Reading for November 8th

Read Ezra 4.7-16 In verse 7: And in the days of Artazerxes: He came to the throne in 465 BCE and remained in power until 423 BCE. The names of the officals sending the memo are Aramaic: The normal language for conducting businessin the Persian empire was Aramaic. By making not of this detail, the author affirms the seriousness of this exchane. It was translated so that the Jerusalem community could understand it. The footnote points out that the Hebrew text goes on to read in Aramaic, indicatiing that the author is quoting fromthe Aramaic original as opposed to the translation. From this point until 6.18, the narrative is in Aramaic. In verse 8: Wrote a letter against Jerusalem indetifies the city with the house of God. In verse 10: The rest of the nations ... deported and settled refers to vv. 1-2, where the deportees sttled to the north of Jerusalem were the "adversaries" seeking to join in rebuilding the Temple. Here, they oppose the rebuilding of Jersalem's walls. Osnapper is a variant name for the Assyrian king Asshurbanipal (699-633 BCE). Beyond the River was the offical name of the adminsitrative unit of Syria-Palestine (in Aramaic, "Abarnahara"), from the perspective of Mesopotamia and Persia, the territories of Syria-Palestine were acroos or "beyond" the river Jordan, terminating at the coast of the Mediterranean. In verse 12: They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city: The neigboring peoples charge that Jerusalem, with ist history of rebellion against empires, should not be rebuilt. Persian imperial pratice was to decentralize populations. Only where secuirty or economic concerns were of central importance were cites rebuilt. In verse 13: If this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute: A renewed and refortified Jeusalem will follow its earlier history and will revolt against the taxes and dues that propvided the economic lifeblood of the empire. In verse 14: We share the salt of the palace: An expression, exact meaning unclear, perhaps, syaing that the writers are paid in part directly by the palace in the form of salt, a more valued commodity in antquity than now. In verse 16: You will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River: With hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) the opponents imply that Jerusalem's revolt would lead to the loss of the whole province. Comments or Questions..