12/09/2024
Queen Esther and over a million Jews stayed in Babylon and Shushan after the decree for them to go back of Judea was made by King Cyprus, The Mede. The reason was simple, they had no physical or emotional attachment to their homeland (for explanations, read my previous post).
An Aside:
Let me digress a little to explain a very salient point. When King Nebuchadnezzar enslaved the people of Judah, he took them to Babylonia because he was a Babylonian.
Even though Babylonia and Chaldea are used interchangeably in scriptures, they are not the same. Babylonians are Chaldeans but Chaldeans are not Babylonians. Nebopolassar (Nebuchadnezzar's father) and his hords conquered Chaldea and changed it's name to Babylon.
Children born to Babylonian parents in Chaldea could consider themselves Chaldeans because they were born in the land of Chaldea. That's how both names became interchangeable.
The Babylonia empire was conquered by the Persians and the Medes, and they made Shushan their capital not Babylonia. That's why Queen Esther was in Shushan the palace (Esther 1:2).
I also want to point out that the term "Jews" refers to only 2 tribes of Israel, ie, Judah and Benjamin. The other 10 tribes are not Jews. And the 10 tribes are lost. Lost in the sense that they cannot be traced but they will return from the 4 corners of the world to make Israel a strong country. If you want to see the full force of the 10 tribes, skip the rapture of the church and witness the Armageddon (The last battle). Please I am just joking.
Continuation:
So many Jews became alienated from their Hebrew form of worship and invented "Judaism". A religion that was not centered on the Temple or the Priesthood, or the sacrifices.
Today there are all kinds of Judaism :
1. Reformed Judaism - They are least spiritual and do not adhere of the rabbinical laws or the Torah or the Bible. They are a product of the enlightenment era.
2. Ultra- Orthodox Jews: They follow the rabbinical law, Halakah, their identity is expressed in their dress and rigid system of behaviour.
3. Secular Jews: Most of the Holywood actors that are Jews. They identify themselves as Jews, that ends it.
But it's not only Judaism that has drifted from their main form of worship, Christianity too has suffered same. When we resuscitate Apostle Paul, or Peter or James, they will be shocked at this current theatre of a religion.
My name is Dickson Sedzi. Stay with me.
Picture credit online.