Antiquities of the Jews — Book 11, Chapter 4

1. Now in the seventh month after they were departed out of Babylon,
both Jeshua the high priest, and Zorobabel the governor, sent messengers
every way round about, and gathered those that were in the country
together to Jerusalem universally, who came very gladly thither. He then
built the altar on the same place it had formerly been built, that they
might offer the appointed sacrifices upon it to God, according to the
laws of Moses. But while they did this, they did not please the
neighboring nations, who all of them bare an ill-will to them. They also
celebrated the feast of tabernacles at that time, as the legislator had
ordained concerning it; and after they offered sacrifices, and what were
called the daily sacrifices, and the oblations proper for the Sabbaths,
and for all the holy festivals. Those also that had made vows performed
them, and offered their sacrifices from the first day of the seventh
month. They also began to build the temple, and gave a great deal of
money to the masons and to the carpenters, and what was necessary for
the maintenance of the workmen. The Sidonians also were very willing and
ready to bring the cedar trees from Libanus, to bind them together, and
to make a united float of them, and to bring them to the port of Joppa,
for that was what Cyrus had commanded at first, and what was now done at
the command of Darius.

2. In the second year of their coming to Jerusalem, as the Jews were
there in the second month, the building of the temple went on apace; and
when they had laid its foundations on the first day of the second month
of that second year, they set, as overseers of the work, such Levites as
were full twenty years old; and Jeshua and his sons and brethren, and
Codmiel the brother of Judas, the son of Aminadab, with his sons; and
the temple, by the great diligence of those that had the care of it, was
finished sooner than any one would have expected. And when the temple
was finished, the priests, adorned with their accustomed garments, stood
with their trumpets, while the Levites, and the sons of Asaph, stood and
sung hymns to God, according as David first of all appointed them to
bless God. Now the priests and Levites, and the elder part of the
families, recollecting with themselves how much greater and more
sumptuous the old temple had been, seeing that now made how much
inferior it was, on account of their poverty, to that which had been
built of old, considered with themselves how much their happy state was
sunk below what it had been of old, as well as their temple. Hereupon
they were disconsolate, and not able to contain their grief, and
proceeded so far as to lament and shed tears on those accounts; but the
people in general were contented with their present condition; and
because they were allowed to build them a temple, they desired no more,
and neither regarded nor remembered, nor indeed at all tormented
themselves with the comparison of that and the former temple, as if this
were below their expectations; but the wailing of the old men and of the
priests, on account of the deficiency of this temple, in their opinion,
if compared with that which had been demolished, overcame the sounds of
the trumpets and the rejoicing of the people.

3. But when the Samaritans, who were still enemies to the tribes of
Judah and Benjamin, heard the sound of the trumpets, they came running
together, and desired to know what was the occasion of this tumult; and
when they perceived that it was from the Jews, who had been carried
captive to Babylon, and were rebuilding their temple, they came to
Zorobabel and to Jeshua, and to the heads of the families, and desired
that they would give them leave to build the temple with them, and to be
partners with them in building it; for they said, "We worship their God,
and especially pray to him, and are desirous of their religious
settlement, and this ever since Shalmanezer, the king of Assyria,
transplanted us out of Cuthah and Media to this place." When they said
thus, Zorobabel and Jeshua the high priest, and the heads of the
families of the Israelites, replied to them, that it was impossible for
them to permit them to be their partners, whilst they [only] had been
appointed to build that temple at first by Cyrus, and now by Darius,
although it was indeed lawful for them to come and worship there if they
pleased, and that they could allow them nothing but that in common with
them, which was common to them with all other men, to come to their
temple and worship God there.

4. When the Cuthearts heard this, for the Samaritans have that
appellation, they had indignation at it, and persuaded the nations of
Syria to desire of the governors, in the same manner as they had done
formerly in the days of Cyrus, and again in the days of Cambyses
afterwards, to put a stop to the building of the temple, and to endeavor
to delay and protract the Jews in their zeal about it. Now at this time
Sisinnes, the governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, with
certain others, came up to Jerusalem, and asked the rulers of the Jews,
by whose grant it was that they built the temple in this manner, since
it was more like to a citadel than a temple? and for what reason it was
that they built cloisters and walls, and those strong ones too, about
the city? To which Zorobabel and Jeshua the high priest replied, that
they were the servants of God Almighty; that this temple was built for
him by a king of theirs, that lived in great prosperity, and one that
exceeded all men in virtue; and that it continued a long time, but that
because of their fathers' impiety towards God, Nebuchadnezzar, king of
the Babylonians and of the Chaldeans, took their city by force, and
destroyed it, and pillaged the temple, and burnt it down, and
transplanted the people whom he had made captives, and removed them to
Babylon; that Cyrus, who, after him, was king of Babylonia and Persia,
wrote to them to build the temple, and committed the gifts and vessels,
and whatsoever Nebuchadnezzar had carried out of it, to Zorobabel, and
Mithridates the treasurer; and gave order to have them carried to
Jerusalem, and to have them restored to their own temple, when it was
built; for he had sent to them to have that done speedily, and commanded
Sanabassar to go up to Jerusalem, and to take care of the building of
the temple; who, upon receiving that epistle from Cyrus, came, and
immediately laid its foundations; "and although it hath been in building
from that time to this, it hath not yet been finished, by reason of the
malignity of our enemies. If therefore you have a mind, and think it
proper, write this account to Darius, that when he hath consulted the
records of the kings, he may find that we have told you nothing that is
false about this matter."

5. When Zorobabel and the high priest had made this answer, Sisinnes,
and those that were with him, did not resolve to hinder the building,
until they had informed king Darius of all this. So they immediately
wrote to him about these affairs; but as the Jews were now under terror,
and afraid lest the king should change his resolutions as to the
building of Jerusalem and of the temple, there were two prophets at that
time among them, Haggai and Zechariah, who encouraged them, and bid them
be of good cheer, and to suspect no discouragement from the Persians,
for that God foretold this to them. So, in dependence on those prophets,
they applied themselves earnestly to building, and did not intermit one
day.

6. Now Darius, when the Samaritans had written to him, and in their
epistle had accused the Jews, how they fortified the city, and built the
temple more like to a citadel than to a temple; and said, that their
doings were not expedient for the king's affairs; and besides, they
showed the epistle of Cambyses, wherein he forbade them to build the
temple: and when Darius thereby understood that the restoration of
Jerusalem was not expedient for his affairs, and when he had read the
epistle that was brought him from Sisinnes, and those that were with
him, he gave order that what concerned these matters should be sought
for among the royal records. Whereupon a book was found at Ecbatana, in
the tower that was in Media, wherein was written as follows: "Cyrus the
king, in the first year of his reign, commanded that the temple should
be built in Jerusalem; and the altar in height threescore cubits, and
its breadth of the same, with three edifices of polished stone, and one
edifice of stone of their own country; and he ordained that the expenses
of it should be paid out of the king's revenue. He also commanded that
the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged [out of the temple], and
had carried to Babylon, should be restored to the people of Jerusalem;
and that the care of these things should belong to Sanabassar, the
governor and president of Syria and Phoenicia, and his associates, that
they may not meddle with that place, but may permit the servants of God,
the Jews and their rulers, to build the temple. He also ordained that
they should assist them in the work; and that they should pay to the
Jews, out of the tribute of the country where they were governors, on
account of the sacrifices, bulls, and rams, and lambs, and kids of the
goats, and fine flour, and oil, and wine, and all other things that the
priests should suggest to them; and that they should pray for the
preservation of the king, and of the Persians; and that for such as
transgressed any of these orders thus sent to them, he commanded that
they should be caught, and hung upon a cross, and their substance
confiscated to the king's use. He also prayed to God against them, that
if any one attempted to hinder the building of the temple, God would
strike him dead, and thereby restrain his wickedness."

7. When Darius had found this book among the records of Cyrus, he wrote
an answer to Sisinnes and his associates, whose contents were these:
"King Darius to Sisinnes the governor, and to Sathrabuzanes, sendeth
greeting. Having found a copy of this epistle among the records of
Cyrus, I have sent it you; and I will that all things be done as is
therein written. Fare ye well." So when Sisinnes, and those that were
with him, understood the intention of the king, they resolved to follow
his directions entirely for the time to come. So they forwarded the
sacred works, and assisted the elders of the Jews, and the princes of
the Sanhedrim; and the structure of the temple was with great diligence
brought to a conclusion, by the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah,
according to God's commands, and by the injunctions of Cyrus and Darius
the kings. Now the temple was built in seven years' time. And in the
ninth year of the reign of Darius, on the twenty-third day of the
twelfth month, which is by us called Adar, but by the Macedonians
Dystrus, the priests, and Levites, and the other multitude of the
Israelites, offered sacrifices, as the renovation of their former
prosperity after their captivity, and because they had now the temple
rebuilt, a hundred bulls, two hundred rains, four hundred lambs, and
twelve kids of the goats, according to the number of their tribes, [for
so many are the tribes of the Israelites,] and this last for the sins of
every tribe. The priests also and the Levites set the porters at every
gate, according to the laws of Moses. The Jews also built the cloisters
of the inner temple that were round about the temple itself.

8. And as the feast of unleavened bread was at hand, in the first month,
which, according to the Macedonians, is called Xanthicus, but according
to us Nisan, all the people ran together out of the villages to the
city, and celebrated the festival, having purified themselves, with
their wives and children, according to the law of their country; and
they offered the sacrifice which was called the Passover, on the
fourteenth day of the same month, and feasted seven days, and spared for
no cost, but offered whole burnt-offerings to God, and performed
sacrifices of thanksgiving, because God had led them again to the land
of their fathers, and to the laws thereto belonging, and had rendered
the mind of the king of Persia favorable to them. So these men offered
the largest sacrifices on these accounts, and used great magnificence in
the worship of God, and dwelt in Jerusalem, and made use of a form of
government that was aristocratical, but mixed with an oligarchy, for the
high priests were at the head of their affairs, until the posterity of
the Asamoneans set up kingly government; for before their captivity, and
the dissolution of their polity, they at first had kingly government
from Saul and David for five hundred and thirty- two years, six months,
and ten days; but before those kings, such rulers governed them as were
called judges and monarchs. Under this form of government they continued
for more than five hundred years after the death of Moses, and of Joshua
their commander. And this is the account I had to give of the Jews who
had been carried into captivity, but were delivered from it in the times
of Cyrus and Darius.

9. 7 But the Samaritans, being evil and enviously disposed to the Jews,
wrought them many mischiefs, by reliance on their riches, and by their
pretense that they were allied to the Persians, on account that thence
they came; and whatsoever it was that they were enjoined to pay the Jews
by the king's order out of their tributes for the sacrifices, they would
not pay it. They had also the governors favorable to them, and assisting
them for that purpose; nor did they spare to hurt them, either by
themselves or by others, as far as they were able. So the Jews
determined to send an embassage to king Darius, in favor of the people
of Jerusalem, and in order to accuse the Samaritans. The ambassadors
were Zorobabel, and four others of the rulers; and as soon as the king
knew from the ambassadors the accusations and complaints they brought
against the Samaritans, he gave them an epistle to be carried to the
governors and council of Samaria; the contents of which epistle were
these: "King Darius to Tanganas and Sambabas, the governors of the
Sainaritans, to Sadraces and Bobelo, and the rest of their fellow
servants that are in Samaria: Zorobabel, Ananias, and Mordecai, the
ambassadors of the Jews, complain of you, that you obstruct them in the
building of the temple, and do not supply them with the expenses which I
commanded you to do for the offering their sacrifices. My will therefore
is this, That upon the reading of this epistle, you supply them with
whatsoever they want for their sacrifices, and that out of the royal
treasury, of the tributes of Samaria, as the priest shall desire, that
they may not leave off offering their daily sacrifices, nor praying to
God for me and the Persians." And these were the contents of that
epistle.