Did many or few Jewish captives return from Babylon to rebuild the temple?
Few returned. Although hundreds of thousands or possibly a million or more Jews had been taken captive to Babylon, only 42,360 took up Cyrus's decree to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The small number reflects that most chose not to return.
Les explains that the residue of ancient Babylon includes banking, interest, and usury, which the Jews embraced and carried back. Yet of at least hundreds of thousands, if not a million or more taken captive, precious few accepted the offer to return. Cyrus made it possible for any Jew who wanted to go back to Jerusalem, but the land was a wilderness, barren, and rebuilding would take hard work. In chapter 2, verse 64, the whole congregation that returned was 42,360—not very many. This was about 535–536 B.C.; Nebuchadnezzar first came in 606 B.C., and 70 years later they were permitted to return and begin rebuilding the temple.