Archaeological data have shown a notable decline of the population from the end of the monarchy to the time of E-N. And there is no evidence of many outsiders swarming into Judah. Therefore the returnees constitute only a minority in Persian Yehud. A study on biblical and other sources implies that the Persian regime shaped and formulated their policy on Yehud for the Empire's own interest. With the support of the central government, the Second Temple as well as its priests and Levites have been elevated, while the remainers are marginalized, discriminated against and accused by the returnees. / Both Jewish and Christian traditions as well as modern scholarship on the Hebrew Bible have shown great interest in the issue of identity with special focus on the situation of the Restoration period. However, many of the contributions tend to lay their emphasis on the negative side about how the marginalization takes place in the texts of Ezra-Nehemiah (E-N hereafter) and Chronicles, but there is little attention paid to comparing and measuring the complexities of both phenomenon: marginalizing and acceptance, and no previous study has yet dealt with the different groups in E-N and Chronicles so far. This study attempts to bring the focus on the different groups during that period. Based on the archaeological and extra-biblical data, which may help us to reconstruct the social fabric of Persian Yehud, it then zeros in to appreciate how the texts have portrayed different groups and analyzes how the biblical authors establish the identity and identification of selves and others. / Meanwhile, three groups emerge for the first time. The Nethinim, who have a foreign origin are considered Israelites and assigned the role of assistants to the priests and Levites to take part in the service of the Temple. Gatekeepers become a sub-military force in Yehud and are responsible for local administration and management of temple property. As for the singers, they substitute the pre-exilic prophets and became messengers bearing the ideology of the ruling class to the people. The latter two groups therefore earn high status and are portrayed by the Chronicler as descendants of the Levites despite their doubtful origin. This enables them to claim the identity of Israelites in the canon. / This study demonstrates that in the unique historical background of the Persian Period, the biblical authors of post-exilic historiography to a great extent determine the identity of "foreigners", "Israelites" and "Levites" according to the social reality of animosity between groups, rather than to the often assumed categories of ethnicity such as strict adherence to blood ties and faith. / This study is divided into two parts. Section I works on the historical background of the Persian Period, followed by Section II, which traces the marginalization of those who remained and the elevation of gatekeepers, singers, and the Nethinim. / 孟振華. / Adviser: Chi Chung Lee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 3182. / Thesis (doctoral)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-148). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Meng Zhenhua.

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