The biblical records begin again in ' the seventh year of Artaxerxes' (Ezr 7"), i.e., if Artaxerxes Longimanus be meant, in B.C. 458. In that year Ezra the scribe, a man of high-priestly family, ■went up to Jerusalem armed with a decree (given in Aramaic, ib. vv. '-■-") entrusting him with lar^'e powers, and ordering a large ottering to be made in the king's name for the support of the worship of the temple. Strangely enough all that we know of the exercise of these powers is that Ezra called an assembly of the whole people in order to deal with the question of mixed marriages, that the people acknowledged the duty of putting away foreign wives, but pleaded for delay, and that a formidable list was drawn up (including the names of men of high-priestly family) of those who had taken foreign wives. Out of this list four persons (priests) actually 'gave their hands' to put away their foreign wives (Ezr 10""").
In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Neh 2''), i.e. in n.C. 445, came the mission of Nehemiah. He, unlike Ezra, was a layman and an otlicer at the Persian Court, and, unlike Ezra (Ezr 8^), enjoyed the prestige of arriving with an escort of Persian otlicers and horsemen (Neh 2'). In spirit, however, Ezra and Nehemiah were one. Both aimed at reforming the religion of their people on lines stricter than any which had hitherto been laid down. To Ezra (or to the school of which he is the most conspicuous member) is probably due that rewriting with increased stringency and particularity of the earlier codes of the Hexateuch, which resulteil in the formation of that which is conimoidj' called the Priestly Code. The object which Ezra and hisadlierentsset before themselves was the holiness of Israel (i.e. its separation from other peoples, and its greater strictness in the ■ervice of God).
Nehemiah worked on practical lines. He first made the separation of Israel possible by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem 'in tifty and two days' (Neh 0"). He next removed the causes of disallec- tion among the poorer Jews by compelling the richer sort to restore lands and houses taken in pledge, and to forbear the exaction of usury (ib. 5'""). Ezra's edition of the book of the Law wius recited and explained before an a-ssemblj- of the whole people (ib. S'""). At a j^'reat Day of Humi- liation the people, headed by Nehemiah, vowed tn
separate themselves from the ' people of the land,' and to forbear from mixed marriages and from buying and selling on the Sabbath ; they also undertook to observe the seventh year as a year of release, and to pay a third part of a shekel* for the maintenance of tlie sanctuary and its services (Neh y'"'- 10'"). Lastly, Nehemiah took measures for increasing the population of Jerusalem (Neh IP").
Nehemiali's second mission to Jerusalem, ' in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes' (ib. Hi'), i.e. c. 433 n.C, apparently lasted only a short time. He found some of the old abuses stifl existing, and acted with his accustomed vigour against them. Some critics believe that Ezra's caravan of exiles (Ezr 8"'-) returned not in B.C. 458 (see above), but in connexion with this second mission of Nehemiah.
Of the fortunes of the Jews in the later daj-s of the Persian empire we know next to nothing for certain, but it is probable that they took part in the rising against Artaxerxes III. ' Ochus'(n.c. 361- 338), and were punished for it by a partial cap- tivity to Hyrcania. The miseries of the times of Ochus are, it is sometimes supposed, alluded to in Is 24-27 and in several of tlie Psalms. On the other side, Wellhausen (IJG' p. 160) believes that the Jews increased greatly in numbers under Persian rule, and that they assimilated to them- selves a large element from ' the people of the land ' whom Ezra and Nehemiah had tried to exclude.
11. The Greek Period. — The victory of Alexander the Great over Darius at Issus (u.C. 333) put an end to Persian rule in Syria. (Jrcek inlluence was now brought to bear upon Palestine from two great centres, viz. AIexan<lria and Antioch. Moreover, the Jewish people was forced by the stress of out- ward events to leaven itself with foreign thoughts and foreign customs. A great dispersion took place. Wlien at the beginning of tne 3rd cent. n.C. Syria was under the rule of Egypt, Ptolemy the son of Lagus transported thousands of Jews to Egypt, to serve as colonists and as a support to his dynasty. Moreover, the Jews had leameil to trade, and the openings for world-wide traffic which Alexander's conquests had made for the Greeks, attracted the Jews also. Yet the Jews who spread themselves abroad, left their hearts at home ; from time to time they returned on visits to .Jerusalem, themselves Hellenized, and exerting a subtle llellenizing influence in the Holy City itself.
More than a hundred years, however, elapsed after Alexander's conquests before Greek influence drew the inhabitants of Juda-a into serious political trouble. I'or a long time the small province, though hemmed in by Greek cities, Gaza, Jon|ia, Straton's Tower (i.e. Ciesarea), and Samaria, Iicld out against llellenization. Hut at last, at the beginning of the reign of Antiochus IV. Epii'hanes (n.C. 175-164), the Greek party in .leru.salciu, to which most of the niling cliuss belonged, felt them- selves strong enough to take a deeideil step. A certain Ja-son got himself appointol high priest by Antiochus lor a sum of money, with permission to set up a gymnasium in .leni.salem, ami to enrol its inhabitants as citizens of Antioch, i.e. to confer on them the title and privileges of these citizens. A certain Mcnelaus in turn intrigued against Jason, and succeeded in supplanting him as high priest. The ilisonlers conseiiuent upon Greek innovations and scandals in the higli-i>rie.'ithood led to tli^- direet interference of .Vnlioehus, who in D.C. liis had undertaken an expedition against Egj-pt. I'nihd in this expedition by the ntu of the Homans, Anti- ochus wrathfully determined to reduce the allairs of .hnhcii to order. The external means used were