Conflict as a Constant Aspect of the Reality in which the Hebrew Bible Was Created: Some Historical Remarks on the Province of Yehud in the Persian Era

Abstract

This article discusses the various conflicts in the province of Yehud during the Persian period. Conflicts between the province’s inhabitants and their neighbours, as well as tensions between different groups within the province—particularly religious ones—emerge as a significant and enduring feature of that period. The text puts forward the hypothesis that the conflicts of that time constituted an aspect of historical reality which had a profound influence on the authors of the Hebrew Bible during the Persian period. The text concluded by stating that without knowledge of the historical reality, illustrated here by these conflicts, it is impossible to interpret the original text of the Bible properly.