11 In the second year of the reign of King Darius, the word of God came to Haggai, who delivered it to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest, saying,
2 The people say, "It's not time to build God's house."
4 Yet they live in fancy houses, while my house is in ruins.
8 Build me a house that I can enjoy and be glorified in.
9-11 But you took care of your own things and ignored my request.
So I blew on the land, which caused the drought that has destroyed your crops.
12-14 Then Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people began to build God a house.
God's new house will be more glorious than his old one
21 Seven weeks later, the word of God came upon Haggai again, saying,
2 Talk to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of the people, saying,
In the second year of the reign of King Darius (1:1)
Darius became king of Persia in 522 BCE. Verse 1:1 says that the word of God came to Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of his reign. The note for the SBL Study Bible says that this would be on the 29th of August 520 BCE.
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 BCE and issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem in 538 BCE.
The word of God came to Haggai (1:1)
No information is provided about Haggai, except that he was a prophet. Apparently he didn't write the book, though, since it is written in the third person.
Haggai is mentioned, though, in the book of Ezra (5:1, 6:14, Episode 159), where much of the same story is told about the building of the second temple.
Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (1:1)
Zerubbabel was the grandson of King Jehoiachin (aka Jeconiah, Coniah) of Judah. According to this verse, he was made governor of Judah by King Darius.
Joshua, the high priest (1:1)
This not the Joshua from the book of Joshua, but the high priest when the second temple was built.
Seven weeks later (2:1)
"In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month" - which the SBL Study Bible tells us was 17 October 520 BCE.
Who among you has seen my old house?
The first temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. Anyone old enough to have seen it would be in their seventies at this time. (520 BCE)
A couple months later (2:10)
"In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month" - 18 December 620 BCE, according to the SBL Study Bible.
If you bear holy flesh in your skirt (2:12)
This seems to contradict Leviticus 6:26-27, which says, "Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy."
