The Davidic Kingdom came to an end with the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of her people, in the Sixth Century BCE. The belief in the eventual restoration of that Kingdom persisted, and persists to this day. Families with known connection to the House of David are careful to maintain their records, and the faithful await one of them to arise and deliver us at the time when it will please the Creator. In Babylon, from he earliest days of Jewish life in that country, until the Eleventh Century, the Jews were governed by an Exilarch (Resh Galuta). The Exilarch was of the Royal line. At some periods, the title was merely honorific. At other times, the Exilarch governed as King in an autonomous Jewish state under Persian rule. Some of the Exilarchs were righteous, scholarly men. Others were anything but. Babylonian Jews, for 1500 years, saw the Exilarchs as Kings in Exile, awaiting the time when they would rule in Zion. In the Holy Land, Jewish life was very tenuous. The tiny community of returnees from Babylon, were governed at first by Jews who had been prominent in Babylon, and later Persia. Some had close connections with the Persian Kings.Among these leaders were the last of the Prophets; Zacharia, Haggai and Malachi. Enemies surrounded them, particularly the wicked Samaritans, who attacked them physically, and used their connections with Persia to thwart the Jews at every turn. Persia fell to Greece, which made matters yet worse for the Jews, as they demanded Jewish assimilation into Hellenistic culture. The Maccabean revolt brought about a period of independence, but the Maccabean leaders quickly fell into arrogance; assuming both the Priesthood (to which they were entitled) and the Kingdom, which they usurped. Soon, they became identified with the Sadducees, and began persecuting and killing Torah sages. Through this whole time, there existed the Sanhedrin; the Biblically mandated Supreme Court. But they lived in fear of destruction by the Maccabean Kings. The Maccabees, in turn, were killed off by Herod, an Edumean who had been forcibly converted to Judaism together with his people. His line ruled for several generations, and were little more than Roman vassals.. Most of them were enemies of the Sages. A sort of "shadow governemnt" grew up among the Jews, with a Nasi (Patriarch, Prince) being appointed as President of the Sanhedrin in the Second Century BCE. The Romans recognized the Nasi as head of the Jewish community, alongside their pretend Kings, until they disbanded the Patriarchate in 425 ce, as part of a huge wave of intolerance brought about when Rome became Christian. From the turn of the Common Era, the Nasi was usually of the family of the beloved Hillel the Elder, who was of the Davidic line. The Jewish world was now divided in its loyalties between to Davidic dynasties. After the fall of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the Temple, the Sanhedrin was reconstituted in the sleepy backwater of Yavne. Rabban Gamliel (a title higher than "rabbi" ,which was used when referring to a Nasi) was faced with the unenviable task of keeping Judaism alive without a Temple.(It must be remembered that fully two thirds of the laws of the Torah relate to the Temple).He was chosen as Nasi shortly after the establishment of Yavne as the central Jewish seat of authority. But how was he to be viewed? As a King, who, in order to solidify his authority, must govern with a heavy hand? Or more like his ancestor Hillel, always meek and modest? He chose the former. The result was revolt by scholars who would not allow themselves to be silenced. More next time.