Who is…
Artaxerxes

This is the Greek form of the name of several Persian kings.

It is the name of 2 biblical kings.

1. Artaxerxes, the king who obstructed the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4:7)

   He was probably the Smerdis of secular history.

2. Artaxerxes, the king mentioned in Ezra 7, in the 7th year (458 BC) of whose reign Ezra led a second colony of Jews back to Jerusalem

   Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, —Ezra 7:1

   This was probably Artaxerxes Longimanus, who reigned for 40 years (464-425 BC), the grandson of King Darius, who, 14 years later, permitted Nehemiah to return and rebuild Jerusalem.

More information

• Persia in the Bible
• Who is Darius?
• What is the Kingdom of Judah (Judea, the land of the Jews)?
• Who is governor Nehemiah?
• What is the Book of Nehemiah?
• Who is Ezra?
• What is the Book of Ezra?
• What is Solomon’s Temple?
• What is the Second Temple?
• Kings of the Bible
• Men of the Bible