Discovery BoxEzra 1:7-8 
Context1:7 Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed 1 in the temple of his gods. 1:8 King Cyrus of Persia entrusted 2 them to 3 Mithredath 4 the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar 5 the leader of the Judahite exiles. 6
Ezra 4:11
Context4:11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him:)
“To King Artaxerxes, 7 from your servants in 8 Trans-Euphrates:
Ezra 6:1
Context6:1 So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives 9 of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon.
Ezra 6:10
Context6:10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family. 10
Ezra 6:13
Context6:13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues acted accordingly – with precision, just as Darius the king had given instructions. 11
Ezra 6:15
Context6:15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth 12 year of the reign of King Darius.
Ezra 7:14-15
Context7:14 You are authorized 13 by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession, 14 7:15 and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem,
Ezra 8:1
Context8:1 These are the leaders 15 and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
1 tn Heb “and he gave them.”
2 tn Heb “brought them forth.”
3 tn Heb “upon the hand of.”
4 sn A Persian name meaning “gift of Mithras.” See HALOT 656 s.v. מִתְרְדָת.
5 sn A Babylonian name with the probable meaning “Shamash protect the father.” See HALOT 1664-65 s.v. שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּר.
6 tn Heb “Sheshbazzar the prince to Judah”; TEV, CEV “the governor of Judah.”
7 tn The Masoretic accents indicate that the phrase “to Artaxerxes the king” goes with what precedes and that the letter begins with the words “from your servants.” But it seems better to understand the letter to begin by identifying the addressee.
8 tn Aram “men of.”
9 tn Aram “the house of the archives.”
10 tn Aram “for the life of the king and his sons.”
11 tn Aram “sent.”
12 sn The sixth year of the reign of Darius would be ca. 516
13 tn Aram “sent.”
14 tn Aram “in your hand.”
15 tn Heb “the heads of their families.”
