The exception to this would be seen in the case of the return of the people to rebuild Jerusalem, and to establish a Jewish culture, so that Jesus could be born in the land of Israel, and minister to the people of Israel, as the prophecies had foretold. The events of this return are told in the prophecies of Ezra and Nehemiah, which are abundantly substantiated by secular evidence, and have thus not been questioned or disputed by criticism to any major extent. Cyrus has left an account of this return, and the great king seemed to be vastly elated over the opportunity thus to show kindness to the people of Israel. According to the record that is generally received, Cyrus the Great signed the decree authorizing the return of the children of Israel to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple of God, primarily because of one of those fascinating anticipations of coming events which is the peculiar field of prophecy. It is recorded that the scribe Zerubbabel entered the presence of Cyrus and with the grandiloquent salutation of that day bowed himself and said, “Oh king live forever! Be it known unto my lord the king that our God hath named him by name in the prophecy of His sacred writings generations before the king was born.” When Cyrus expressed a desire to inquire into this wonder, there was brought into his presence the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and to him was read the forty-fifth chapter. The opening verses of this chapter contained this statement: “Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.” This is a significant prophecy indeed! Isaiah wrote these words about the year 712 B. C. Cyrus took over the dominion of Babylon 538 B. C. So in this ancient prophecy the conqueror is named by name some century and a half before he was born. His conquest of all nations was clearly delineated and the explanation was given that God had pre-named him for the sake of the thing that he should later do for Israel. Astounded and deeply moved by this evidence of divine favour, Cyrus wrote a notable decree which is preserved for us in these exact words: