month of Adar was one of fearful bloodshed throughout Persia. The Jews defended themselves so vigorously, that they slew 75,000 persons in the provinces and 800 in Susa. The ten sons of Haman were among the victims. Unfortunately Esther, in the day of her triumph, showed but little clemency to the fallen, and gave free play to the spirit of revenge which, in that age, appears to have been a characteristic of all nations. Mordecai became the great favourite of the monarch, was dressed in the magnificent robes of a grand-vizier, and was laden with riches and honours.

From that time, the Jews kept the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar with gladness and rejoicing, by sending mutual presents, and gifts to the poor, as a yearly commemoration of the lots (purim), which Haman had cast to ascertain the day most auspicious for the destruction of the Jews. This is the origin of the festival of Purim.

155. EZRA THE SCRIBE.

[EZRA VII. sqq.]

In Jerusalem meanwhile the second High-priest Joiakim had died, and was succeeded by his son Eliashib, under whose supervision the fortifications of Jerusalem were commenced. The ever-watchful Samaritans considered this a good opportunity for renewing their accusations against the Jews at the Persian court; but they seem to have met with little success. The death of Xerxes (465), or rather the accession to the throne of his son Artaxerxes I. Longimanus, was an event of the greatest importance to the Jews, especially to those who were settled in their old Palestine homes. For the new king showed remarkable kindness to his Jewish subjects; and

he gave permission to all who lived scattered in his eastern provinces, to return to Palestine. Upwards of 1,500 persons availed themselves of it. At the head of this new colony the king placed a man who had obtained his entire confidence, and who was destined to exercise a very decisive influence upon his own countrymen-Ezra, of priestly descent, who was learned in the Law and all the knowledge required for its interpretation, anxious to teach and to diffuse it, pious and God-fearing. In the seventh year of Artaxerxes' reign (458), the emigrants set out from Susiana. They did not go empty-handed. They took with them much silver and gold and many costly vessels, which the king, and his nobles, and the wealthy Jews of Persia, gave them for the Temple of Jerusalem. What was more important, they came armed with a royal decree enjoining upon the satraps west of the Jordan to deliver to Ezra whatever he might require up to 100 talents of silver, and 100 measures of wheat, of wine, and of oil. By that same decree, the priests, the Levites, and all ministers and servants of the Temple, were for ever exempted from paying any of the taxes levied upon Persian subjects; and Ezra was commanded to select competent judges for all tribunals, and to appoint efficient teachers of the Law for the whole people. The edict concluded with these words: And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.' After a journey of four months, through districts full of rapacious and warlike tribes, the Jews arrived safely in Jerusalem, without having required any military protection. Ezra gave up all the treasures

1 Namely, 100 talents of gold, 650 talents of silver, 100 talents' worth of silver vessels, and 20 golden goblets worth 1000 darikes, and 2 vessels of shining brass of equal value as gold (Ezra viii. 26, 27).

he had brought with him to the officials of the Temple, and delivered the king's commands to the Persian satraps and governors, who readily afforded the Jews all necessary aid and support.

Ezra's first and principal care was to examine how far the Jews of Palestine lived in accordance with the Mosaic precepts, and to secure the purity of their faith. He found that they had flagrantly violated one of their most important laws; they had largely intermarried with surrounding nations; they had taken as wives maidens of the Canaanites and Amorites, of Ammon, Moab, and Egypt; and among those who had thus sinned were even priests, Levites, and chiefs. When Ezra learnt the extent of the offence, he was seized with violent grief. At the time of the evening sacrifice, he went to the Temple, and falling upon his knees, he implored the Lord most devoutly with tears and lamentations to pardon the trespasses of His people, concluding with these words:

O Lord God of Israel, Thou art righteous; for we are preserved and have escaped as it is this day: behold, we are before Thee in our trespasses; for no one can stand before Thee because of this.' Soon a large concourse of men and women were gathered around him; all felt shame, and one among them, Sechaniah, the son of Elam, gave expression to the common feeling: We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land; yet there is still hope for Israel in this thing. Let us make a covenant with our God, to put away all the strange wives and such as are born of them, according to the council of my lord (Ezra), and of those that fear the commandments of our God; and let it be done according to the Law. Arise! for this matter belongs to thee; we also will be with thee: be of good courage and do it.'

Ezra caused at once the chiefs of the priests and of the

people to swear that they would act in accordance with the words just heard, while he himself continued his acts of penance and self-castigation. A decree was then sent out through the land, commanding the Jews, under heavy penalties and expulsion from the Jewish community, to assemble within three days at Jerusalem. The people obeyed, and a vast crowd filled the open place before the Temple. It was in the latter part of the ninth month (Kislev), in the inclement season of the year, and the rain streamed down continually. Then Ezra stood up, pointed out once more the guilt of the people, and repeated his warning and admonition. The community promised again obedience. And now the task was earnestly begun, and in three months it was completed: all the foreign wives were dismissed, and the holy community was purified the most striking example of the change wrought in them, of the strong, stern passion that their religion had become; the great measure which drew the iron line of separation between the Jews and the rest of the world.'1

If we except a few later allusions, we have no other Biblical accounts concerning Ezra and his work; it is not even recorded where and when he died. Tradition, as may be expected, busily filled up the gap. According to some, he died and was buried in Jerusalem; according to others, he returned to Persia, where he died 120 years old, and where his tomb was shown many centuries later near the river Flamura. A grateful posterity credited him with the most varied and most important services done to the sacred literature of the Jews. He may indeed be the author of most of the portions of the Biblical Book which bears his name; but he was supposed to have been the first who prepared accurate copies of the Law, and to

1 Milman, loc. cit.

have written down from memory all the Books of the Old Testament that had been lost or destroyed during the siege and capture of Jerusalem; nay, to him, as the chief of the great Sanhedrin, were attributed the final compilation and revision of the Hebrew Canon-a tradition refuted by the date of a considerable number of Books written after his time. He is said, moreover, to have introduced the Assyrian or Chaldee square letters instead of the older Phoenician characters. So much at least we may safely affirm, that Ezra's zeal, patriotism, and ability were of decided influence in familiarising the Jewish people with the Mosaic ordinances, and in creating that peculiar nationality which has withstood the persecutions and trials of thousands of years.

156. NEHEMIAH (444).

[NEHEM. I. 899.]

Ezra was more active as a religious than as a political or civil leader. His attention was directed to the theocracy rather than to the commonwealth, more to the Temple than to the capital or the country. Indeed the powers with which he had been invested by the Persian king, seem to have been circumscribed in that sense; he never attempted to carry forward the building of the walls and the city of Jerusalem. But soon a favourable change took place in this respect also. The man who effected it was Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, probably of priestly descent. By fidelity and intelligence he gained the entire confidence of the Persian king Artaxerxes, who appointed him his cupbearer in the palace of Susa. But in the midst of his honours, the destinies of his distant brethren who lived on the soil of their ancestors, were constantly before his mind.