1 (BM 74554) and the Aramaic material show that the two titles were occasionally combined. This he did with great severity, forcing the Egyptian people to nurse their hatred in secret while awaiting their revenge. Artaxerxes II year 24 “King of Persia, Media, Babylon, and Lands” (Kessler). Most students are agreed that he must be a monarch of the Achaemenian dynasty, earlier than Artaxerxes I.; and opinion is divided between Darius Hystaspes and Xerxes. But now, long after Assyria ceased to be an official kingdom, a Persian “king of Assyria” is given credit for helping the Jewish return and build Yahweh’s holy temple. So let’s look at Mr. Lanser’s further explanation regarding the use of ‘edayin to see the Biblical merits of his case. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. As you can see this inscription by Darius provides really neat confirmation of the Biblical account. He became king. Did you know that we have a cuneiform tablet that names a Shimshai? Both Šamšāya and Shimshai belonged to the elite of local Persian administration: Šamšāya stood close to the governor of Babylon and Acrossthe-River, while Shimshai, along with his colleague Rehum, addressed the king directly and implemented his orders. “Xerxes and Babylonia: the Cuneiform Evidence.” Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 277 (2018): n. pag. The pivotal date of 465 BCE for the death of Xerxes has been accepted by historians for many years without notable controversy. For the sake of this exercise let’s assume the Bible’s chronology as described in the book of Ezra is a straight forward and chronologically congruent rendering of Persian history. Part V – Darius, Artaxerxes, & the Bible: Confirming Royal Persian Titulature 2 Then [בֵּאדַיִן] rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. 24 Cf. The book of Ezra opened with Cyrus’ decree and Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Joshua and Zerubbabel. ix. This, what I have shown in these articles to be a reasonable working assumption, informs us that the “Artaxerxes” of Ezra 6:14 onwards and the “Artaxerxes” of Nehemiah are in fact a reference to Darius I ‘The Great’. It is, however, the third person in the list, Šamšāya, who is the most intriguing member of the panel. One of his first tasks was to suppress the revolt in Egypt begun in the lifetime of his father. In Ezra 4:6-8, 23 the Bible describes a character who was part of the efforts to harass the Jewish people during the reign of “Artaxerxes” (Bardis/Gaumata). He was a son of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) and is often referred to as Artaxerxes I Longimanus. Hence “King of Babylon, King of Lands.” Towards the middle of the reign Babylonian scribes shifted back to putting the main Persian title “King of Persia” or “King of Lands” immediately after the nomen. (Leiden University)*, How did the debate about Xerxes’ Babylonian policy develop? Ezra 4:23 does not include the prefix, so in that case a temporal meaning applies. However, according to Thucydides, a historian renowned for his high chronological accuracy, Themistocles met Artaxerxes, And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for YHWH had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. 27 I˹x˺[x x]˹x˺ lúma-da-a-aen ṭè-e-mušáa-namuḫ-ḫiudu.níta a-naIgu-ba-ruiq-bu-ú (lines 41–42). Was Darius I Esther’s father in law or her husband? Using this as our premise let me show just how accurately the Bible describes the titles by which Darius is known from his own royal inscriptions. I went to the online copy of Strong’s at http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H116&t=NASB and looked up the Aramaic term ‘edayin (אֱדַיִן). 423-404 BC. What I did say was that since Ezra 4:23 and the other 55 occurrences use ‘edayin in the same manner that we are obligated, by proper Hermeneutical method, to treat the occurrence of ‘edayin in verse 24 in the same manner as it is used in every other instance. Furthermore, Ezra 4 contains many elements that reveal its editor’s acquaintance with the Persian-Babylonian administration and legal parlance. Further the history in Ezra 4 provides some neat historical details that show the author of Ezra had an intimate understanding of Persian history from that era. Josephus names Astyages as the father of Darius the Mede, and the description of the latter as uncle and father-in-law of Cyrus by mediaeval Jewish commentators matches that of Cyaxares II, who is said to be the son of Astyages by Xenophon . It’s worth noting here once again that in Ezra 4 the enemies of the Jewish people, in their petition to Artaxerxes, describe the construction efforts as building Jerusalem but when they receive their cease and desist from Artaxerxes it was the temple construction which stopped. also known as: Artaxerxes, Xerxes I. Esther, Ahasuerus, & Artaxerxes: Who was the Persian King of 127 Provinces? The thesis of this study is that the Persian kings named Darius, Ahasuerus, and Artaxerxes in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are one and the same. Equating Ahasuerus with Darius I, rather than with Xerxes I, is supported by the association of the name Artaxerxes with Darius I in Ezra 6:14. (Ezra 4:23-24), Authors Note: Please note that Mr. Lanser in his Addendum to his original article The Seraiah Assumption has provided additional information about his understanding of the word ‘edayin’ and its use here in Ezra 4 among other subjects. Read Darius, Artaxerxes, and Ahasuerus in the Bible book reviews & author details and more at Amazon.in. This erroneous basis he then uses as part of his understanding of the word ‘edayin. also known as: Artaxerxes, Xerxes I. Using this as our premise let me show just how accurately the Bible describes the titles by which Darius is known from his own royal inscriptions. will regard Cambyses as both “Ahasuerus” and “Artaxerxes”. Here read for yourself. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Darius also added his own monetary blessing to the effort. Eliashib, Artaxerxes, & Sir Robert Anderson, $500 Reward to Help Solve the Artaxerxes Assumption, The Curse of Coniah & the Promised Messiah, The Flood, the Exodus of Israel, and the Coming Messiah, Anti-Semitism, Ancient Persia, & April Fools, The Congruency of the Bible’s Messianic Message, Christmas and the Course of Abia (Abijah), The Flood, the Exodus, and the Coming Messiah, Finding Halloween in the Graveyard of Biblical History. King Ahasuerus, the son of Darius Hystaspes, the husband of Queen Esther and recorded in the Book of Esther. 38 Especially line 9 is strongly influenced by Persian-Babylonian legal phraseology. Afterwards, Cambyses slew this Smerdis. 13 Then [בֵּאדַיִן] answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. At the end of this article I will be explaining why I believe his explanation falls short and I’ll further be explaining how his errors regarding this subject are once again rooted in part in his misunderstanding of my position on the subject. 33 Or: ‘men from (Syrian) Tripoli’ (Koehler, Baumgartner and Stamm 2000, 1886b). That may or may not be conclusive but Dandamayev knows these families and their archives like the back of his hand. 22 CAD B, 261–263. Because the Aramaic word ‘edayin’ consistently describes successive chronological information in the Bible we must see the Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes of Ezra 4:6 & Ezra 4:7-23 as Persian kings who ruled between the reigns of Cyrus and Darius. There are a couple places where this is confirmed. Darius, Artaxerxes, and Ahasuerus in the Bible - Kindle edition by Jordan, James B.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Then I prayed to Ahuramazda; Ahuramazda brought me help. 23Now [אֱדַיִן] when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power. Esther, Ahasuerus, & Artaxerxes: Who Was the Persian King of 127 Provinces? But before we explore the question of Esther and her king, let’s first finish developing a complete picture of what the Bible says about Darius I – the great Persian king who the it also describes as an Artaxerxes. By the latter half of Xerxes reign, Babylon was demoted (so to speak) and over the intervening years it lost more and more of its prestige and relevance. 29 Porten 1968, 56, Porten et al. That Cambyses had a brother, Smerdis by name, of the same mother and the same father as Cambyses. Further, Ezra 4:23-24 and the Bible’s use of the word ‘edayin’ is at the crux of whether Mr. Lanser’s objections to the use of the Artaxerxes as a title are valid. Darius the Great Persian Artaxerxes: A Contextual Look at the Book of Ezra in Light of Persian History, Darius & Artaxerxes: The Context of the "Word" to Restore & Build Jerusalem. Otherwise, Greek accounts are either oblivious of the revolts or they preserve garbled recollections at best; see Kuhrt 2010 and 2014. I should add, it is not just Mr. Lanser’s interpretations that are affected by the Edayin Assumption, but every scholar who claims that the Artaxerxes of Ezra and Nehemiah is a reference to Artaxerxes I (Longimanus). 30 Tuplin 2013, 128–130. Schwiderski 2000, 381–382, Wright 2005, 39–43. 17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. [i.14] King Darius says: The kingdom that had been wrested from our line I brought back and I reestablished it on its foundation. The book of Ezra mentions that after Artaxerxes stopped the rebuilding of the temple that it began again during the reign of Darius. The name of the first man — hence the most important one — is partly damaged, just like his function, provided it was given at all. This is not a new understanding. Even if I had made such a statement, if Mr. Lanser would have checked the use of the word ‘edayin he would have found such as statement to be totally erroneous. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. His filiation seems to have been skipped, which could indicate that he was a man of high standing, whose identity was obvious. Darius II, 423-405/4 B.C.—When Artaxerxes died toward the end of his 41st regnal year, probably in February, 423, chaotic conditions prevailed once more. I went to the online copy of Strong’s at, The “then” of Ezra 4:24 therefore must be understood, based on rules of grammar, not as an action following consecutively in time after Ezra 4:23, but as completing the thought paused after Ezra 4:5, when the author, following a thematic rather than chronological contextual approach, went on a sidetrack about similar Samaritan problems which would take place in the future. In this week’s article I’ll be comparing what the Bible says about Darius with what Darius says about himself from his own royal inscriptions. Cart All. Right here where Mr. Lanser and many of his peers by necessity must see a “a thematic rather than chronological contextual approach” to Biblical history we have a very strong likelihood that the Bible confirms its own internal chronology by dating this period to a historical figure found in the Persian records at the start of Darius I’s reign. While Ahasuerus, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes were titles, Cyrus was the personal name of the first Persian king. Who Was Sir Robert Anderson's Artaxerxes? Ahasuerus or Achashverosh darius, artaxerxes, king, esther, ezra, seven, reign, name, jews and persian Page: 1 2 3. As the book of Ezra describes it, the enemies of the Jewish people, between the reign of Cyrus and Darius I, hired counselors (think lobbyists) to harass them at every opportunity. Artaxerxes II year 4 “King of Babylon, King of Lands” (OECT X 191), Artaxerxes II year x “…Baby]lon and Lands” (OECT X 229), Artaxerxes II year 24 “King of Persia, Media, Babylon, and Lands” (Kessler). Part III – Darius the great Persian Artaxerxes: A Contextual Look at the Book of Ezra in the Light of Persian History 18 Then [אֱדַיִן] the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. 1 as father of Darius, king of Media, and with the one mentioned in Ezra, iv. Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. Judges Rēmūt-bēl-ilāni (active under Neriglissar in Babylon), and Nabû-rā’im-šarri (attested in Nabonidus’ second year in Tapsuḫu) were members of the same clan and since judicial functions were often passed in families, Mušēzib-Bēl’s link to one of them appears plausible.25 The fourth man present at the trial was Aštakka’, whose name is non-Babylonian. Combining the statements within the last two paragraphs above it follows that the reign of Darius II began between Thoth 1, 405 BCE and the beginning of Tishri 22, 404 BCE. How many of you are familiar with this story? A younger son of Xerxes I and Amestris, he was raised to the throne by the commander of the guard, Artabanus, who had murdered Xerxes.A few months later, Artaxerxes slew Artabanus in a hand-to-hand fight. Had he done so, he would have realized that in each and every case in which ‘edayin with the preposition bĕ is used, it clearly describe a natural and chronological succession of events. (Ezra 4:23-24). Hello Select your address All Hello, Sign in. Please see Mr. Lanser’s article here: The Seraiah Assumption: Wrapping Up Some Loose Ends. How did the debate about Xerxes’ Babylonian policy develop? He lied to the people, saying: “I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, the brother of Cambyses.” Then were all the people in revolt, and from Cambyses they went over unto him, both Persia and Media, and the other provinces. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The Nehemiah text is exactly what Darius I and Xerxes I did (what Babylonian scribes did) with the title “King of Babylon” in Babylonian documents. This individual’s name was Shimshai the scribe. The murderer accused the king's eldest son Darius of the crime, with the result that Darius was slain by his younger brother Artaxerxes, who then mounted the throne. It’s interesting to note as Gerard Gertoux does in the quote below that the kingdom of Babylon became a Persian province (from the official Persian perspective) only after the death of Darius. In Old Persian the king’s name was Khsayarsan, in Akkadian it was Ahsiarsu, and in Hebrew Ahasuerus. ), he was the son of Darius I and father of Artaxerxes I. Scripture indicates that he ruled a vast empire from India to Ethiopia (Est 1:1; cf. Remember, Ahasuerus made Esther queen in the 7th year of his reign. The identification of Ahasuerus with Artaxerxes I. Longimanus, the son and successor of Xerxes, though countenanced by Josephus, deserves little consideration. The broken lines that follow expectedly contained the sentence. The use of the title “king of Babylon” in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah is a fascinating study and worth further explanation. 6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king: (Nehemiah 13:6). I think you’ll be thrilled at just how congruent the Bible is as it relates to us the history of the 2. The Meaning of ’Edayin Mr. Struse was honest in reporting that his source treats the, “The “then” of Ezra 4:24 therefore must be understood, based on rules of grammar, not as an action following consecutively in time after Ezra 4:23, but as completing the thought paused after Ezra 4:5, when the author, following a thematic rather than chronological contextual approach, went on a sidetrack about similar Samaritan problems which would take place in the future. Ahasuerus is given as the name of the father of Darius the Mede in the Book of Daniel. This Persian king did in fact listen to Jewish people’s enemies and he ordered the construction of Jerusalem stopped. As if the spelling and pronunciation of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes were not problematic enough for the average Bible student, one must also consider these Persian kings in light of the order in which they are mentioned in the book of Ezra. When this effort did not produce results they bided their time until years later when a new Persian king whom the Bible describes by the title Artaxerxes came to power. In Old Persian the king’s name was Khsayarsan, in Akkadian it was Ahsiarsu, and in Hebrew Ahasuerus. It is uncommon in Babylonian sources. The trial was held in the presence of four men, including one judge. That does not happen again until the Year 4 Artaxerxes tablet OECT X 191 from Hursagkalama and the other tablet from this location but with year-date broken away (OECT X 229). When Darius the king [of Babylon] made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. So when Ezra 4:7-24 describes an “Artaxerxes” who stopped construction on the temple of Jerusalem after the reign of Cyrus but before the reign of Darius, it confirms Darius I own account of this Magian usurper who he deposed. In this study, James Jordan argues why the Persian kings named Darius, Ahasuerus, and Artaxerxes in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are one and the same. Not only the word, but also the practice of combining it with professional titles might be traced to Akkadian (for references, see CAD K, 382). Who issued a decree permitting any of the captive Jews to return to Palestine and to rebuild the Temple? Mr. Struse was honest in reporting that his source treats the, If you carefully read Mr. Lanser’s quote of my article above (in brown), you’ll see that in fact I do not claim that my source treats “, Mr. Lanser then compounded the error of his misunderstanding of my position (that, Unfortunately for Mr. Lanser’s argument, he didn’t verify for himself how the prefix, You’ve got to appreciate the irony here. Most students are agreed that he must be a monarch of the Achaemenian dynasty, earlier than Artaxerxes I.; and opinion is divided between Darius Hystaspes and Xerxes. I hope these articles have shown that the Bible consistently demonstrates its historical reliability if we accurately identify the context of its chronology. 9 See Kuhrt and Sherwin-White 1987. There are some, however, who think that the king here meant was Darius III (Codomannus), the antagonist of … So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Which Persian king's reign was between the reigns of Artaxerxes and Darius. Is this Darius II that reigned after Artexerxes or is this Darius I and the Ahasuerus and Artexerxes mentioned in chapter 4 Cambyses and Smerdis? Bēlṭēmi is possibly a Neo-Assyrian term that entered Aramaic and consequently Persian chancellery parlance.28 It is found in the Arsames correspondence from Egypt, where similarly to Stolper 1989 no.