The study examines the temple community and the social leadership of Jerusalem in the early days of the Return to Zion, with a focus on the role of the Temple and its community in shaping a renewed Jewish identity under Persian rule. By integrating biblical texts — especially the books of Ezra and Nehemiah — with Mesopotamian documents and archaeological findings, it offers deeper insight into the processes of social, political, and religious reconstruction following the exile.

Within this framework, I explore how the Persian imperial administration shaped local governance in Yehud, shedding light on the dynamics between the Temple and its community within the cultural encounter between Yehud and the imperial center.

I am currently writing a monograph dedicated to this subject, which examines the status of Judean exiles and returnees under Persian rule, the formation of communal institutions, and the role of the Jerusalem Temple within the broader imperial landscape. This work integrates analysis of Mesopotamian sources alongside biblical texts and offers a new reading of Ezra–Nehemiah in light of parallels from other temples across the empire.

Relevant publications:

1. Tova Ganzel, “Ceremonial Celebrations Outside the Temple Compound in Ezra-Nehemiah in Babylonian Ritual Context.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (December 2021): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/03090892211032266
    
2. Tova Ganzel, “Ezra the Scribe-Priest against the Backdrop of Babylonian Temple Officials.” Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society 36 (2023): 1-14. https://janes.scholasticahq.com/article/75250-ezra-the-scribe-priest-against-the-backdrop-of-babylonian-temple-officials
    
3. Tova Ganzel. “Sheshbazzar and Nehemiah: Local Administrative Authority During the Persian Period”, Vetus Testamentum (2023):1-16 https://doi.org/10.1163/15685330-bja10146
    
4. Tova Ganzel. “Contextualizing Priestly Roles in the Formative Years of Jerusalem’s Second Temple.” Biblica, vol. 104, no. 2, pp. 179-194. https://doi.org/10.2143/BIB.104.2.3292023
    
5. The Sabbath in Judean Communities during the Mid-fifth Century BCE: Onomastic Evidence, Journal of Ancient Judaism

DOI:10.30965/21967954-bja10067

6. Tova Ganzel, “Office Holders in Jerusalem at the Beginning of the Second Temple Period,” in Mas’at le-Yoel: Studies in the Bible and Its Teaching in Honor of Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin-Nun, edited by Yoav Barzilay, Yonatan Grossman, Yosef Ofer, and Yehoshua Reis, 381–394. Megadim 63 (2025). Alon Shevut: Herzog College Press – Tevunot. [Hebrew].