Haggai, << HAG ee eye or HAG eye, >> Book of, is a book of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, named for an ancient Jewish prophet. Haggai lived in Jerusalem about 520 B.C. The Jews had just returned from exile in Babylon, and Haggai convinced them to take up the task of rebuilding the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Haggai preached that the rebuilt Temple would signify the return of God’s favor to the Jewish people and would bring them better times. He called upon the priests to purify certain religious activities. He addressed Zerubbabel, the Persian-appointed governor of Judah, about a glorious future age when God would destroy foreign kingdoms. Then a king, a descendant of the great King David, would reign.
