Reading for April 8th

 Read Ezra 4.7-16. In verse 7: And in the days of Artaxerxes: He came to the throne in 465 BCE and remained in power until 423 BCE. The names of the officials sending the memo are Aramaic and Persian. The letter was written in Aramaic: The normal language for conducting official business in the Persian empire was Aramaic. By making note of this detail, the author affirms the seriousness of this exchange. 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, indicating that the author is quoting from the 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 identifies 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 settled to the north of Jerusalem were the "adversaries" seeking to join in the rebuilding the Temple. Here, they oppose the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Osnapper is a variant name for the Assyrian king Asshurbanipal (669-633 BCE). Beyond the River was the official name of the administrative unit of Syria-Palestine (In Aramaic,"Abarnahara"). From the perspective of Mesopotamia and Persia, the territories of Syria-Palestine were across or "beyond" the river Jordan, terminating at the coast of the Mediterranean.In verse 12: They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city: The neighboring peoples charge that Jerusalem, with its history of rebellion against empires, should not be rebuilt. Persian imperial practice was to decentralize populations. Only where security or economic concerns were of central importance were cities rebuilt. In verse 13: if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute: A renewed and refortified Jerusalem will follow its earlier history and will revolt against the taxes and dues that provided the economic lifeblood of the empire. In verse 14: We share the salt of the place: An expression, exact meaning unclear, perhaps saying that the writers are paid in part directly by the palace in the form of salt, a more valued commodity in antiquity than now. In verse 16: You will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River: With Hyperbole (exaggeration to make the point) the opponents imply that Jerusalem's revolt would lead to the loss of the whole province. Comments or Questions..