The Persian Kings in Ezra 4
by Damien F. Mackey Here begins the task of revising ancient Persian history, with an anticipated severe reduction in the number of kings that one will find listed in the text books. Introduction Ezra 4:4-6 gives the overall range of Persian history to be covered in this chapter, from Cyrus to Darius: Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. before the sacred writer(s) proceed to fill in the details - especially regarding the forced interruption of work towards the building of the Temple (vv. 6-23). The narrative then returns to, and concludes with, king Darius in v. 24: “ Then ceased the work of th...