h priests were at the head of their affairs, until the posterity of
the Asamoneans set up kingly government; for before their captivity,
and the dissolution of their polity, they at first had kingly government
from Saul and David for five hundred and thirty-two years, six months,
and ten days; but before those kings, such rulers governed them as were
called judges and monarchs. Under this form of government they continued
for more than five hundred years after the death of Moses, and of Joshua
their commander. And this is the account I had to give of the Jews who
had been carried into captivity, but were delivered from it in the times
of Cyrus and Darius.

9. [7] But the Samaritans, being evil and enviously disposed to the
Jews, wrought them many mischiefs, by reliance on their riches, and by
their pretense that they were allied to the Persians, on account that
thence they came; and whatsoever it was that they were enjoined to pay
the Jews by the king's order out of their tributes for the sacrifices,
they would not pay it. They had also the governors favorable to them,
and assisting them for that purpose; nor did they spare to hurt them,
either by themselves or by others, as far as they were able. So the Jews
determined to send an embassage to king Darius, in favor of the people
of Jerusalem, and in order to accuse the Samaritans. The ambassadors
were Zorobabel, and four others of the rulers; and as soon as the king
knew from the ambassadors the accusations and complaints they brought
against the Samaritans, he gave them an epistle to be carried to the
governors and council of Samaria; the contents of which epistle were
these: "King Darius to Tanganas and Sambabas, the governors of the
Sainaritans, to Sadraces and Bobelo, and the rest of their fellow
servants that are in Samaria: Zorobabel, Ananias, and Mordecai, the
ambassadors of the Jews, complain of you, that you obstruct them in the
building of the temple, and do not supply them with the expenses which I
commanded you to do for the offering their sacrifices. My will therefore
is this, That upon the reading of this epistle, you supply them with
whatsoever they want for their sacrifices, and that out of the royal
treasury, of the tributes of Samaria, as the priest shall desire, that
they may not leave off offering their daily sacrifices, nor praying
to God for me and the Persians." And these were the contents of that
epistle.

CHAPTER 5. How Xerxes The Son Of