1 Esdras 1–2: Such a Passover Had Not Been Held": Josiah, the Fall of Jerusalem, and Cyrus

Josias held the Passover in Jerusalem to his Lord, and offered the Passover the fourteenth day of the first month, having set the priests according to their daily courses, being arrayed in their vestments, in the Lord’s temple. He spoke to the Levites, the temple servants of Israel, that they should make themselves holy to the Lord, to set the holy ark of the Lord in the house that King Solomon the son of David had built. He said, “You no longer need to carry it on your shoulders. Now therefore serve the Lord your God, and minister to his people Israel, and prepare yourselves by your fathers’ houses and kindred, according to the writing of King David of Israel, and according to the magnificence of Solomon his son. Stand in the holy place according to the divisions of your Levite families who minister in the presence of your kindred the descendants of Israel. Offer the Passover in order, prepare the sacrifices for your kindred, and keep the Passover according to the Lord’s commandment, which was given to Moses.

To the people which were present, Josias gave thirty thousand lambs and kids, and three thousand calves. These things were given from the king’s possessions, as he promised, to the people and to the priests and Levites. Helkias, Zacharias, and Esyelus, the rulers of the temple, gave to the priests for the Passover two thousand six hundred sheep, and three hundred calves. Jeconias, Samaias, Nathanael his brother, Sabias, Ochielus, and Joram, captains over thousands, gave to the Levites for the Passover five thousand sheep and seven hundred calves.

When these things were done, the priests and Levites, having the unleavened bread, stood in proper order according to the kindred, and according to the several divisions by fathers’ houses, before the people, to offer to the Lord as it is written in the book of Moses. They did this in the morning. They roasted the Passover lamb with fire, as required. They boiled the sacrifices in the brazen vessels and caldrons with a pleasing smell, and set them before all the people. Afterward they prepared for themselves and for their kindred the priests, the sons of Aaron. For the priests offered the fat until night. The Levites prepared for themselves and for their kindred the priests, the sons of Aaron. The holy singers also, the sons of Asaph, were in their order, according to the appointment of David: Asaph, Zacharias, and Eddinus, who represented the king. Moreover the gatekeepers were at every gate. No one needed to depart from his daily duties, for their kindred the Levites prepared for them.

So the things that belonged to the Lord’s sacrifices were accomplished in that day, in holding the Passover, and offering sacrifices on the altar of the Lord, according to the commandment of King Josias. So the children of Israel which were present at that time held the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. Such a Passover had not been held in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel. Indeed, none of the kings of Israel held such a Passover as Josias with the priests, the Levites, and the Jews, held with all Israel that were present in their dwelling place at Jerusalem. This Passover was held in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josias. The works of Josias were upright before his Lord with a heart full of godliness. Moreover the things that came to pass in his days have been written in times past, concerning those who sinned and did wickedly against the Lord more than any other people or kingdom, and how they grieved him exceedingly, so that the Lord’s words were confirmed against Israel.

Now after all these acts of Josias, it came to pass that Pharaoh the king of Egypt came to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates; and Josias went out against him. But the king of Egypt sent to him, saying, “What do I have to do with you, O king of Judea? I wasn’t sent out from the Lord God against you, for my war is against the Euphrates. Now the Lord is with me, yes, the Lord is with me hastening me forward. Depart from me, and don’t be against the Lord.”

However, Josias didn’t turn back to his chariot, but tried to fight with him, not regarding the words of the prophet Jeremy from the Lord’s mouth, but joined battle with him in the plain of Megiddo, and the commanders came down against King Josias. Then the king said to his servants, “Carry me away out of the battle, for I am very weak!” Immediately his servants carried him away out of the army. Then he got into his second chariot. After he was brought back to Jerusalem he died, and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors. All Judea mourned for Josias. Jeremy the prophet lamented for Josias, and the chief men with the women made lamentation for him to this day. This was given out for an ordinance to be done continually in all the nation of Israel. These things are written in the book of the histories of the kings of Judea, and every one of the acts that Josias did, and his glory, and his understanding in the law of the Lord, and the things that he had done before, and the things now told, are reported in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

The people took Joachaz the son of Josias, and made him king instead of Josias his father, when he was twenty-three years old. He reigned in Judah and Jerusalem for three months. Then the king of Egypt deposed him from reigning in Jerusalem. He set a tax upon the people of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. The king of Egypt also made King Joakim his brother king of Judea and Jerusalem. And Joakim imprisoned the nobles and apprehended his brother Zarakes, and brought him up out of Egypt.

Joakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign in Judea and Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. King Nabuchodonosor of Babylon came up against him, bound him with a chain of brass, and carried him to Babylon. Nabuchodonosor also took some of the Lord’s holy vessels, carried them away, and stored them in his own temple at Babylon. But those things that are reported of him, and of his uncleanness and impiety, are written in the chronicles of the kings. Then Joakim his son reigned in his place. When he was made king, he was eighteen years old. He reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil before the Lord.

So after a year Nabuchodonosor sent and caused him to be brought to Babylon with the holy vessels of the Lord, and made Sedekias king of Judea and Jerusalem when he was twenty-one years old. He reigned eleven years. He also did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and didn’t heed the words that were spoken by Jeremy the prophet from the Lord’s mouth. After King Nabuchodonosor had made him to swear by the name of the Lord, he broke his oath and rebelled. Hardening his neck and his heart, he transgressed the laws of the Lord, the God of Israel. Moreover the governors of the people and of the priests did many things wickedly, exceeding all the defilements of all nations, and defiled the temple of the Lord, which was sanctified in Jerusalem. The God of their ancestors sent by his messenger to call them back, because he had compassion on them and on his dwelling place. But they mocked his messengers. In the day when the Lord spoke, they scoffed at his prophets until he, being angry with his people for their great ungodliness, commanded to bring up the kings of the Chaldeans against them. They killed their young men with the sword around their holy temple, and spared neither young man or young woman, old man or child; but he delivered all of them into their hands. They took all the holy vessels of the Lord, both great and small, with the treasure chests of the Lord’s ark and the king’s treasures, and carried them away to Babylon. They burned the Lord’s house, broke down Jerusalem’s walls, and burned its towers with fire. As for her glorious things, they didn’t stop until they had brought them all to nothing. He carried the people who weren’t slain with the sword to Babylon. They were servants to him and to his children until the Persians reigned, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy: “Until the land has enjoyed its Sabbaths, the whole time of her desolation shall she keep Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

In the first year of King Cyrus of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of the Persians, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also by writing, saying, “Cyrus king of the Persians says: The Lord of Israel, the Most High Lord, has made me king of the whole world, and commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem that is in Judea. If therefore there are any of you that are of his people, let the Lord, even his Lord, be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel. He is the Lord who dwells in Jerusalem. Therefore, of those who dwell in various places, let those who are in his own place each help with gold, with silver, with gifts, with horses, and cattle, beside the other things which have been added by vow for the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

Then the chief of the families of Judah and of the tribe of Benjamin stood up, with the priests, the Levites, and all whose spirit the Lord had stirred to go up, to build the house for the Lord which is in Jerusalem. Those who lived around them helped them in all things with silver and gold, with horses and cattle, and with very many gifts that were vowed by a great number whose minds were so moved.

King Cyrus also brought out the holy vessels of the Lord, which Nabuchodonosor had carried away from Jerusalem and had stored in his temple of idols. Now when King Cyrus of the Persians had brought them out, he delivered them to Mithradates his treasurer, and by him they were delivered to Sanabassar the governor of Judea. This was the number of them: one thousand gold cups, one thousand silver cups, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold bowls, two thousand four hundred ten silver bowls, and one thousand other vessels. So all the vessels of gold and of silver were brought up, even five thousand four hundred seventy-nine, and were carried back by Sanabassar, together with the returning exiles, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

In the time of King Artaxerxes of the Persians, Belemus, Mithradates, Tabellius, Rathumus, Beeltethmus, and Samellius the scribe, with their other associates, dwelling in Samaria and other places, wrote to him against those who lived in Judea and Jerusalem the following letter:

“To King Artaxerxes our Lord, from your servants, Rathumus the recorder, Samellius the scribe, and the rest of their council, and the judges who are in Coelesyria and Phoenicia: Let it now be known to our lord the king, that the Jews that have come up from you to us, having come to Jerusalem, are building that rebellious and wicked city, and are repairing its marketplaces and walls, and are laying the foundation of a temple. Now if this city is built and its walls are finished, they will not only refuse to give tribute, but will even stand up against kings. Since the things pertaining to the temple are now in hand, we think it appropriate not to neglect such a matter, but to speak to our lord the king, to the intent that, if it is your pleasure, search may be made in the books of your ancestors. You will find in the chronicles what is written concerning these things, and will understand that that city was rebellious, troubling both kings and cities, and that the Jews were rebellious, and kept starting wars there in the past. For this cause, this city was laid waste. Therefore now we do declare to you, O lord the king, that if this city is built again, and its walls set up again, you will from then on have no passage into Coelesyria and Phoenicia.”

Then the king wrote back again to Rathumus the recorder, Beeltethmus, Samellius the scribe, and to the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria, Syria, and Phoenicia, as follows:

“I have read the letter which you have sent to me. Therefore I commanded to make search, and it has been found that that city of old time has fought against kings, and the men were given to rebellion and war in it, and that mighty and fierce kings were in Jerusalem, who reigned and exacted tribute in Coelesyria and Phoenicia. Now therefore I have commanded to prevent those men from building the city, and heed to be taken that there be nothing done contrary to this order, and that those wicked doings proceed no further to the annoyance of kings.” Then King Artaxerxes, his letters being read, Rathumus, and Samellius the scribe, and the rest of their associates, went in haste to Jerusalem with cavalry and a multitude of people in battle array, and began to hinder the builders. So the building of the temple in Jerusalem ceased until the second year of the reign of King Darius of the Persians.