Note 1 at Jn. 2:20: Solomon's temple was destroyed by the Babylonians when they captured and plundered Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (2 Ki. 25:8-17). Cyrus, king of Persia, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 44:28-45:4 by issuing a decree that permitted the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. This temple, referred to as Zerubbabel's temple, was begun in 537 B.C. and was not as magnificent as Solomon's temple. The temple mentioned here in John 2:20 was called Herod's temple and was erected by Herod the Great (see note 1 at Lk. 1:5, p. 6). The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote extensively about this temple. Its proportions were much larger and more impressive than those of Solomon's temple. Josephus records that Herod began work on this temple in the eighteenth year of his reign, around 19 B.C. The work on the entire complex of surrounding buildings and courts was not completed until A.D. 62-64 by Albinus just briefly before the Romans, under Titus, burned the temple. The forty-six years mentioned by these Jews was in reference to the temple proper, which must have been very impressive (cp. with Mk. 13:1).