Final answer:
When Cyrus the Great ended the Babylonian Exile, the Jews returned to Judah to rebuild the Temple and started the Jewish diaspora. Many Jews stayed in the Persian Empire, maintaining their culture and religion. This period also led to the editing and formation of the Hebrew Bible.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Cyrus the Great, the king of the Persians, ended the Babylonian Exile, the Jews were granted the opportunity to return to Judah. Most notably, this marked the end of the 'Babylonian Captivity' and was the starting point for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. However, this moment in history also marked the beginning of the Jewish diaspora, as not all Jews chose to return to Judah; many remained in Babylon and other cities within the Persian Empire, where they continued to practice Judaism and maintain their cultural and religious identity.
During the period of the Babylonian Exile, the Jews who retained their Judean culture and religious beliefs engaged in a religious revival and edited various earlier Hebrew writings, which would shape the core of the Hebrew Bible. With the benevolence of Cyrus, the process of reconstruction in Judah began, and the Jews started returning in waves to reconstruct their society, including the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
The Persian policy of leniency towards conquered peoples allowed the Jews, along with many other religious and ethnic groups, to practice their own customs and religions as long as they remained loyal subjects. This policy contributed significantly to the maintenance of Hebrew culture and religion despite the lack of political independence.