Darius I, The Great, Allows the Rebuilding of the Temple to Continue

c. 520 BCE

Read while you listen

Tattenai wrote to Darius inquiring about the validity of the Jewish claim to rebuild the temple. The reply from Babylon comes by a decree from Darius himself:

Ezra 6:6-8

King Darius decreed: "Now you, Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and colleagues, the officials of the province of Beyond the River, stay away from that place. Allow the work of this House of G-d to go on; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this House of G-d on its site. And I hereby issue an order concerning what you must do to help these elders of the Jews rebuild this House of G-d..."

You are looking at the Behistun Inscription that was carved on a cliff during the reign of Darius I who ruled from 522–486 BCE. It features a bas-relief depiction of Darius over figures representing conquered peoples.

Behistun Inscription
ArminAmirian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Overview

The Behistun Inscription was carved on a cliff during the reign of Darius I (reign 522–486 BCE). It features a bas-relief depiction of Darius over figures representing conquered peoples.

In the Bible

Ezra 6:6-8

עֶזְרָא ו', ו-ח:

הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּרְיָוֶשׁ צִוָּה: "כְּעַ֡ן תַּ֠תְּנַי פַּחַ֨ת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֜ה שְׁתַ֤ר בּֽוֹזְנַי֙ וּכְנָוָ֣תְה֔וֹן אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔א דִּ֖י בַּֽעֲבַ֣ר נַֽהֲרָ֑ה רַֽחִיקִ֥ין הֲו֖וֹ מִן־תַּמָּֽה. שְׁבֻ֕קוּ לַֽעֲבִידַ֖ת בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֣א דֵ֑ךְ פַּחַ֤ת יְהֽוּדָיֵא֙ וּלְשָׂבֵ֣י יְהֽוּדָיֵ֔א בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֥א דֵ֖ךְ יִבְנ֥וֹן עַל־אַתְרֵֽהּ. וּמִנִּי֮ שִׂ֣ים טְעֵם֒ לְמָ֣א דִֽי־תַֽעַבְד֗וּן עִם־שָׂבֵ֤י יְהֽוּדָיֵא֙ אִלֵּ֔ךְ לְמִבְנֵ֖א בֵּית־אֱלָהָ֣א..."