Wife of Xerxes and mother of Artaxerxes I: Queen Esther. Besides my regular day job as a plumbing contractor, Winnie & I manage our local farmers market as well as tend our nearly two acres of orchards and gardens. July-September is our family’s busiest time of year. 1 It was after this that the following things happened in the days of Artaxerxes, the same Artaxerxes who ruled over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. Jewish tradition relates that Esther was the mother of a King Darius and so some try to identify Ahasuerus with Artaxerxes I and Esther with Kosmartydene. In my opinion Esther 1:1 is sufficient evidence to prove that the Hebrew Ahasuerus is a title. Subsequent to Esther, Ezra leads a second return to the land of Israel about 20 to 30 years later in 458 BC under Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:1). (Excerpted for clarity – full quote below). Why is Michael and Caitlin Waltrip estranged? As I’m sure you know “Ahasuerus” is the Hebrew version of the Persian word Khshayarsha. Darius was a Huckster During his reign the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431 BC. or AHASUERUS, a king of Persia, the husband of Esther, who, in the opinion of the learned Usher and Calmet, was the Darius of profane authors. ); Cosmartidene, mother of Arsites; and Andria [not Andia], mother of Bagapaeus and princess Parysatis. Indeed we’ve found that trusting the Bible in its most natural and common sense chronological reading provides the clearest and most natural way of understanding the chronology of the 2. The Seraiah Assumption: Wrapping up Loose Ends by Rick Lanser, My response to Rick Lanser’s – The Seraiah Assumption: Josephus – a contemporary of Yeshua King of Persia and Egypt Artaxerxes I Longimanus Achaemenid was buried in Naqsh-e Rustam.2 He died 0425 BCE in Susa, Elam [now in Iran].2 He appointed Nehemiah as Governor of Judaea 0445 B.C..1 He sanctioned practice of the Jewish religion in Jerusalem 0458 B.C..1 He put down a rebellion in Bactria, and a more serious one in Egypt 0460-0454 B.C..1 He was the 4th ruler of the 27th … Ussher – 1600’s A jewish orphan girl marries the king of Persia and becomes queen of the greatest empire of its time? Part I – Cyrus to Darius: The 2nd Temple Context of Ezra 4 Esther is the lucky girl, but she hides the fact she's Jewish. See Shea (1976) and Yamauchi (1996, pp.230-232). 1000 AD. Xšayathiya / Xšayathiyam). The only kings after Xerxes ruling from India to Ethiopia as mentioned in the book of Esther are Artaxerxes I and III. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that you can download all of my books and articles free of charge. Like his efforts related to the Jewish temple worship, Darius efforts on behalf of the Egyptians were not just limited to the codification of their laws. Artaxerxes and its Median Roots 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. 23 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? The LXX has additions to Esther. Josephus wrongfully claims that the Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of the Book of Esther is this Artaxerxes I., and also that the Artaxerxes of Ezra and Nehemiah is Xerxes. But despite the seemingly solid identification of Ahasuerus with Xerxes, doesn’t the context restrict itself to events between Cyrus and Darius? I quote Mr. Lanser: The Hebrew Achashwerosh is a much closer transliteration of the Persian Khshayârshâ or the Babylonian from Achshiyarshu than is the Greek Xerxes. We know now with reasonable confidence that the Hebrew word transliterated Achashverowsh (un-pointed Chshwrwsh) – further transliterated via the Greek Septuagint as Ahasuerus in our English Bibles – is the Hebrew transliteration of Old Persian Xšayâršahyâ (Greek=Xerxes). Shouldn’t the Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6 likewise be Xerxes? For confirmation of this new provincial form of tribute we have to look no further than the 2nd year of Darius I and his declaration which allowed the Jewish people to continue building the temple. 1:1; etc.) Further if 1 Esdras (written in 100 BC/AD?) Please note here that my email response above to Mr. Lanser was before I understood that in fact the Persian Ahasuerus has etymological roots in the Median administrative nomenclature. 24 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. Part VII – Esther, Ahasuerus, & Artaxerxes: Who was the Persian King of 127 Provinces? Once again I quote Tyrwhitt: For confirmation of this new provincial form of tribute we have to look no further than the 2. Question: "Who was Artaxerxes in the Bible?" Amestris or Amastris was the wife of King of Kings Xerxes I of Persia, mother of king Artaxerxes I of Persia. The book of Esther is set during the years of the exile of Israel in Babylon during the reign of Ahasuerus (his Hebrew name), better known by his Greek name, Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Required fields are marked *. Rather this word was the Hebrew transliteration of a Medo-Persian administrative title which meant “king/ruler of men”. What’s really neat here though is that without the knowledge that some Persian administrative words had Median origins, some might be inclined to believe that the Bible got it wrong by claiming that both a Median and a Persian were known by Ahasuerus. The problem shared by both of these suggestions is that they ignore a patently obvious fact: (Excerpted for clarity – full quote below), So if as we’ve seen in this article, Ahasuerus, (Xšayâršahyâ) given in its Hebrew spelling as. Download PDF. But as explained above this is not the case because, the Bible’s Ahasuerus was the rending of the Old Persian word Xšayâršahyâ which means male ruler/king and this word Xšayâršahyâ finds it’s etymological roots in the Median root word xšay (rule) hence it was a Median loan word connected to administration of Medo-Persian affairs. If “Ahasuerus” was personal name of single king then the author of Esther would not have need to make the clarification that this Persian king was the one who rule over 127 Provinces. Any honor for this distinction belongs to Eisenhower not Kennedy. Mr. Lanser then updated his Seraiah Assumption article in an attempt to further clarify his position regarding Ahasuerus and several other topics. This Artaxerxes I Longimanus is the Artaxerxes of Ezra, and this Xerxes I is the Xerxes or Ahasuerus of Esther and Ezra (but not of Daniel 9:1). As I explained above, his reasoning here does not take into account the Biblical usage of the word Ahasuerus in referring to the Median “Ahasuerus” father of “Darius the Mede” (Dan. Series edited by Lissa Wray Beal and M. Daniel Carroll R. Eugene, OR: Cascade (Wipf & Stock), forthcoming 2026. Both center on the consonantal sounds “ch,” “sh,” “r,” and “sh.” The Hebrew added an initial aleph, referred to by linguists as a “prosthetic aleph,” a frequent occurrence when foreign words with tw… Once again I quote Tyrwhitt: “The principal change which the measures of Darius introduced into the king’s tributes, appears to have been a substitution of silver and gold for articles of local production. The verse reads: Esther 1:1 KJV Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces…). Artaxerxes’ Banquet. The problem shared by both of these suggestions is that they ignore a patently obvious fact: After posting his article The Seraiah Assumption on the Associates for Biblcial Research website, (which I have been quoting from above) Mr. Lanser and I had further email correspondence were I pointed out the error of his reasoning concerning the usage of Ahasuerus in the Bible. Authors Note: The problem shared by both of these suggestions is that they ignore a patently obvious fact: all through the book of Esther we encounter the name “Ahasuerus” where it refers to Xerxes. Taking the Hebrew word אחשﬢרפן (achash-darpan) apart then we see it has as its root the same אחש (achash) which comes from the Median root word xšay for “ruler”. 25 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. This association between Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, and Darius is further confirmed by the Greek Ester as well as the apocryphal book of 1 & 4 Esdras. Does the use of a cold thermometer affect temperature reading? I hope you’ve all had a wonderful and productive summer. Hence, the Hebrew author of Esther reproduced only the consonants of Khshayârshâ and wrote ’Chshwrwsh…The spelling of the name Ahasuerus in Ezra 4:6 is the same as in Esther, and linguistically fits, of all known Persian kings, only the name of Xerxes. Here is Mr. Lanser’s original claim for context: The problem shared by both of these suggestions is that they ignore a patently obvious fact: all through the book of Esther we encounter the name “Ahasuerus” where it refers to Xerxes. His father was the former King Xerxes and he ruled the Persian Empire from 465 B.C. It is evident that Mr. Lanser’s opinion is evolving because his statement above contradicts his earlier conclusion from his original article The Seraiah Assumption. The Father of Darius the Mede Introduction to the Book of Esther. Mr. Lanser continues: Bringing up the fact that there was a Median king by that name prior to Cyrus should not obscure the fact that there is no evidence for any Persian “Ahasuerus” after Cyrus, save for that king whom the Greeks knew as Xerxes. She was also the mother of Artaxerxes I (465-424).4 Identifying Vashti with Amestris is linguistically plausible in view of the close relationship between the Hebrew and Greek forms of her name (see Appendix). We know now with reasonable confidence that the Hebrew word transliterated Achashverowsh (un-pointed Chshwrwsh) – further transliterated via the Greek Septuagint as Ahasuerus in our English Bibles – is the Hebrew transliteration of Old Persian Xšayâršahyâ (Greek=Xerxes). Although the date of her death is not known, Jewish tradition indicates that Queen Esther's tomb is in Hamadan, also known as Ecbatana, located in what is now western Iran. Different Bible translations may use Xerxes or Ahasuerus, but they technically refer to the same individual, and are likely different throne names. However, it is possible that Artaxerxes restored some of her power after Xerxes died. It is true that there are many secular scholars who feel that the king of Esther must be a later king; others find fault with seeing Xerxes as the king of Ezra. This article will look at a form of early Christian anti-semitism that is raising its ugly face again. He gave Ezra the authority to establish a legal system which was based in the Torah (law of Moses). Should you decide you no longer wish to be a subscriber you can unsubscribe at any time. The second half of the Hebrew achashdarpan ﬢרפן(darpan) likely then is Hebrew equivalent of the Old Persian pavan which we translate today as satrap. He has pp 47-73 describing in http://biblechronologybooks.com/exile.html, Your email address will not be published. Darius and Atossa had married in 522 BC, with Xerxes ... (in Politics 5.1311b), Artabanus killed Darius first and then killed Xerxes. 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. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; (Daniel 9:1), Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful and productive summer. Hopefully after that in a final article in this series we will look at the chronology from Ezra 7 and the 7th year of Darius “even” Artaxerxes up to the final years of Nehemiah’s governorship. Esther 9:30-32 tells us that by the 13th year of Esther’s “Ahasuerus” there were still 127 provinces. We must now return at greater length to the relations between Darius and his companions after his accession to the throne. The only reasons to make such a distinction would be to make sure the reader understood which “Ahasuerus” was being mentioned. Queen Esther was the wife of King Xerxes (Achashverosh) and mother of King Artaxerxes. That we are likely on the right track regarding our tentative understanding of meaning of the OP Xšayâršahyâ and the Hebrew Achashverowsh can be confirmed with the Hebrew word אחשﬢרפן (achashdarpan) which our English Bibles translate as Lieutenants or Princes. King of Kings of Persia This is the same King who married Esther in the famous story told in the Bible of Esther 1. One is by overlooking or dismissing the etymology behind the name, instead suggesting “Ahasuerus” was not the personal name for Xerxes resulting after some translational gymnastics, but a title for some other king who lived between Cyrus and Darius, perhaps Cambyses or Smerdis. To help us further understand how the Bible used the word “Ahasuerus” we turn to Daniel chapter 9. READ PAPER. The Passover, Resurrection, & Reed (Red) Sea Crossing, The Numerical Structure of Daniel 9 & the Prophecy of 70 Sevens, The Anti-Semitic Roots of a Christian Conspiracy Theory, Not Afraid of the Antichrist: A Book Review, The Priests & Levites of Ezra & Nehemiah: Exploring the Papponymy Assumption, Associates for Biblical Research Respond to the Artaxerxes Assumption, The Exodus & Reed Sea Crossing: Symbols of the Bible’s Redemptive Message, Israel’s Crossing of the Reed Sea: Applying the Golden Rule of Bible Interpretation, Israel’s Crossing of the Reed Sea: The Geographical & Chronological Context. This just adds to the evidence that Artaxerxes, before it was a throne name chosen by Xerxes son Longimanus, may well have been used as part of the administrative vocabulary of the author of the book of Ezra to describe the Persian king Darius I.
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