Rebuilding of the Temple and Renewal of Hope: Leadership Lessons from Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah

Authors

Hershey H. Friedman, Brooklyn College of the City University of New YorkFollow
Paul J. Herskovitz, College of Staten IslandFollow

Corresponding Author

Hershey H. Friedman

Abstract

The past three decades have been witness to a nascent but compelling body of literature on lessons in leadership for business derived from biblical narratives. The aim of this paper is to advance that effort. Specifically, this study considers the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, who built the Second Temple on the ruins of the First. When he arrived in Judah from Babylonia, the walls of Jerusalem were breached and the entire country was filled with people hostile to constructing the Temple. One of the mysteries of the Bible is the disappearance of Zerubbabel from the biblical record. This paper discusses mistakes made by Zerubbabel as a leader, how Ezra and Nehemiah rectified these errors, and demonstrates what leaders of today can learn from the issues involved in the construction of the Second Temple.

Recommended Citation

Friedman, Hershey H. and Herskovitz, Paul J. (2019) "Rebuilding of the Temple and Renewal of Hope: Leadership Lessons from Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah," The Journal of Values-Based Leadership: Vol. 12 : Iss. 2 , Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/0733.122.1271
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl/vol12/iss2/6