| 1 | A | B | C | D |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | Book of Ezra - Historical background |  |  |  |
| 3 | King of Persia | Reign (BC) | Main events | Correlation with Ezra–Nehemiah |
| 4 | Cyrus II | 550[?]–530 | 539 BC Fall of Babylon | Directive to the Jews to rebuild the Temple and first return of the exiles to Jerusalem (taken as occurring in 538, since Babylon fell in October 539) |
| 5 | Cambyses | 530–522 | 525 Conquest of Egypt | - |
| 6 | Darius I | 522–486 | Secures the throne in 520/519 after fighting off various rivals; failed punitive invasion of Greece | 515 Temple rebuilt. In the book of Daniel, Darius has the old title of Darius I (king of the Chaldeans = Babylonians), while Koresh has the new one of Xerxes (king of the Persians). |
| 7 | Xerxes | 486–465 | Failed attempt to conquer Greece; beginning of struggle with Greeks for control of the eastern Mediterranean | (Alternative) directive by Koresh to the Jews to rebuild the Temple and first return of the exiles to Jerusalem. |
| 8 | Artaxerxes I | 465–424 | 460–456 Successful suppression of Greek-supported revolt in Egypt 449 Revolt by Megabyzus, governor of the territory which included Judah | Currently most widely accepted period for arrival of Ezra "in the seventh year of Artaxerxes" Second return of the exiles to Jerusalem (in 458 if the king is Artaxerxes I, or 428 if the year is read as his thirty-seventh instead of his seventh) 445–433 Nehemiah's mission (returns before the death of Artaxerxes) |
| 9 | Darius II | 423–404 | - | (Alternative) Temple rebuilt. |
| 10 | Artaxerxes II | 404–358 | 401 Egypt regains independence | (Alternative) period for arrival of Ezra and second return of exiles to Jerusalem (in 398 if the king is Artaxerxes II) |
| 11 | Artaxerxes III | 358–338 | Egypt reconquered | In his Historia Scholastica Petrus Comestor identified Artaxerxes III as king Ahasuerus in the book of Esther (Esther 1:1/10:1-2). |
| 12 | Darius III | 336–330 | The Achaemenid Empire conquered by Alexander the Great | - |

Question: Which year did Koresh of Ezra became "king of Persia", and who created the title?
Answer: Koresh of Ezra is "king of Persia", which title was introduced not by Cyrus, but by Xerxes (486–465 BC).