Ezra
The first return from Babylon, the rebuilding of the temple, and Ezra’s reforms.
What the sources say, and how sure we are
- The text says
The temple is finished in the sixth year of Darius, about 516 BC. Parts of the book are in Aramaic, and chapters 7–9 are partly in the first person.Ezra 6:15; Ezra 4:8–6:18; Ezra 7:27–9:15
- Outside evidence
The Cyrus Cylinder shows Persia’s policy of returning displaced peoples. Letters from the Jewish community at Elephantine in Egypt, from 407 BC, mention the governor of Judah and Sanballat, governor of Samaria, matching the Persian-period setting of Ezra and Nehemiah.Cyrus Cylinder; Elephantine Papyri
- Debated
Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem in “the seventh year of Artaxerxes” is dated to 458 BC if this is Artaxerxes I, or 398 BC if Artaxerxes II. Most scholars prefer 458 BC, but some argue for 398 BC.Ezra 7:7