Preparation, Return and Establishment Ezra 1/5-11 (jan 31, 536 BC – aug 29, 536 BC)
Description:
RETURN FROM EXILE5 So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites — everyone whose spirit God had roused — prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. -- Ezra 1:5 (CSB)
This would have taken some organising, preparation time and travel time.
I have allowed approx 7 months given Ezra 3/1 states that the exiles had arrived and settled before being called as one to Jerusalem on the 1st of Tishri (29 August) as well as taking into account at what time during the first year of Cyrus' reign he made his decree (1/1)
*First was a collection and inventory of some of the various articles which had been previously taken from Jerusalem (Ezra 1/9)
Second was a census and preparation of exiles who wanted to be among the first aliyah. These included 42,360 Israelites plus:
7337 male and female servants
200 male and female singers
736 horses
245 mules
435 camels
6720 donkeys PLUS food and provisions for the lot of them to sustain them on the return journey plus a short stay in Jerusalem until they could establish a proper food source.
Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 31, 536 BC
aug 29, 536 BC
~ 7 months