In 957 BCE, King Solomon built the First Temple, or Solomon’s Temple, based on detailed plans that God had given to his father, King David, through the prophet Nathan. King David had wanted to build it himself as a permanent resting place for the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments; however, God said to David, "you will not build a house for My name for you are a man of battles and have shed blood" and that his son would be the one to do it.

King Solomon spared no expense in this construction project. He ordered vast quantities of cedar wood from King Hiram of Tyre. Interestingly, Alexei Vinogradov, a hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church, said in 1895 that the Kaifeng Jews believed this cedar wood was actually sent to King Hiram from King Zhao of the Zhou Dynasty (周昭王, reign 977–957 BCE).

The Temple's exact location is unknown, but many scholars believe it sat where Temple Mount sits today. For the Israelites, the First Temple, which was dedicated to Yahweh, was a critical place of worship and a multi-purpose gathering space.

About 400 years later, in 586 BCE, Judah was conquered, and this sacred place of prayer was destroyed by the Babylonians and their leader, King Nebuchadnezzar II. The Temple’s destruction reinforced the Jewish faith and belief for many, as it was interpreted as the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy. Many Jews were killed, and others, especially the elite, were deported to Babylon. Judah became a Babylonian province called Yehud Medinate. This ended the independent Kingdom of Judah.

This expulsion, known as the Babylonian Captivity, was reversed in 538 BCE when the Persians, led by Cyrus the Great, offered the Jews the right to return.

Those who returned are survivors of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.