April 2011

Cyrus took Babylon and issued permission for the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem circa 538 BC.

The Judaeans with Zorobabel were hindered in the reign of Cambyses, 529-522 BC, unto the second year of Darius who ascended to the throne in 521 BC. 

Second temple completed in the 6th year of Darius, Ezra 6:5.

Therefore it took no more than 24 years to build the temple of Zorobabel, commonly referred to as the second temple.

46 years to build the temple that stood in time of Christ - John 2:20. This can only refer to the temple of Herod - which must be considered the third temple!

Below is Flavius Josephus' description of "Herod's" temple, which he rebuilt from the foundations. We at Christogenea do not see how such a huge undertaking could be considered a mere "renovation", as some call it, when it is clear that Herod completely rebuilt Zorobabel's temple, in essence creating a "third temple":

Josephus, Antiquities of the Judaeans, 15.11.3 (15:391-402):

391 So Herod took away the old foundations, and laid others, and erected the temple upon them, being in length a hundred cubits, and in height twenty additional cubits, which [twenty], upon the sinking of their foundations {b} fell down; and this part it was that we resolved to raise again in the days of Nero.
392 Now the temple was built of stones that were white and strong, and each of their length was twenty-five cubits, their height was eight, and their breadth about twelve;