Ezra 7:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Artaxerxes during Ezra's journey from Babylon to Jerusalem is believed by Josephus to be Xerxes, the son of Darius, who succeeded him. Additionally, the books of Chronicles indicate that a descendant of this Xerxes is referred to as Artaxerxes. Darius, who presided over the construction of the temple, ruled for thirty-six years; following him, Xerxes governed for twenty years; Artabanus then reigned for seven months, although historians often count this as a year; and after Artabanus, Artaxerxes ruled for forty years.