Then the Pastor is correct. Israel was driven from the promised land by the Assyrians, then 135 years later Judea was captured and the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin were deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. After 50 years, they had lost their culture and language where the true Hebrew language was lost to these Judeans. Only the Israelites that had been deported earlier by the Assyrians had kept the Hebrew language when they came to the land of Arsareth (Europe). Compared to today, we could call it a form of Social Marxism better known a multiculturalism which destroyed the culture of the Judeans in Babylon.
It was Zerubabel a Prince of Judah that asked the Persian King Cyrus for his people to return to Jerusalem and the request was granted. Only a small remnant of Judah a little over 43,000 returned at about 536 BC. Nehemiah and a while later Ezra returned to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. It was there that Ezra bemoaned the fact that his people no longer understood Hebrew and he had to translate to Chaldee for them to understand. This whole story is way too long for this forum.
Then the Pastor is correct. Israel was driven from the promised land by the Assyrians, then 135 years later Judea was captured and the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin were deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. After 50 years, they had lost their culture and language where the true Hebrew language was lost to these Judeans. Only the Israelites that had been deported earlier by the Assyrians had kept the Hebrew language when they came to the land of Arsareth (Europe). Compared to today, we could call it a form of Social Marxism better known a multiculturalism which destroyed the culture of the Judeans in Babylon.
It was Zerubabel a Prince of Judah that asked the Persian King Cyrus for his people to return to Jerusalem and the request was granted. Only a small remnant of Judah a little over 43,000 returned at about 536 BC. Nehemiah and a while later Ezra returned to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. It was there that Ezra bemoaned the fact that his people no longer understood Hebrew and he had to translate to Chaldee for them to understand. This whole story is way too long for this forum.