The Book of Haggai was written in 520BC shortly after the first exiles returned to Jerusalem. Haggai promised peace and prosperity and encouraged the leaders to embark on re-building the Temple in Jerusalem (see Ezra 3:1-13, 5:1 and 6:14).
Haggai
Title? The Book of Haggai.
Written by whom? The prophet Haggai.
When? Written in 520BC.
Where? In Jerusalem.
To whom? His message was aimed at the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem.
What was the message? Haggai urged the returned exiles to get on with rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period - Model at the Israel Museum (Yair Haklai)
Haggai 1:1 Haggai prophesies to Zerubbabel (the grandson of King Jehoiachin of Judah, and
governor of Judah) and Joshua (the High Priest) in 520BC - the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia (522-486BC).
The first group of exiles had returned with Sheshbazzar some 17 years earlier in 537BC (see Ezra 1:5-11), and Zerubbabel and Joshua had led a second group back to Jerusalem 5 years earlier in 525BC (see Ezra 2:1-70).
Haggai 1:2 Haggai points out the reluctance of the returned exiles to rebuild the Temple: "This is what the LORD All-powerful says: 'The people say the right time has not come to rebuild the Temple of the LORD.'"