The return to Zion is the event from the biblical books of Ezra Nehemiah in which the Jews returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile following the decree by the emperor Cyrus the Great. It is said that there was tension between them and the local Israelites who resided in the areas of Judea, Samaria and Benjamin. When they returned they were considered non-Jews, so they were percieved as outside of the religion. Drought in the Land of Israel was a big issue of the newcomers as well. Friction also developed between the leaders of the returned community dividing them further. All in all they were disappointed and demoralized. However, despite all the difficulties, the return to Zion is the first time in history where a people exiled from their homeland by the foreign force had returned to their native soil.
