Dr. Lester L. Grabbe 
A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period (vol. 1) [PDF ebook] 
The Persian Period (539-331bce)

In the first of four volumes on A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Lester Grabbe presents a comprehensive history of Yehud – the Aramaic name for Judah – during the Persian Period. Among the many crucial questions he addresses are: What are the sources for this period and how do we evaluate them? And how do we make them  »speak » to us through the fog of centuries? This first volume, Yehud: A History of the Persian Province of Judah offers the most up to date and comprehensive examination of the political and administrative structures; the society and economy; the religion, temple and cult; the developments in thought and literature; and the major political events of Judah at the time.