The Second Temple period began with circumstances much like our own: a vibrant Jewish community thrived in the exile of Babylonia, while in the Land of Israel, the Jews were beset with difficulties. Rabbi Wein retraces the dramatic events by which Ezra Ha Sofer and his successor Nechemia rebuilt the Temple. Though a shadow of the First Temple, these great Jewish leaders laid the foundations that would ultimately lead to the Temple's complete restoration.

• the fate of the Twelve Tribes after the Exile
• the ancient Jewish communities of Babylonia, Alexandria, and Persia
• the dramatic return to the Holy Land and the challenges of rebuilding it
• the crisis in Shabbat observance, a parallel to our world
• Portrayals of Ezra and Nechemia as paradigms of Jewish leadership
• The Samaritans: good or evil?