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The 70 years of exile suffered by the Jews in Babylon is known by what name?

a) Exodus
b) Diaspora
c) Shoah
d) Babylonian Captivity

User Royland
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The 70 years of exile suffered by the Jews in Babylon is known as the Babylonian Captivity. It marked a period of deportation and cultural revival, leading to the editing of the Hebrew Bible. The exile ended with Cyrus the Great's decree allowing Jews to return to Judah.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 70 years of exile suffered by the Jews in Babylon is known by the name Babylonian Captivity. The Babylonian exile represents the period during which the Jews were deported from Judah to Babylon following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE. This event is distinctly different from the diaspora, which refers to the general scattering of the Jewish people across the world over time, or the Exodus, the mass migration of Hebrews out of Egypt under Moses. It is also distinct from the Shoah, which refers to the Holocaust.

During the captivity, though many Jews were assimilated into Babylonian culture, a significant number retained their Judean culture and religious beliefs. This period was also important for the cultural and religious revival of the Judeans, leading to the editing and assembly of the core of the Hebrew Bible. The captivity was ended by the decree of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, who allowed the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Temple. However, the Jewish diaspora continued, as many Jews chose to remain in various cities within the Persian Empire even after they were allowed to return to their homeland.

User ThatsJustCheesy
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