Book excerpt: Year Three returns to the experience of the Hebrew people. In particular it traces the historical events of the tumultuous time from about 750 to 400 BC. It studies the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722/21 BC, the destruction of the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 587/586 BC, the exile in Babylon, and finally the restoration of the people to the land after the exile. In the midst of these crucial events, the prophets spoke God's word of judgment and hope to the people. They reminded them that God was at work in the everyday social, political, and religious crises that they faced. +