Which step is about return after exile?

• A. The Kingdom
• B. Restoration
• C. The Judges
• D. Exile

Answer: (B)

The step about return after exile is Restoration. After the people were taken into Babylonian captivity, the next major phase described in the biblical narrative is their return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple and city. This period is marked by Cyrus the Persian king’s decree allowing the Jews to go back, the rebuilding of the temple, and reforms under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah to renew covenant life and worship.

The other options refer to earlier or ongoing eras in Israel’s history: The Kingdom covers the era of the monarchies, both united and divided; The Judges describes the period before the establishment of kings; Exile is the time of captivity itself, not the act of returning. Restoration, then, is the natural label for the phase of coming back from exile and reestablishing religious and communal life.