Ezra leads a group of almost 2,000 Jewish men (along with their wives and children) on a 3.5 month journey to their home- Jerusalem. Once Ezra and his companions arrive in Jerusalem, they are faced with a grave problem.

In 538 B.C. the absolute center of Jewish culture was GOD. To the Jew of the 6th century B.C. the presence of GOD dwelt in one place and one place alone - the Temple of Jerusalem. At the beginning of Ezra 3 the very heart of Jewish worship, the once great Temple, lies in ruins. Zerubbabel begins to rebuild the Temple, but opposition is quick to follow.