Most Jews remained in Babylon because they had been cured of idolatry and discovered their talent for business, while many of the rest assimilated into surrounding Gentile nations.
During the 70-year captivity, the Jews experienced two profound changes: they were permanently cured of idolatry, and they realized they had a strong aptitude for business. Babylon, being the source of the banking system, provided them with remarkable economic opportunities. As a result, when Cyrus's decree allowed them to return, only a small remnant actually went back to rebuild the temple, while the majority stayed behind or assimilated into the Gentile world.
Ezra 2:64 — This verse gives the exact number of returnees—42,360—showing how few returned compared with the large captive population.
Ezra 1:1-3 — This records Cyrus's decree permitting the Jews to return and rebuild the temple, setting the stage for the question of why so few actually went.
After the 70-year Babylonian captivity predicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10), God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Ezra 1:1-3 records that proclamation. The book of Ezra then documents the number of those who actually returned: 'The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore' (Ezra 2:64). Scripture records that many priests, Levites, and other families made the journey, but it does not provide a single explicit reason explaining why so many chose to remain in Babylon. The biblical record simply shows the fact that the returning remnant was comparatively small.
Les Feldick explains that two significant transformations occurred among the Jewish people during their 70 years in Babylon. First, they were permanently cured of idolatry—they never again fell into worshiping pagan gods. Second, they discovered that they had a natural talent for business and commerce. Babylon was the source of the entire system of banking, and the Jews became tremendous businesspeople in that environment. When Cyrus issued the decree to return, most Jews found life in Babylon attractive and prosperous, so only a little remnant went back to Jerusalem. Those who did not return gradually assimilated into the Gentile nations of the Roman Empire, adopting local languages and customs while retaining their Jewish practices.
Les Feldick teaches that 'only a few thousand came back to Jerusalem.' The rest assimilated throughout the Gentile parts of what was then the Roman Empire. As they assimilated into these nations, they took on that nation's language and customs, although they continued to practice their Judaism. These assimilated Jews later came to Jerusalem as Grecians—Jews who had been outside the land of Palestine for a generation or two.
According to Les, Babylon was the beginning and source of the whole banking system, including interest and usury. During the 70 years, the Jews found they had an 'acumen for business' and became tremendous business people. This economic success made staying in Babylon more attractive than returning to a devastated Jerusalem that required rebuilding.
Ezra 2:64 records that 'The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore' (42,360). Les refers to this group as a 'little remnant,' emphasizing that only a tiny fraction of the captive population chose to return and reestablish temple worship.
Cured of Idolatry and Business Acumen
Les explains that after 70 years in Babylon, the Jews were permanently cured of idolatry and discovered their aptitude for business, making Babylon an attractive place to remain.
A Little Remnant Returns
Les describes the returning group under Ezra as 'a little remnant,' highlighting how few Jews actually came back to rebuild the temple.
Daniel's 70 Weeks Explained — The 490-Year Prophecy Unpacked
Now we have a prophecy that 490 years from a particular time, which, of course, will be after the Babylonian captivity, which took place—now I'll have to bring this down here so we can see— when Nebuchadnezzar came over in 606 B.C. and he took where we see Daniel and all the Jews captive back to Babylon.
Assimilation of the Rest
Les teaches that only a few thousand returned, while the rest of the Jews assimilated into the Gentile nations of the Roman Empire, taking on their languages and customs.
Who Holds Back the Antichrist? The Restrainer Removed.
Now, chronologists and archaeologists have teamed up, and they have actually found the decree that Daniel mentions here that gave the Jew permission to go back after their temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. They have found that decree. It was dated, and from that date, I think it was March 14th, 445 B.C., up until Palm Sunday was exactly 483 years. That was fulfilled.
God’s Plan for Israel vs. Gentiles: Understanding the Abrahamic Covenant
Now granted, God over years, more than once in His sovereignty, took them out of the land, took the ten tribes of the north clear up into Assyria. Later on, He took the two tribes of the south out to Babylon for 70 years. But they came back, rebuilt the temple, and the nation of Israel was on the scene then for the coming of Christ the first time.
Daniel's 70 Weeks Explained — The 490-Year Prophecy Unpacked
So now in this prophecy, we are going to see that from that decree, and we'll be looking at it, if not this program, in the next one, which is about 90 years after Ezra goes back, and that is when Nehemiah, that's another point in time, Nehemiah, and we're going to look at it after a bit, chapter 2, there's a decree by another king that now the Jews can go back to Jerusalem and not rebuild the tem…
What Does It Mean to Be "All Things to All Men"? — 1 Corinthians 9
Then a few years after Ezra had built the temple, then another Syrian king, the next one in line, Artaxerxes, gave commandment to Nehemiah to come back to Jerusalem and now to rebuild the city wall, because, you know, a city wouldn't last long without the protection of a wall. And so Nehemiah and some that came back with him then began to rebuild the wall.
Ezra 1:1-3: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, he is the God which is in Jerusalem.
This decree from Cyrus officially permitted the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, demonstrating that the opportunity to return was granted by God through a pagan king.
Ezra 2:64: The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
This verse records the exact number of Jews who actually returned from Babylon, showing the relatively small size of the remnant.
Jeremiah 29:10: For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
This is the promise of a 70-year captivity and the divine guarantee of return, which sets the context for the later return under Cyrus.
No. Les Feldick explains that during the 70 years, the Jewish people were cured of idolatry once and for all. Even if a Jew later became agnostic or atheist, they never reverted to actual idol worship.
Babylon was the source of the banking system, and the Jews discovered they had a strong business acumen. They became tremendous business people, which gave them economic reasons to remain rather than return to the ruined land of Judah.
Yes, they kept their Judaistic practices even though they adopted the language and customs of the nations where they settled. These Jews were later called 'Grecians' when they came to Jerusalem.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About the Times of the Gentiles