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friendship towards Zerubbabel, because of which he was also deemed worthy to be a bodyguard with two others, having just arrived to him from Jerusalem. And in the first year of his reign, Darius prepared a banquet for his nobles; and when they had feasted and departed, he himself fell asleep beside his bed. So having slept a little, he awoke and was talking with the bodyguards. And to each of these he proposes a contest of words; to the first, whether wine is strongest of all, to the second, whether kings are, and to the last, and this was Zerubbabel, whether women are, and truth above them; and he promised to give the victor as a prize of victory to wear purple and a turban of fine linen and a golden necklace, and to drink from golden cups and to sleep on a golden couch and to have a chariot with golden bridles and to have the seat of honor next to him and to be called his kinsman. At dawn, therefore, having summoned his nobles, he ordered each of the bodyguards to declare his opinion concerning the problem. And the one extolled the strength of wine, as deceiving the mind of those who use it and changing the dispositions of their souls and making those who are drunk different from what they were; the other philosophized that the king prevails over all, since men rule over all other things through wisdom, and kings rule over these very men to whom all things are subject; but Zerubbabel declared that women excel in strength, since kings are born from them and those who plant the vines, and everyone prefers them to their parents and their homelands and their dearest ones; and that women rule over the kings themselves, who flatter them and humble themselves, if they should perceive that they are displeased in any way; but that truth has more power than these, since God is also true and is so called, and other things are mortal, but truth is an immortal and eternal thing. And when all agreed with his opinion, that he had philosophized best concerning the truth, Darius permitted him to ask what he wished beyond what had been promised. But he reminded him of the vow which he had made, if he should receive the kingdom. And this was, to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and also to restore the vessels, as many as still remained in Babylon. and "this," he said, "is my request." And the king, being pleased at these things, writes to the satraps to supply cedar logs for the building of the temple, and to build the city with Zerubbabel, and that all the captives of the Israelites who had gone to Judea should be free and exempt from tribute, and that fifty talents should be given for the rebuilding of the temple. And all the vessels, as many as were still with him, he sent; and whatever Cyrus had decreed concerning the Jews, these things Darius also commanded in addition. When these things were done, Zerubbabel therefore came to Babylon and announced the good news from the king to his kinsmen; and as many as were eager to return to Jerusalem, went away. And the total number of those departing was four hundred sixty-two myriads and eight thousand, without the Levites and gatekeepers and temple slaves and servants, who followed those who went up. And the leader of these was Zerubbabel, son of Salathiel from the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David, and Jesus son of Josedek the high priest; and besides these, Mordecai and Sereb were chosen leaders from the multitude. And having gone to Jerusalem, they offered sacrifice and began the building of the temple. And the temple was quickly completed; and when the sanctuary was already finished, the priests and the Levites and the sons of Asaph were praising God. But the elders of the families, recalling the former temple in their memories, and seeing the one just built as inferior to the former one, were moved to tears and lamentations, and their wailing overpowered the sound of the trumpets. But the Samaritans approach Zerubbabel while the temple was still being built, asking to share with them in the building of the temple. But he did not allow them to take part in the building, but to worship in the temple

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πρὸς τὸν Ζοροβάβελ φιλία, δι' ην καὶ σωματοφυλακεῖν μεθ' ἑτέρων δύο ἠξίωτο αρτι ἐξ ̔Ιεροσολύμων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφικόμενος. τῷ δὲ πρώτῳ ετει τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας πότον τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ ∆αρεῖος ἡτοίμασεν· ὡς δ' εὐωχηθέντες ἀνέλυσαν, καὶ αὐτὸς παρὰ τῇ κοίτῃ κατέδαρθε. μικρὸν ουν ὑπνώσας ἀφύπνωσε καὶ μετὰ τῶν σωματοφυλά1.269 κων ὡμίλει. καὶ τούτων ἑκάστῳ ἀγῶνα λόγου προτίθησι· τῷ πρώτῳ μὲν εἰ ὁ οινος πάντων κρατεῖ, τῷ δευτέρῳ δὲ εἰ οἱ βασιλεῖς, τῷ δέ γε λοιπῷ, ουτος δ' ὁ Ζοροβάβελ ην, εἰ αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ αὐτῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια· καὶ τῷ νικήσαντι γέρας δώσειν ὑπέσχετο νικητήριον πορφύραν φορεῖν καὶ κίδαριν βυσσίνην καὶ περιαυχένιον χρύσεον, καὶ ἐν ἐκπώμασι πίνειν χρυσοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ χρυσίου καθεύδειν καὶ αρμα χρυσοχάλινον εχειν καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν προεδρεύειν καὶ συγγενῆ καλεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ. ορθρου τοίνυν τοὺς μεγιστᾶνας μεταπεμψάμενος τῶν σωματοφυλάκων εκαστον ἐκέλευσε περὶ τοῦ προβλήματος ἀποφαίνεσθαι. καὶ ὁ μὲν τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐξῆρε τοῦ οινου, ὡς τὴν τῶν καταχρωμένων ἀπατῶντος διάνοιαν καὶ τὰς τῶν ψυχῶν διαθέσεις μεταποιοῦντος καὶ αλλους ἐξ αλλων ἐργαζομένου τοὺς οἰνωθέντας· ὁ δὲ τὸν βασιλέα πάντων ὑπερισχύειν ἐφιλοσόφησεν, ὡς τῶν ἀνθρώπων κρατούντων τῶν αλλων ἁπάντων διὰ σοφίας, τούτων δ' αυ οις απαντα ὑποτάσσεται κυριευόντων τῶν βασιλέων· ὁ δέ γε Ζοροβάβελ τὰς γυναῖκας κρειττονεύειν τὴν ἰσχὺν ἀπεφήνατο, ὡς καὶ τῶν βασιλέων δι' αὐτῶν γενομένων καὶ τῶν τὰς ἀμπέλους φυτευόντων, καὶ πάντων αὐτὰς γονέων τε προτιμώντων καὶ τῶν πατρίδων καὶ τῶν φιλτάτων αὐτῶν· καὶ τῶν βασιλέων δ' αὐτῶν κρατεῖν τὰς γυναῖκας κολακευόντων αὐτὰς καὶ ταπεινουμένων, εἰ κατά τι δυσχεραινούσας γνοῖεν αὐτάς· μᾶλλον δὲ τούτων δύνασθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀληθής ἐστι καὶ ουτω καλεῖται, καὶ τὰ μὲν αλλα θνητά, ἀθάνατον δὲ χρῆμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἀΐδιον. πάντων δὲ τῇ γνώμῃ τούτου θεμένων ὡς αριστα περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας φιλοσοφήσαντος, ὁ ∆αρεῖος αἰτήσασθαι ο βούλεται πάρεξ τῶν ὑπε1.270 σχημένων ἐπέτρεψεν. ὁ δὲ τῆς εὐχῆς αὐτὸν ἀνέμνησεν, ην, εἰ λάβοι τὴν βασιλείαν, πεποίητο. αυτη δὲ ην, τὸν ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις τοῦ θεοῦ κατασκευάσαι ναόν, ἀποκαταστῆσαι δὲ καὶ τὰ σκεύη οσα ετι ἐν Βαβυλῶνι περιελέλειπτο. καί "τοῦτο" εφη "τὸ αιτημα τὸ ἐμόν." ἡσθεὶς δ' ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ βασιλεὺς γράφει τοῖς σατράπαις κέδρινα ξύλα χορηγεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ συγκατασκευάζειν τὴν πόλιν τῷ Ζοροβάβελ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς εἰς τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ἀπελθόντας αἰχμαλώτους τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν ἐλευθέρους ειναι καὶ ἀτελεῖς, καὶ τάλαντα δοθῆναι πεντήκοντα εἰς τὴν ἀνέγερσιν τοῦ ναοῦ. καὶ τὰ σκεύη δὲ πάντα οσα ετι ην παρ' αὐτῷ επεμψε· καὶ οσα Κῦρος περὶ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ἐθέσπισε, ταῦτα καὶ ∆αρεῖος προσδιετάξατο. Ηκεν ουν τούτων γεγονότων εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ὁ Ζοροβάβελ καὶ τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις τὰ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εὐηγγελίσατο· καὶ οσοι προτεθύμηντο ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα, ἀπῄεσαν. τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀπιόντων ην μυριάδες τετρακόσιαι ἑξήκοντα δύο καὶ ὀκτακισχίλιοι, ατερ Λευιτῶν τε καὶ πυλωρῶν καὶ δούλων ἱερῶν καὶ θεραπόντων, οι τοῖς ἀναβαίνουσιν ειποντο. ἡγεμὼν δὲ τούτων ην ὁ Ζοροβάβελ, Σαλαθιὴλ παῖς ἐκ τῆς ̓Ιούδα φυλῆς, ἀπόγονος τοῦ ∆αβίδ, καὶ ̓Ιησοῦς υἱὸς Ἰωσεδὲκ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως· πρὸς τούτοις δὲ Μαρδοχαῖος καὶ Σερὲβ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους κεχρισμένοι αρχοντες ησαν. ἀπελθόντες δ' εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα εθυσαν καὶ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἀπήρξαντο τοῦ ναοῦ. καὶ ὁ μὲν ναὸς θᾶττον ελαβε τέλος· ἀπαρτισθέντος δ' ηδη τοῦ ἱεροῦ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ οἱ ̓Ασὰφ παῖδες υμνουν τὸν θεόν. τῶν δὲ πατριῶν οἱ πρε1.271 σβύτεροι τὸν πρὶν ναὸν ταῖς μνήμαις ἀναπολοῦντες, καὶ τὸν αρτι γεγενημένον ἐνδεέστερον ὁρῶντες τοῦ πάλαι, εἰς δάκρυα καὶ θρήνους προήγοντο, καὶ ἡ τούτων οἰμωγὴ ὑπερεφώνει τὴν τῶν σαλπίγγων ἠχήν. Προσίασι δ' οἱ Σαμαρεῖται τῷ Ζοροβάβελ ετι τοῦ ναοῦ ἀνεγειρομένου, ἀξιοῦντες συγκοινωνῆσαι αὐτοῖς τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ ναοῦ. ὁ δὲ τῆς μὲν οἰκοδομῆς αὐτοὺς μετασχεῖν οὐ προσήκατο, προσκυνεῖν δ' ἐν τῷ ναῷ