During the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, Israel was conquered and a large segment of its population was forcibly relocated.
Here are some important dates related to Israel and exile:
722 BCE - Israel is taken into exile by the Assyrian Empire.
587 BCE - Israel is taken into exile by Babylon. Jerusalem is destroyed, and so is the Temple of Solomon. Israel loses its central place of worship. This is a devastating event. Read Psalm 137.
539 BCE - Persia frees Israel from Babylonian domination. The people of Israel return from exile. There's still no "Israel" so to speak (Israel is under Persian rule), but the people get to return home.
510 BCE - Construction begins on a new temple. This is the beginning of "Second Temple Judaism."
Israel was changed by both politically and religiously by the Babylonian exile. Politically, there was no longer a kingdom. Israel was no longer an independent nation. Even after the return from exile, Israel was still subjugated by the Persians. Religoiusly, the law took on a new centrality after the exile. The temple had been destroyed, and the Israelites could not rebuild it while they were prohibited from returning to their homeland. These developments would prove very significant in Israel's subsequent history.
Exile
