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2.1 The King
2.1.1 The opening chapters in the biblical Book of Esther convey
a not inaccurate representation of the Persian emperor. Enormously
wealthy and sensuously insatiable, he rules a vast empire extending
from India to Nubia, but must consult a seven-member entourage
as to what law to apply to the queen who defied his request to dis-
play her beauty before the assembled banquet guests. Collegiality
pervaded all levels of the Persian bureaucracy. In the Bisitun inscrip-
tion, Darius asserts that he prevailed through the “protection of
Ahuramazda,” but he gives proper credit to all the generals who
defeated the rebels in the enumerated battles. At the end of the
inscription is incorporated a text from his tomb inscription, in which
he advises his successors to beware of the lie and tell the truth,
ignore what is whispered in his ear and regard what is said openly,
favor not the nobleman but consider the poor man.2.1.2 The king’s presence was perforce in the minds of the Aramaic
scribes because they regularly dated their documents according to
his regnal year, and a private letter written on 5 Epiph, 399 reports
the recent accession of King Nepherites. In a more general sense,
the adjective “of the king” graced matters financial (treasury, house,
stone weights), topographical (road, street), architectural (builder), and
judicial ( judges). The Jewish communal leader was aware that their
Temple was destroyed when Arsham left Egypt to report to the king
(EPEB19:4–5; 20:4). The Book of Ezra records correspondence
between local officials and Darius I and Artaxerxes I (Ezra 4:8–23,
6:6–6:12). The Passover Letter at Elephantine, sent by one Hananiah
to the communal leader Jedaniah “and his colleagues the Jewish
Troop,” opens with a statement that in year 5 of his reign a mes-
sage of Darius [II] was sent to Arsham (EPEB13:2). Unfortunately,
that message is missing and much conjecture has filled the lacuna.
Minimally, we may say that Darius concerned himself with the Jewish
Passover at Elephantine in 419/18 B.C.E.2.1.3 Revocable land grants were made by the king, acting through
the satrap Arsham, to favored Egyptian officials (TADA6.4).^1(^1) Szubin and Porten, “Royal Grants in Egypt...”
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