Antiochus III’s Decree for Jerusalem and the Persian Decrees in Ezra-Nehemiah and LXX 1 Esdras

What is it about?

The article endorses the view that the royal decrees in favor of the Jerusalem temple inserted in Ezra-Nehemiah (and 1 Esdras) are not genuine and explores the historical conditions in which they were composed. The article points to the striking similarities between the topical content of Antiochos III’s decree for Jerusalem issued in 200/198 BCE (Jos., Ant. 12.138–144) and that of the Persian decrees, and argues that the latter are based on the former. They were composed after the high priest Jason founded a polis in Jerusalem in 175 BCE, a move which entailed a sharp increase in taxes. According to 2 Macc 4:7–15, Jason’s opponents protested that his steps cancelled the privileges (in particular the fiscal exemptions) which Antiochos III had granted, and the Persian decrees were created as a precedent to Antiochos III’s decree in order to buttress the legitimacy of the latter’s decisions. Beyond these specific circumstances, the Persian decrees were used to explore the economic aspect of the relationship between the local community and imperial ruler, which in Hellenistic times functioned in both ways—taxes and euergetism. Alongside the template for the ideal (Hellenistic) imperial king, Ezra-Nehemiah also provides a legitimizing precedent for the Hasmonean king himself. In the last part of my paper I will list the topics featured in Ezra-Nehemiah which resonated in Hasmonean times.

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