Artaxerxes

Artaxerxes I Longimanus, king of Persia from approximately 464 to 424 BC, played a decisive role in the Jewish restoration by authorizing both Ezra's mission to Jerusalem in his seventh year (Ezra 7:1–26) and Nehemiah's appointment as governor in his twentieth year (Nehemiah 2:1–8). His royal decree gave Ezra authority to teach the Law, appoint judges, and draw on the royal treasury for temple needs. His letter to Nehemiah authorized the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. Artaxerxes' exceptional generosity toward the Jewish community is attributed in Ezra 7:27–28 to the hand of God inspiring the king's heart.