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ARTAXERXES
Name of three kings of the Persian Empire.
1. Artaxerxes I (465–424 BC), known as Macrocheir or Longimanus, son and successor of Xerxes I (486–465 BC). Xerxes I was the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther and Ezra 4:6. A few years after the succession of Artaxerxes I, the Greeks urged Egypt to revolt against Persia. Only in 454 BC was that movement crushed along with other dissension in the Persian Empire. By 449 BC, when peace was made between the Greeks and Persians by the treaty of Callias, Artaxerxes had gained full control over his empire, and a period of peace resulted.
Artaxerxes I was the ruler who brought the rebuilding of Jerusalem to a temporary standstill (Ezr 4:7-23), and who commissioned Ezra to visit the city in the capacity of secretary of state of Jewish affairs in 458 BC (Ezr 7:8, 11-26). In 445 BC Nehemiah went to Jerusalem as civil governor in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I (Neh 1:1; 2:1). By altering the text of Ezra 7:7 to read “thirty-seventh” instead of “seventh,” some scholars have tried to show that Artaxerxes II was the Persian king under whom Nehemiah worked. The Elephantine papyri, however, indicate that Sanballat, governor of Samaria, was quite advanced in years in 408 BC, shortly before the death of Darius II (423–405 BC); hence Sanballat’s opposition to Nehemiah must have occurred years earlier under Artaxerxes I. The dates of Ezra and Nehemiah thus fall within the lifetime of this monarch.
Artaxerxes I was notable for his kindness toward the Jews in Persia, once matters of procedure had been established clearly; his support for the work of Ezra and Nehemiah is evident from their writings.
See also Ahasuerus; Ezra, Book of; Nehemiah, Book of; Esther, Book of.
2. Artaxerxes II Mnemon (404–359 BC), grandson of Artaxerxes I and son of Darius II. His reign was a time of unrest in the Persian Empire, one result of which was the loss of Egypt about 401 BC. He constructed several splendid buildings and seems to have enlarged the palace at Susa.
3. Artaxerxes III Ochus (358–338 BC), son and successor of Artaxerxes II. He brought peace to the empire by shrewd diplomacy, but he was assassinated. Neither he nor his father is mentioned in the OT.
See also Persia, Persians.