The next stage took place during the Babylonian captivity. The destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon in 586 BC and the end of kingship was the occasion of much reflection and theological speculation among the Deuteronomistic elite, now in exile in the city of Babylon. The disaster was supposedly Yahweh's punishment of their failure to follow the law, and so they created a history of Israel (the books of Joshua through Kings) to illustrate this. At the end of the Exile, when the Persians agreed that the Jews could return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, chapters 1–4 and 29–30 were added and Deuteronomy was made the introductory book to this history, so that a story about a people about to enter the Promised Land became a story about a people about to return to the land. The legal sections of chapters 19–25 were expanded to meet new situations that had arisen, and chapters 31–34 were added as a new conclusion.
the next stage took place during the babylonian captivity the destruction of the kingdom of judah by babylon in 586 bc and the end of kingship was the occasion of much reflection and theological speculation among the deuteronomistic elite now in exile in the city of babylon the disaster was supposedly yahweh's punishment of their failure to follow the law and so they created a history of israel (the books of joshua through kings) to illustrate this at the end of the exile when the persians agreed that the jews could return and rebuild the temple in jerusalem chapters 1–4 and 29–30 were added and deuteronomy was made the introductory book to this history so that a story about a people about to enter the promised land became a story about a people about to return to the land the legal sections of chapters 19–25 were expanded to meet new situations that had arisen and chapters 31–34 were added as a new conclusion