The first colony to return was under Zerubhabel (536 B. C.) and consisted of about fifty thousand.  Ezra chs. 1-6.  We have given us the records of activities of this colony for a period of about twenty-one years, during which time the temple was rebuilt and dedicated.  Much opposition was encountered in the matter of rebuilding the temple and the work was finally stopped.  It is here that Haggai and Zechariah delivered their stirring prophesies which together with the influence of Jerubbabel and Jeshua, the priest, stimulated the people to renew their building operations and complete the temple (B.  C. 515).  In the course of history, Haggai and Zechariah would come in between the fourth and fifth chapters of Ezra. (2) The second colony returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra (Ezra chs. 7-10) and consisted of about 1800 males with their families.  There is here a lapse of about fifty-seven years from the completion and dedication of the temple to the time of Ezra’s going to Jerusalem-the last thirty years of the reign of Darius, the twenty years of the reign of Xerxes and seven years of the reign of Artaxerses.  Ezra obtained permission from Artaxerxes to return and also letters of instruction to the rulers to give him assistance.  He was a scribe of the law of Moses and his mission was primarily a religious one.  He was a descendant from the house of Aaron and as such he assumed the office of priest when he reached Jerusalem.  Upon his arrival he found that the first colony had fallen into gross immoralities and into unsound religious practices.  He rebuke He rebuke all these sins and brought about a great reform.  It is not certain that he remained in Jerusalem.  His leave from the king may have been only temporary and he may have gone back to Babylon and returned again to Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. (3) The third colony was led to Jerusalem by Nehemiah (the book of Nehemiah).  The number returning is not given.  Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Persian king and upon hearing of the distress of his people at Jerusalem secured permission from him to go to Jerusalem as the governor.  In spite of very determined opposition he was enabled to repair the wall of the city and dedicate it with great ceremony (Neh. chs. 6 and 12).  Nehemiah is counted as one of the greatest reformers.  He corrected many abuses such as those of usury and restored the national life of the Jews based upon the written law.  Together with Ezra he restored the priests to their positions and renewed the temple worship.  He went back to the Persian court where he remained several years and then returned to Jerusalem and continued his reforms.  This ends the Old Testament history.