Session 19: New Appeal to the King, Part 2

Ezra 6:1–2 – The Search for the Decree

Darius begins with a paperwork search.
The command is issued to search “the house of the rolls” in Babylon.
- Babylon is the capital and the natural repository of imperial documentation.
- The Aramaic phrase is bêṯ siphrayyāʾ (בֵּית סִפְרַיָּא), “the house of the documents.”
This section is written in Imperial Aramaic, not Hebrew.
- Persian administrative correspondence appears in the language of the empire.
- Siphrayyāʾ is cognate with Hebrew sepher (סֵפֶר).
  - Meaning: writing, document, record, book.
  - A flexible term referring to written material generally, without specifying physical format.

The search in Babylon does not succeed.
The decree is located in Achmetha (Ecbatana), in the province of the Medes.
- Achmetha functioned as a palace complex for Cyrus.
- Susa was the principal palace center under Darius Hystaspes.
- If Cyrus issued the decree, a copy preserved at his residence is historically reasonable.
This incidental administrative detail supports the historical credibility of the text.

Ezra 6:2: “there was found… a roll.”
- The word is megillāh (מְגִלָּה).
  - Specifically a rolled scroll.
  - Emphasizes physical form.
Contrast with:
Distinction:
- Sepher (סֵפֶר) – written document or book (general term).
- Megillāh (מְגִלָּה) – scroll (physical form emphasized).
No contradiction, only nuance.
- Aramaic administrative vocabulary in Persian correspondence.
- Hebrew terminology in covenantal settings.
The KJV uses “roll,” not “scroll.”
- In 1611, “scroll” referred more to decorative script than to a manuscript.
- “Roll” was the accurate English term for a parchment manuscript.

“Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices.”
- The temple is defined by its function: sacrifice.
- Not a preaching center.
- Not a concert hall.
- Not arranged for seated services.
- A continual sacrificial structure under the Levitical system.
This is one reason we do not refer to the church as a temple.
- The temple was tied to sacrifice.
- The church is not.

“The height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits.”
- Height and breadth are given.
- Length is not mentioned.
- We must not supply what the text does not state.
Cubit length debated:
- Estimates range from ~18 to 25 inches.
- Joseph Seiss argues for ~25.025 inches (based on the earth’s polar semi-axis).
If correct:
- 60 cubits ≈ slightly over 125 feet.
- Monumental scale by any standard.
Even with shorter cubit estimates:
- Still a massive structure.

“Three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber.”
Possible interpretations:
- Three stone stories with a fourth timber level.
- Three massive courses of hewn stone capped by timber superstructure.
Forty-foot vertical stone blocks:
- Archaeologically attested in length.
- Height of that magnitude would be extraordinary.
Most likely:
- Three substantial masonry tiers integrated with timber framing.

“Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.”
- Refers to the royal treasury.
- Persian crown finances the project.
The decree is not merely permissive.
- It is supportive.
- The empire underwrites reconstruction.

Darius addresses the same men who sent the inquiry (Ezra 5:6).
Opening command: “be ye far from thence.”
- Legal, jurisdictional language.
- The investigation is over.
- The matter is settled.
From the top of the letter:
- Bad news for the adversaries.

Expenses to be paid from “the tribute beyond the river.”
- Funds normally sent to the king.
- Redirected to the Jews.
Purpose: “that they be not hindered.”
- Administrative efficiency.
- No delay waiting for Babylon.

Purpose stated:
- “Pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.”
Title used: “God of heaven.”
- Characteristic of the Times of the Gentiles.
- Reflects geopolitical context.
Persian favor toward the Jews:
- Darius the Mede (Daniel’s era).
- Cyrus the Great (the decree).
- Cambyses II.
- Darius Hystaspes.
Thesis to explore:
- Persian kings often appear as spiritual cousins rather than persecutors.

Any violator:
- A timber from his house used for his execution.
- His house made a dunghill.
Standard severity of ancient Near Eastern royal enforcement.
The king’s word is not advisory.

“The God that hath caused his name to dwell there…”
- Not a prophetic oracle.
- Not divine speech through a Persian king.
- A royal sanction formula.
This was a time when prophecy was being fulfilled.
- Not a time when God was issuing new oracles through Persian rulers.
Closing emphasis:
- “Let it be done with speed.”