Letter X

X.

XERXES, whom Ezra calls Artaxerxes, king of the Persians and Medes, son of Darius Hystaspes, wrote to Ezra the high priest one letter concerning the bringing back of the people of the Jews into [their] fatherland, and concerning the restoring of the temple for the Jerusalemites; the copy of which is read in the first [book] of Ezra, chapter 7, and in the third [book] of Ezra, chapter 8, and in Josephus in book 11 of the Antiquities, chapter 5. He wrote likewise to Sadaeus, prefect of Syria and Samaria, a letter of commendation for Nehemiah, his cupbearer, ¹ setting out for the restoration of the temple of Jerusalem. See in the second [book] of Ezra [Nehemiah], chapter 2, and Josephus in book 11 of the Antiquities, chapter 5.