Ezra 7

Artaxerxes reigned from 465-425 BC. He became king 50 years after Jews finished rebuilding the Temple in 515 BC.

Levites were descendants of Levi, who was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. Levi’s descendants, or tribe, became the nation’s priests, Temple workers, and other worship leaders and associates. Bible writers often mention priests and Levites as though Levites were associates of priests. Yet, both were descendants of Levi, which makes them both Levites in one sense of the word. But there was another sense of the word. Historians still debate what the difference was between a priest and a Levite. It seems that priests performed what people considered the more important religious duties. Levites may have been more like associate ministers. But that’s a guess.

458 BC. Ezra 8:31 says they left on day 12 of the first month, Nisan (March-April).

Literally “in the fifth month,” which is the month of Av (July-August). Ezra 8:32 says they arrived on the first day of the fifth month. Their trip of roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) took three and a half months. If they didn’t travel on the Sabbath, they averaged perhaps a little better than 10 miles (16 km) a day on their journey. People traveling on their own could often travel 20 miles (32 km) in a day. Caravans were no faster than the slowest among them.

They didn’t travel for four months. They traveled for three and half (8:31-32). They delayed the start for 12 days, apparently to recruit Levites (8:16).

The Hebrew measurements are more poetic: 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, and 100 baths each of wine and olive oil. In today’s measurements: A talent is 75 pounds (34 kg) in some reports, so in this case, Ezra’s allowance was 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) of silver. A cor is six bushels (211 liters). And a bushel of wheat weighs about 60 pounds (27 kg). A bath is about six gallons (23 liters).

The king doesn’t bother adding the obvious, “And your king will unload his anger on you and your family.”