Just as there had been three deportations to Babylon, there were three returns to the land of Israel. The first return, led by Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-6), occurred in 538 B.C. The central focus of this group was the rebuilding of the temple. The second return was led by Ezra the priest in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7-10). Upon his return, Ezra led a spiritual revival among the people. The third return was led by Nehemiah in 444 B.C. (book of Nehemiah). His major contribution was in rallying the people to rebuild the city walls.
