As I’ve been saying for some time in my studies of the books of Daniel and Ezra, Biblical chronology doesn’t match up with the chronology of the Babylonian and Persian kings, which is determined by modern historians, who are dependent upon Claudius Ptolemy’s Cannon of Kings. There simply is no way to fit all things together for both chronologies without one contradicting the other. The best effort, made by Biblical scholars, is done by determining the Artaxerxes of Ezra 7 as the Persian king who released the Jews to return to rebuild Jerusalem, thus, beginning the Seventy-Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. Yet, not a word is mentioned in the decree of Artaxerxes about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem or its walls, which are clearly mentioned in Daniel 9:25. The fact is, Ezra arrives in Jerusalem about a year and a half after the Temple was rebuilt and dedicated, and just in time to dedicate the walls! How, therefore, can the Decree of Artaxerxes have anything to do with beginning the Seventy-Weeks Prophecy?
King Artaxerxes made a decree, concerning the new release of the Jews from Babylon to go to Jerusalem, and gave the written document to Ezra, the scribe and priest of the God of Israel (Ezra 7:11). Remember, this release is the same one he is said to have made at the Feast of Esther in Esther 2:18 during the tenth month of the calendar year. The release was made during winter, but the actual journey didn’t begin until the first day of the first month of the next calendar year, when the weather broke and was suitable for travel.
Artaxerxes describes himself as the king of kings, and he made a decree addressed to Ezra, the priest, in the Aramaic or Syrian tongue.[1] The decree further describes Ezra, as a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, and it formally permits everyone, who are Jews throughout Artaxerxes’ kingdom and are so minded, to leave the provinces in which they live and travel with Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:12-13).
The decree says Ezra was sent by the king and his seven counselors (cp. Esther 1:10, 14)[2] to investigate matters at Jerusalem and to confirm that the Law of God was being obeyed by the Jews living there. Furthermore, Ezra was to take with him the freewill offering of the king and his counselors and the freewill offering of the Jews at Babylon, together with all the gold he could find there that belonged to the Temple of God and was overlooked (Ezra 7:14-16).
With this gold he was to purchase all that he needed that pertained to offerings made upon the Altar of God at Jerusalem. Whatever was left of the gold could be used to do whatever else the will of God allowed (Ezra 7:17-18).
As for the vessels that were given Ezra for the service of the House of God, those were to be delivered by him personally and offered before his God at Jerusalem, and if any other vessels were needed, they should be purchased with gold out of the king’s treasury (Ezra 7:19-20). Moreover, a second decree was given to Ezra and addressed to all the king’s treasurers west of the Euphrates River. They were commanded by the king to deliver forthrightly to Ezra everything he demanded of them for the service of the House of his God up to the prescribed amounts mentioned in the decree, lest there should come the wrath of the God of heaven upon the king and his sons (Ezra 7:21-23).
Finally, the king commanded Ezra to personally set up magistrates and judges who are familiar with the laws of the God of Heaven, so they could judge matters that need to be judged and teach the people the laws of God. And, whosoever refused to live by the Law of God, and the law of the king, let that one fall under judgment, whether it be for death, banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment. Let it be done speedily (Ezra 7:24-26).
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[1] The Book of Ezra can be divided into sections written in Hebrew (Ezra 1:1 to Ezra 4:7; Ezra 6:19 to Ezra 7:11; and Ezra 7:27 to Ezra 10:44 (the end), and sections written in Aramaic (or Syrian) language (Ezra 4:8 to Ezra 6:18) and Ezra 7:12 to Ezra 7:26). See my earlier study, The Coming of Ezra.
[2] Herodotus records that there were seven families in Persia, who were above all other families. It was these seven who rose up against the Pseudo-Smerdis who claimed to have been Cambyses’ brother, and they slew him and Darius Hystaspes claimed to be the legitimate heir and reigned in the stead of Cambyses.
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