Note 1 at Joh 2:20: Solomon's temple was destroyed by the Babylonians when they captured and plundered Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2Ki 25:8-17). Cyrus, king of Persia, fulfilled the prophecy of Isa 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 535 B.C. and was not as magnificent as Solomon's temple. The temple mentioned here in this verse was called Herod's temple and was erected by Herod the Great (see note 1 at Lu 1:5). The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote extensively about this temple. Its proportions were much larger and more impressive than those of Solomon's temple. Josephus recorded that Herod began work on this temple in the eighteenth year of his reign, around 19 B.C. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 15, Chapter 11, Section 1). 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 (compare with Mr 13:1).