Final answer:
The Israelite priests and scribes were rounded up and taken to Babylon in chains by the Neo-Babylonians after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BCE. The Babylonian exile was a time of cultural and religious revival for those who held onto their Judean identity. The exile ended when the Persian king Cyrus the Great allowed the unassimilated Judeans to return to Judah.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Israelite priests and scribes were rounded up and taken to Babylon in chains by the Neo-Babylonians after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BCE. This event is known as the Babylonian Captivity or Exile.
During this time, many Judeans were settled in Mesopotamia and assimilated into Babylonian culture, while others retained their Judean culture and religious beliefs. The Babylonian exile was a time of cultural and religious revival for those who held onto their Judean identity.
The exile ended when the Persian king Cyrus the Great allowed the unassimilated Judeans to return to Judah, leading to a process of reconstruction that included the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.