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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Jul. 5, 2025
Update	: Jul. 5, 2025
Parts	: 13

Synopsis:



Continuing our discussion from part four, please notice that regarding the trouble which the enemies of the Jews stirred up, we are very specifically told that it occurred "all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem." The first problem I see is that there exists no historical evidence that Bardiya -- who was also known as Smerdis -- was ever referred to as Artaxerxes. In fact, the first Persian King of Kings who was named Artaxerxes occurred AFTER Darius the Great, and not BEFORE him.

As you can plainly see from our previous list of rulers, Bardiya reigned very briefly for only a few months, and was then followed by Darius I, who was also known as Darius the Great. Darius I was then followed by Xerxes I, who was then succeeded by his son, Artaxerxes I. I believe that the order in which these kings' names appear in Ezra is very important, and that we should pay close attention to it. As an example, at the end of the sixth chapter of the Book of Daniel, we find the following verse:

"So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."


But why is Darius listed BEFORE Cyrus the Great, when Cyrus is the one who began the Achaemenid -- or Medo-Persian -- Empire? The answer is rather simple. The Darius who we see in Daniel 6:28 above is NOT any of the rulers named Darius who we see in the previous king list. I am convinced that he is in fact the very same Darius I mentioned to you in part two who served as the viceroy of Babylon for that period of two years, BEFORE Cyrus actually arrived in Babylon and was declared king of Babylonia. As you will recall, a viceroy is a ruler who exercises authority on behalf of a sovereign. So in this case, this Darius was serving on behalf of Cyrus the Great until Cyrus arrived two years later. A viceroy is like a king, but he does not possess the full authority of a king. So this Darius is the very same Darius we see in these two verses who preceded Cyrus' arrival in Babylon:

"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old."


If we take into consideration the order in which different kings are listed in the Scriptures, we see that what I just stated a minute ago regarding the Ezra 4 verses not only matches up with the historical record, but also with what is written in Ezra as well. In case you are confused, I am referring to these verses:

"Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue."


So the order of the four Medo-Persian kings who we see mentioned in those verses is as follows:

Cyrus the Great
Darius I
Ahasuerus
Artaxerxes

Please note that in the Scriptures, the short name Xerxes is never used. It is always spelled out as Artaxerxes. So exactly who are the Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes we see in the previous list? Let me first point out to you that the name Ahasuerus was used by the Jews to refer to more than one Persian king. Based on my online research, it was used at least to identify Xerxes I, and his son, Artaxerxes I. So, based on my personal studies and research, and likewise in agreement with what seems to be the general consensus, I'm of the opinion that the Ahasuerus in the previous list is Xerxes I. It is also commonly believed -- although not by everyone -- that this is the same Ahasuerus who we find in the Book of Esther.

Now, my first consideration was that in the aforementioned verses, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes might be referring to the very same king. In other words, Xerxes I. However, when I dug deeper into the matter, I discovered some evidence to suggest that the Artaxerxes named above is actually the son of Xerxes I. That is to say, Artaxerxes I, who is also known as Longimanus and Ahasuerus. Identifying him in the list as Artaxerxes I agrees with the historical record, and with the Biblical record as well.

As I shared with you in part four, certain Bible scholars and students believe that Smerdis is one of the Medo-Persian kings who is mentioned in the previous list. Again, I don't agree with this position. And I am not alone when it comes to this position. In fact, Bardiya -- or Smerdis -- is not always included in the official list of Medo-Persian kings due to both the brevity of his reign, and more importantly, because of the question regarding his actual legitimacy as an Achaemenid -- or Medo-Persian -- King of Kings.

Perhaps you're wondering how some of these Bible references and tools could get something so wrong. While I am not sure why they want to promote the idea that the Artaxerxes who is mentioned in Ezra is Smerdis -- the potential imposter and usurper of the throne -- I do understand how this can happen. Basically, one source gets something wrong. Then, other researchers, scholars and Bible students come along. They notice what the original researcher has proposed and written, and without conducting any research of their own, they simply accept that researcher's conclusions as fact. Then other people come along, see the same information, and they too pass along the false information. And so it goes. Over time, an idea or doctrine becomes established as fact, when it is really no such thing.

But personally, when I read Ezra, and then looked at the list of Medo-Persian rulers, I could immediately see that something was not right with Smerdis being the Artaxerxes who is mentioned in Ezra. So I conducted my own research, looking at different online Bible research tools. Some of them spread the same false information I just described to you. But then I found "The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge", and it confirmed my conclusion that the Artaxerxes we need to look at next is NOT Smerdis by any means. It is in fact Artaxerxes I, who was the son of Xerxes I. The aforementioned source says the following:

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"The name of a Persian king mentioned in Nehemiah and Ezra, where, however, the word occurs in the form of Artachshashta, by which is doubtless meant Artaxerxes I. Longimanus, 465–425 B.C. In the Persian cuneiform inscriptions the name is written Artakhshathra, “righteous” or "sublime ruler." In Ezra iv. 7, Artaxerxes Longimanus is meant, not the Pseudo-Smerdis; so also Ezra vii. 1, 11 where, following Josephus Ant., XI. v. 1, Xerxes has been read. In the twentieth year of Artachshashta or Artaxerxes, that is, in the year 445–444 B.C. Nehemiah, the cup-bearer of the king, went as governor to Jerusalem."

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Please note that in the previous quote, "Artachshashta" is the transliteration of the Hebrew name which is used in the Old Testament, which is very close to how the name appears in the actual Persian cuneiform inscriptions. Of course, for us Westerners, it is Artaxerxes.

Continuing our discussion, let me explain why I am convinced that Ezra is referring to two separate kings in the previous verses. That is to say, to Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes, as they are shown in the short kings list. The first reason for this is due to the way in which the verses are written. It seems apparent to me that Ezra is speaking about four kings, and not just three kings. Again, he writes as following:

". . . all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia . . ."


Broken down into four specific sections, the previous verses would look like the following:

1. all the days of Cyrus king of Persia
2. even until the reign of Darius king of Persia
3. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign
4. And in the days of Artaxerxes

As you can see, in Ezra, these four Medo-Persian kings are listed in chronological order. The previous verses inform us that "troublous times" were from right after Cyrus made his decree and the Jews returned to Jerusalem, right up to Artaxerxes I, who is fourth in the above list. The only one who is missing from the list is Cambyses II, who was Cyrus' son and successor. But we really don't need him in the list because we already learned in part three by way of Josephus that the troublemakers sent a letter to him as well, and he did order the construction to be stopped. So the "troublous times" covered:

Cyrus
Cambyses
Darius I
Xerxes I
Artaxerxes I

In fact, as you will see momentarily, the trouble likewise continued for some time after that as well. What we know for certain is that due to the troublemakers, temple work stopped until the second year of Darius I. In other words, because Darius I's reign began in 522 BC, it tells us that temple construction didn't start up again until 520 BC. As we learned in part four, Josephus confirmed this in Book 11 Chapter 2 of "Antiquities of the Jews", and as we learned in parts three and four, Ezra and the Prophet Haggai also confirmed it by the following set of Bible verses:

"Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia."


"And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king."


As I was working with all of this historical and Biblical information, I noticed something rather interesting. Now to its actual significance, I will leave to you to determine. If you look again at the previous full rulers table in part four, you will see that King Xerxes I reigned from 486 BC to 465 BC. Cyrus the Great had given a decree for the Jews to return to Israel in 536 BC. In other words, as I mentioned earlier, while the Babylonians were defeated in 538 BC, my research indicated that Cyrus' viceroy -- Darius the Mede -- ruled over Babylon for two years before Cyrus arrived there and was declared king of Babylonia, at which time he issued his decree to free the Jews. That would have been in 536 BC.

In part three, we likewise learned that they laid the temple foundation in the second year of their return from Babylon. That is to say, in 534 BC. Why 534 BC? Well, as I just told you, because Cyrus did not sign the edict -- or be declared king of Babylonia -- until he arrived in Babylon in 536 BC, because for the two previous years, Darius the Mede served as his viceroy over Babylon. So two years from 536 BC would have been 534 BC.

Eventually, the Jews again began to construct the temple led by the inspiration of Haggai and Zechariah the Prophets. But yet again the enemies of the returned Jews tried to deter the work by sending a letter to Darius I who had now ascended to the throne of Babylon. As we saw in a few verses I shared with you in part three, Darius made a search for the decree first issued by Cyrus, as we see by the following group of Bible verses:

"Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God."


Having found the original record from the time of Cyrus his predecessor, Darius then ordered the troublemakers to desist in their persecution, and to let the returned Jews continue rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple, as we see by this set of Bible verses, some of which I shared with you earlier:

"Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily."


So when exactly was the temple really completed? Well, in case you missed that particular point, I likewise already told you in part three, but maybe you just didn't catch it. Here are those same verses again:

"And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king."


Being as Darius I began to reign in 522 BC, six years later would be 516 BC. So we have to assume that 516 BC is when the Second Temple was also completed. To reiterate, temple construction restarted in 520 BC and four years later, the temple was completed in 516 BC. This appears to be a very accurate historical date from everything I have looked at. So based on the assumption that the temple foundation was laid in 534 BC, or two years after they had returned from Babylon, this means that it must have taken the Jews about eighteen years to complete temple construction. This may possibly lead some people to question the following verse that is found in the Gospel of John:

"Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?"


In reality, there is no contradiction here, because, they are not referring to the Second Temple which was built by Zerubbabel and those returnees who accompanied him from Babylon. Rather, these Jews are referring to King Herod's renovated and expanded temple complex, which according to Josephus in Book 15 Chapter 11 of "Antiquities of the Jews", Herod began during the eighteenth year of his reign. It took him another eight years to build the surrounding porticoes and courtyards. Other online sources indicate that there was ongoing construction until 63 AD. Following are some excerpts from "Antiquities of the Jews"

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"And now Herod, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and after the acts already mentioned, undertook a very great work, that is, to build of himself the temple of God, and make it large in compass, and to raise it to a most magnificent altitude, as esteeming it to be the most glorious of all his actions, as it really was, to bring it to perfection, and this would be sufficient for an everlasting memorial of him; but as he knew the multitude were not ready nor willing to assist him in so vast a design, he thought to prepare them first by making a speech to them . . .

The temple itself was within this; and before that temple was the altar, upon which we offer our sacrifices and burnt-offerings to God. Into none of these three did king Herod enter, for he was forbidden, because he was not a priest. However, he took care of the cloisters, and the outer enclosures, and these he built in eight years.

But the temple itself was built by the priests in a year and six months: upon which all the people were full of joy; and presently they returned thanks, in the first place to God, and in the next place, for the alacrity the king had showed."

----- End Quote -----

Returning to our previous story regarding building the wall, then, as we likewise learned in part three, in Ezra chapter four, Xerxes I -- who Ezra calls Ahasuerus, and who was the son of Darius I -- after having conducted a record search at the insistence of the enemies of the Jews, discovered what a troublesome lot the Jews were. Thus, he ordered all work on rebuilding the city and the wall to stop immediately at the beginning of his reign according to Ezra. Please note what I just stated. Xerxes I did NOT stop any temple construction, because the temple had ALREADY been completed thirty years earlier during his father's reign. So Xerxes I only ordered the rebuilding of the city and the wall to stop. Here is the verse again to refresh your memory:

"Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me."


The first year of Xerxes I's reign would have been from 486 BC to 485 BC, because his reign began in October of 486 BC according to historical records. My friends, all this time had passed, and while the temple itself had already been rebuilt, the reconstruction of the city and the wall had not been completed, as a result of all the trouble being caused by the Jews' enemies. There were in fact stops and starts several times. To reiterate, it was "troublous times". As I said a minute ago, I discovered something interesting which has me wondering if we should give any significance to it. It concerns a part of Gabriel's prophecy which specifically states the following:

"shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks"


As I mentioned earlier, God had the Angel Gabriel divide the prophecy into three different time periods, and the first period was seven weeks. As we have already discussed, seven weeks equates to forty-nine years. Now from 534 BC when they laid the foundation of the temple, to 485 BC -- which would be included in the first year of Xerxes I's reign -- when he ordered construction in Jerusalem to be stopped, is exactly how many years? It is forty-nine years to be precise. So I have been wondering to myself "Is that merely a coincidence, or is that the forty-nine years of "troublous times" that the Angel Gabriel was talking about?

As I was recently informing a friend, I believe that God is ordered, organized, purposeful and precise in everything He does. I am convinced that this is particularly true when it comes to His Word and the prophecies which are found in His Word. So for me to simply dismiss this seeming "coincidence" is not easy. Why is it that the first part of the prophecy speaks of "seven weeks" -- or forty-nine years -- and the length of time between the two aforementioned dates matches it perfectly? Is it truly just a coincidence, or might it be possible that it has some particular significance? What to do you think?

Please remember that King Xerxes I had plainly stated in his 485 BC decree that the Jews should NOT resume construction of Jerusalem and the wall "until another commandment shall be given from me." Well, Xerxes I obviously never did do that. However, guess who did sign another decree letter? It was none other than his son who we just discussed. That is to say, Artaxerxes I, who was likewise known as Longimanus and Ahasuerus. Upon the murder of his father in 465 BC, by the powerful commander of the royal bodyguard, Artaxerxes I rose to the throne to become the fifth legitimate king of the vast Medo-Persian Empire. His date of ascension can be confirmed by such historical documents as the Elephantine Papyri, and by Ptolemy's Canon as well, which I have in my possession.

We are informed in the Book of Ezra that it was twenty-eight years after his father had ordered construction to stop in Jerusalem, that during the seventh year of his reign in 557 BC, Artaxerxes I signed a new decree which gave Ezra -- who was a scribe and priest -- permission to lead a second group of Jews out of Babylon and back to Jerusalem, all with his royal blessing and encouragement. Furthermore, only thirteen years later, during Artaxerxes I's twentieth year as ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire, Nehemiah would follow suit and likewise return to Israel with Artaxerxes' blessing.

With other leaders -- including, of course, Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest -- these anointed men would inspire the Jews to repent of their idolatry, to abandon all their inter-racial marriages, and to return to the Lord their God. Consider the following group of Bible verses:

"Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah . . . This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king."


Now, I am going to show you something which I consider very important regarding this event, which some of my Christian brethren may possibly be missing. In fact, even I missed it at first until I looked closer and harder. If you read the previous chapter -- that is to say, chapter six -- what you will discover is that it's all about the priest and Levites, feast days, temple sacrifices, and the joy the Jews found in completing the construction of the Second Temple. There is not a single word in that chapter regarding rebuilding the city itself, or the perimeter walls which surrounded the city. Not a word, my friends.

Furthermore, as I mentioned to you before, Ezra was a priest and a scribe. He was by no means a builder. His primary goal in returning to Jerusalem was to "to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." Ezra's primary interest was to perform priestly functions. If you carefully read the circumstances surrounding Ezra's bid to Artaxerxes I, and the actual contents of the king's decree, you are going to see that just like Cyrus' original decree in 536 BC, it focused entirely on the temple, on donating money to the temple, on providing animals for sacrifice, on giving vessels for the functions which had to be performed in the temple, etc. Again, there is NOT a single word in the king's degree regarding rebuilding the city, or rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. If you doubt that this is so, then please read it for yourself below:

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me."


Now if you are wondering why I am emphasizing this particular point, please just keep on reading in part six and I am sure that it will all soon become clear to you.

Please go to part six for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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