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Septuagint Version of Esther:
“Mardochaeus (Mordecai)… was of the captivity which Nabuchodonosor
(Nebuchednezzar ) king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem, with
Jachonias the king of Judea” (http://ecmarsh.com/lxx-kjv/esther/est_002.htm) 2. The king in Ezra and Nehemiah ruled at
least 32 years (Neh. 5:14). This excludes Cyrus, Cambyses and Xerxes and
would include only Darius and Artaxerxes as possible candidates within the
lifetimes of Esther. Therefore, it is more likely that Esther was crowned in
Darius’ time, in his seventh year, in 515 BC, when the second temple was
finished and dedicated.
After
Jerusalem was restored, the Old Testament ends with a Samaritan marrying a
priest’s daughter and making his residence in the temple while the governor,
Nehemiah, was visiting the king of Persia after his 32nd year.
(The Samaritans obstructed
the tithing, sacrificing and temple worship and sent the temple priests back
into farming. Upon Nehemiah’s unexpected and sudden return, he expelled the
Samaritan and
restored the Levites along with the previous system of tithes and
offerings.) 4. The Greek Septuagint LXX,
written around 280 BC, calls the king during Nehemiah’s time, “Arthasastha”.
Josephus of 70 AD calls the king during Esther’s time “Artaxerxes”. The Greek
LXX of Esther also calls him Artaxerxes. But it is not likely that Esther and
Mordecai lived during the time of Artaxerxes I Longimanus who reigned from
465 to 424 BC. His 32nd year would have been in 433 BC. It is
likely that Artaxerxes is a throne name like Pharaoh, Czar or Emporer.
Artaxerxes I Longimanus would be a specific ruler. 3.
The context of The Hebrew book of Megillas Esther is in Persia, after the 70
years of desolation spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet. The rabbinic dates
would be 421 (3339 AM) to 352 BC (3408 AM). (The dates were actually 166
years later, from 587 to 518 BC). The king’s name is Achashvairosh
(Ahasuerus). This link, http://www.innernet.org.il/printArticle.php?id=211, says, “It had been one of the most
horrible years in Jewish history. The great Temple built by King Solomon lay
in ruins, and Jews were scattered to the far corners of the Babylonian
Empire. On the 9th of Av, 3338 (421 BCE, actually 587 BC), the Temple was
destroyed by Nebechudnezzer's armies”. http://bethelbaptistlondon.org/The%20Current%20Jewish%20Year.pdf |
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