View source for Declaration of Cyrus 538BCE

One of the most well known events involving the Tobiads, was Tobiah's interaction with Ezra and Nehemiah during the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.  In order to understand the political tensions and the internal situation within the trans-Euphrates, including Judea, Samaria, and elsewhere, following the return in 539 B.C.E. from the Babylonian captivity we need to understand the context and mechanism of that return.

The historian Ben Sasson proposes that upon conquering the Babylon Empire, Cyrus, embarked on a policy of reconciliation with his new subjects.  This policy stood in marked contrast with the bitter rule of Nabonidus the last Babylonian king, who had heavily taxed his subjects and ordered all the temples of his empire closed and their idols removed and brought to protect the capital city.  Perhaps wishing to present himself as a restorer of religion and order in Babylon and benefactor of all his subjects, Cyrus issued decrees allowing the rebuilding of temples, and the return of their idols, throughout his empire.<ref>“A History of the Jewish People” edited by H.H. Ben-Sasson, 1976, p 166</ref>

The proclamation by Cyrus, King of Persia, to the exiles of Judah in Babylon permitting them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, appears to be one more examples of Cyrus policy of restoration and rebuilding of temples.<ref>Ibid.</ref> The proclamation was made during his first year of rule after conquering the Babylonian Empire.  Most historians date this event to 538 BCE.<ref>Secular historians identify 538 BCE as the year Cyrus conquered the Babylonian empire and issued his proclamations. Traditional Jewish sources identify the year as 371 BCE. This is calculated by the 18 years between the proclamation and the rebuilding of the second Temple, and the 420 years it stood before being destroyed in 70 CE.  Thus Jewish tradition assigns only 52 years to Persian rule (370-318 BCE), whereas secular history dates it at 208 years (538-330 BCE) – History of the Jewish People, The Second Temple Era, The Artscroll History Series, by Rabbis Nosson Sherman and Meir Zlotowitz, Mesorah Publications, Jerusalem, 1979.</ref> This was followed by several attempts, eventually successful, over several generations, to restart the Jewish sacrificial system, rebuild the Temple, and enclose the Temple area with a wall.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe these events.  The main characters in these books are Zerubbabel (later Nehemiah), Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshmu the Arab.<ref>Nehemiah 2:10,19</ref>   It is generally assumed that Zerubbabel was "Jewish" and Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshmu were native non-Jewish "adversaries of Judah and Benjamin" (Ezra 4:1).  The books of Ezra and Nehemiah lend themselves to the simplistic explanation that once the Temple was destroyed, the "Jews" were exiled to Babylon.  Afterwards non-Jewish colonists were moved into the Land of Israel in their place.  When the "Jews" returned in 549BCE, they started to rebuild the Temple.  The local (non-Jewish) population wanted to participate in the construction of the Temple, but was denied.  This led to strife and conflict between non-Jew and Jew led by Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshmu against the governors of Judah.

However, upon closer examination the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and in light of archaeological findings, this simplistic explanation does not stand up to critical review.  Modern scholarship suggests that Zerubbabel, Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshmu were governors appointed by the Persia government for military, religious, taxation and general administration purposes.  It also appears that they were each from leading families among the Jews in Babylon and returning exiles.  The local population was an admixture of colonists, poorer Jewish families that had remained, and neighboring ethnic groups that had expanded into what was once the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.<ref>The Political Tensions Reflected in Ezra-Nehemiah by Carl Schultz, Ph.D., Houghton College, Houghton, Pickwick Publications 1980.</ref>
 
David Hughes goes further and suggests that these "leading families" were related to the Jewish royal family and the previous governors of each respective area.<ref>This material is taken from David Hughes unpublished manuscript, "Davidic Dynasty"</ref>  Sanballat believed himself to be related to the royal line through the kings of Israel.  Tobias was a Levite, and believed himself to be a descendant of the princes of Messashe, governors of Ammon, Moab and Edom, and through them to the royal line. Geshmu was a descendant of the Jewish governors over Nabatu and Sheba, and through them to royal line.   According to this theory, when Cyrus sent governors to rule over what had once been Israel and Judah, he sent men from the royal family.  These men functioned as tax farmers for the Persian government. In order to gain acceptance with the local population and fascilitate the collection of taxes they heavily intermarried with the local population, except for those associated with the "tribes of Judah and Benjamin".

Critical analysis of the text of Ezra and Nehemia reveals that sets of four occur throughout the text: four governors, four regional districts, four high priests, four scribes, etc. Yet we find that "Jerusalem ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates" (Ezra 4:20).  This would imply that the Temple and religious hierarchy in Jerusalem was to function for "all of Israel" throughout the Trans-Euphrates, from Egypt to southern Syria.  Thus political tension in the Land of Israel would not necessary be centered on ethnic and religious strife, but rather on the fact that the governors, Sanballat, Tobiad and Geshmu were put in a position where they had to pay for a religious system over which they had no control, "From the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men" (Ezra 6:8)  This would explain the two-fold resistance to the Temple in Jerusalem, first when it has decreed that there would be a single Temple throughout the Trans-Euphrates, and secondly when it was allowed that the Judeans could build a wall around the Temple restricting control to a single political group.

By following the "sets of four" that occur throughout the text, it can be seen that the Persian governors paralleled each other in many ways, with the exception that the religious prerogative had been specially endowed on the governor of Judea, as detailed in the following table:

<center>'''Persian Governance of Trans-Euphrates<br>
(as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah)'''</center>

<table border="1">
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc"><br>
</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc">Judah</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc">Samaria</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc">Trans-jordan</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#cccccc">Arabia</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td align="center">''Ezra 1:11''</td>
<td align="center">Sheshbazzar<br>governor</td>
<td align="center"></td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Prince<br>
''Ezra 2:60''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Zerubbabel <br>

son of Shealtiel<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants <br>
of Delaiah<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants<br>
of
Tobiah</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants <br>
of Nekoda<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
High Priest<br>
''Ezra 2:60''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Jeshua<br>
son of Jozadak</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants<br>
of Hobaiah</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants<br>
of Hakkoz</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
descendants <br>

of Barzillai<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 3:1''</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>
the '''Israelites''' were living in their towns, <br>
the people assembled in Jerusalem<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 4:1''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Judah and <br>
Benjamin<br>
</p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<p>
the enemies of Judah and Benjamin</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Wrote to the King<br>
''Ezra 4:7''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Bishlam<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Mithredath<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Tabeel<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 4:8''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Rehum the <br>
commander<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Shimshai <br>
the scribe<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

colleagues<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 4:9''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

''deserted''<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Babylonians<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Erechites<br>
(Iraqis)<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
People of Susa <br>
(Elamites)<br>

</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 4:10-11''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

Jerusalem<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
Samaria<br>
</td>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
<p>
other places in <br>
Trans-Euphrates<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 4:20''</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
Jerusalem ruled throughout <br>
the entire Trans-Euphrates<br>

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>The officials<br>
''Ezra 5:3,6 6:12''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Zerubbabel<br>
governor of the<br>
&nbsp;Jews<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Tattenai <br>
governor of <br>
Trans-Euphrates<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

Shethar-Bozenai<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

colleagues<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
Temple Tax <br>
''Ezra 6:8''<br>

</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>From the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs <br>
are to be given to these men<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>''Ezra 8:35''</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>They presented the decrees of the king to the king's satraps and to the governors of <br>
Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the temple of God.<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
''Zechariah 6:9''</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>Zechariah’s symbolic crowning of Joshua as high priest.<br>
”This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the Lord your God.”<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
''Zechariah 6:10''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Josiah son of<br>
&nbsp;Zephaniah<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

Heldai<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Tobijah<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Jedaiah<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
''Zechariah 6:14''</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Hen
son of <br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

Helem<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Tobijah<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Jedaiah<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Completion of the Temple <br>
''Ezra 6:16''<br>

</p></td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>
The '''people of Israel''' the priests, the Levites, and the rest of
the exiles observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. For
the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for the sin
of all Israel, '''according to the number of the tribes of Israel'''.
</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>The Passover<br>
''Ezra 6:21''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>The '''Israelites''' who were returning from the exile ate it, along
with all those who had joined them in separating themselves from the
uncleanness of the nations of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>High Priest<br>
''Ezra 7:1''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

Ezra<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">

''Ezra 7:21,27''<br>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>
I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of
Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly
scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you ... [Ezra
will] appoint judges and court officials who can arbitrate cases on
behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws
of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
The Proclamation<br>

''Ezra 10:7-8''</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that
all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. Everyone who did not
come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in
keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore,
he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">

''Ezra 10:9''<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Went up</p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<p>
Did not go up</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Prince<br>
''Neh 2:7''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Nehemiah<br>
governor of Judea<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">''Neh 2:10,19''<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Sanballat the <br>
Horonite<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Tobiah the <br>
Ammonite<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Geshem the<br>
Arab<br>
</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>Building Wall<br>
''Neh 4:1-7''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Army of Samaria<br>
people of Ashdod<br>

</p></td>
<td align="center">

Ammonites<br>
</td>
<td align="center">

Arabs<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Prophets<br>
''Neh 6:10''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Haggai, Zechariah,<br>
Zephaniah (father of Josiah)<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Shemaiah son of <br>
Delaiah son of <br>
Mehetabel<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
Noadiah the<br>
prophetess<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>
other prophets</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">''Neh 12:47''<br>
</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">
<p>'''All Israel''' was contributing the portions for the singers and
gatekeepers, according to the daily need. They also set aside the
portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the
descendants of Aaron.</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<p>
Intermarriage<br>
''Neh 13:23''<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">

<br>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Women from <br>
Ashdod<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Women from <br>
Ammon<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center">
<p>Women from <br>
Moab<br>
</p></td>
</tr>
</table>


==References==
<references />

[[Category: Islam and Judaism]]
[[Category: Yosef Dhu Nuwas, a Sadducean King with Sidelocks]]