Discovery BoxEzra 3:2 
Context3:2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak 1 and his priestly colleagues 2 and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues 3 started to build 4 the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by 5 the law of Moses the man of God.
Ezra 4:2
Context4:2 they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders 6 and said to them, “Let us help you build, 7 for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him 8 from the time 9 of King Esarhaddon 10 of Assyria, who brought us here.” 11
1 sn Jozadak (also in 3:8) is a variant spelling of Jehozadak.
2 tn Heb “his brothers the priests.”
3 tn Heb “his brothers.”
4 tn Heb “arose and built.”
5 tn Heb “written in.” Cf. v. 4.
6 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.” So also in v. 3.
7 tn Heb “Let us build with you.”
8 tc The translation reads with the Qere, a Qumran
9 tn Heb “days.”
10 sn Esarhaddon was king of Assyria ca. 681-669
11 sn The Assyrian policy had been to resettle Samaria with peoples from other areas (cf. 2 Kgs 17:24-34). These immigrants acknowledged Yahweh as well as other deities in some cases. The Jews who returned from the Exile regarded them with suspicion and were not hospitable to their offer of help in rebuilding the temple.
