Antiquities Book 11, Chapter 1
How Cyrus, King Of The Persians, Delivered The Jews Out Of Babylon And Suffered Them To Return To Their Own Country And To Build Their Temple, For Which Work He Gave Them Money.
1. In the first year of the reign of Cyrus 1 which was the seventieth
from the day that our people were removed out of their own land into
Babylon, God commiserated the captivity and calamity of these poor
people, according as he had foretold to them by Jeremiah the prophet,
before the destruction of the city, that after they had served
Nebuchadnezzar and his posterity, and after they had undergone that
servitude seventy years, he would restore them again to the land of
their fathers, and they should build their temple, and enjoy their
ancient prosperity. And these things God did afford them; for he stirred
up the mind of Cyrus, and made him write this throughout all Asia: "Thus
saith Cyrus the king: Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of
the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of
the Israelites worship; for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets,
and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of
Judea."
2. This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left
behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken
thus to him in a secret vision: "My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have
appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to
their own land, and build my temple." This was foretold by Isaiah one
hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly,
when Cyrus read this, and admired the Divine power, an earnest desire
and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he
called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them,
that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild
their city Jerusalem, 2 and the temple of God, for that he would be
their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors
that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they
should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the
temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices.
3. When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites, the rulers of the two
tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites and priests, went in
haste to Jerusalem; yet did many of them stay at Babylon, as not willing
to leave their possessions; and when they were come thither, all the
king's friends assisted them, and brought in, for the building of the
temple, some gold, and some silver, and some a great many cattle and
horses. So they performed their vows to God, and offered the sacrifices
that had been accustomed of old time; I mean this upon the rebuilding of
their city, and the revival of the ancient practices relating to their
worship. Cyrus also sent back to them the vessels of God which king
Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged out of the temple, and had carried to
Babylon. So he committed these things to Mithridates, the treasurer, to
be sent away, with an order to give them to Sanabassar, that he might
keep them till the temple was built; and when it was finished, he might
deliver them to the priests and rulers of the multitude, in order to
their being restored to the temple. Cyrus also sent an epistle to the
governors that were in Syria, the contents whereof here follow:
"King Cyrus To Sisinnes And Sathrabuzanes Sendeth Greeting.
"I have given leave to as many of the Jews that dwell in my country as
please to return to their own country, and to rebuild their city, and to
build the temple of God at Jerusalem on the same place where it was
before. I have also sent my treasurer Mithridates, and Zorobabel, the
governor of the Jews, that they may lay the foundations of the temple,
and may build it sixty cubits high, and of the same latitude, making
three edifices of polished stones, and one of the wood of the country,
and the same order extends to the altar whereon they offer sacrifices to
God. I require also that the expenses for these things may be given out
of my revenues. Moreover, I have also sent the vessels which king
Nebuchadnezzar pillaged out of the temple, and have given them to
Mithridates the treasurer, and to Zorobabel the governor of the Jews,
that they may have them carried to Jerusalem, and may restore them to
the temple of God. Now their number is as follows: Fifty chargers of
gold, and five hundred of silver; forty Thericlean cups of gold, and
five hundred of silver; fifty basons of gold, and five hundred of
silver; thirty vessels for pouring [the drink-offerings], and three
hundred of silver; thirty vials of gold, and two thousand four hundred
of silver; with a thousand other large vessels. 3 I permit them to have
the same honor which they were used to have from their forefathers, as
also for their small cattle, and for wine and oil, two hundred and five
thousand and five hundred drachmae; and for wheat flour, twenty thousand
and five hundred artabae; and I give order that these expenses shall be
given them out of the tributes due from Samaria. The priests shall also
offer these sacrifices according to the laws of Moses in Jerusalem; and
when they offer them, they shall pray to God for the preservation of the
king and of his family, that the kingdom of Persia may continue. But my
will is, that those who disobey these injunctions, and make them void,
shall be hung upon a cross, and their substance brought into the king's
treasury." And such was the import of this epistle. Now the number of
those that came out of captivity to Jerusalem, were forty-two thousand
four hundred and sixty-two.
from the day that our people were removed out of their own land into
Babylon, God commiserated the captivity and calamity of these poor
people, according as he had foretold to them by Jeremiah the prophet,
before the destruction of the city, that after they had served
Nebuchadnezzar and his posterity, and after they had undergone that
servitude seventy years, he would restore them again to the land of
their fathers, and they should build their temple, and enjoy their
ancient prosperity. And these things God did afford them; for he stirred
up the mind of Cyrus, and made him write this throughout all Asia: "Thus
saith Cyrus the king: Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of
the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of
the Israelites worship; for indeed he foretold my name by the prophets,
and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of
Judea."
2. This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left
behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken
thus to him in a secret vision: "My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have
appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to
their own land, and build my temple." This was foretold by Isaiah one
hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly,
when Cyrus read this, and admired the Divine power, an earnest desire
and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he
called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them,
that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild
their city Jerusalem, 2 and the temple of God, for that he would be
their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors
that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they
should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the
temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices.
3. When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites, the rulers of the two
tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites and priests, went in
haste to Jerusalem; yet did many of them stay at Babylon, as not willing
to leave their possessions; and when they were come thither, all the
king's friends assisted them, and brought in, for the building of the
temple, some gold, and some silver, and some a great many cattle and
horses. So they performed their vows to God, and offered the sacrifices
that had been accustomed of old time; I mean this upon the rebuilding of
their city, and the revival of the ancient practices relating to their
worship. Cyrus also sent back to them the vessels of God which king
Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged out of the temple, and had carried to
Babylon. So he committed these things to Mithridates, the treasurer, to
be sent away, with an order to give them to Sanabassar, that he might
keep them till the temple was built; and when it was finished, he might
deliver them to the priests and rulers of the multitude, in order to
their being restored to the temple. Cyrus also sent an epistle to the
governors that were in Syria, the contents whereof here follow:
"King Cyrus To Sisinnes And Sathrabuzanes Sendeth Greeting.
"I have given leave to as many of the Jews that dwell in my country as
please to return to their own country, and to rebuild their city, and to
build the temple of God at Jerusalem on the same place where it was
before. I have also sent my treasurer Mithridates, and Zorobabel, the
governor of the Jews, that they may lay the foundations of the temple,
and may build it sixty cubits high, and of the same latitude, making
three edifices of polished stones, and one of the wood of the country,
and the same order extends to the altar whereon they offer sacrifices to
God. I require also that the expenses for these things may be given out
of my revenues. Moreover, I have also sent the vessels which king
Nebuchadnezzar pillaged out of the temple, and have given them to
Mithridates the treasurer, and to Zorobabel the governor of the Jews,
that they may have them carried to Jerusalem, and may restore them to
the temple of God. Now their number is as follows: Fifty chargers of
gold, and five hundred of silver; forty Thericlean cups of gold, and
five hundred of silver; fifty basons of gold, and five hundred of
silver; thirty vessels for pouring [the drink-offerings], and three
hundred of silver; thirty vials of gold, and two thousand four hundred
of silver; with a thousand other large vessels. 3 I permit them to have
the same honor which they were used to have from their forefathers, as
also for their small cattle, and for wine and oil, two hundred and five
thousand and five hundred drachmae; and for wheat flour, twenty thousand
and five hundred artabae; and I give order that these expenses shall be
given them out of the tributes due from Samaria. The priests shall also
offer these sacrifices according to the laws of Moses in Jerusalem; and
when they offer them, they shall pray to God for the preservation of the
king and of his family, that the kingdom of Persia may continue. But my
will is, that those who disobey these injunctions, and make them void,
shall be hung upon a cross, and their substance brought into the king's
treasury." And such was the import of this epistle. Now the number of
those that came out of captivity to Jerusalem, were forty-two thousand
four hundred and sixty-two.