Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus)
Royal texts of the king of Esther, including the 'Daiva' inscription and the Gate of All Nations
Found 1935 — Erich F. Schmidt, Oriental Institute excavations at Persepolis (Daiva inscription slabs found 26 June 1935 in the Garrison Quarters; a missing fragment found by Ali Sami in 1957; a further copy at Pasargadae by David Stronach, 1961). Earlier Xerxes texts at Van and on the Persepolis buildings were copied by 19th-century travelers
Where Persepolis and other Persian royal sites (Iran)
Dates from 486–465 BCE · Achaemenid Persian · Reign of Ahasuerus (Esther); the accusation of Ezra 4:6
Now at Persepolis (in situ); XPh tablets in the National Museum of Iran, Tehran
Names a biblical person Ahasuerus (Xerxes), Darius
How Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) was found
Stone tablets of the 'Daiva' inscription (XPh) were found in Room 16 of the garrison quarters at Persepolis (three Old Persian, one Babylonian; an Elamite copy from Room 5). Xerxes' name also appears on the Gate of All Nations, the so-called Harem building and a cliff niche at Van, Turkey.
What it is
Trilingual (Old Persian, Elamite, Babylonian) inscriptions in Xerxes' name. The Daiva inscription lists the peoples of the empire, boasts that Xerxes destroyed a sanctuary of 'daivas' (false gods), and calls on the reader to worship Ahura Mazda.
Why it matters for the Bible
Xerxes is the Ahasuerus of Esther and the king to whom accusations against Jerusalem were sent in Ezra 4:6. His inscriptions show a real king ruling 'from India to Cush' in the words of Esther 1:1 (the Daiva list runs from Hindush to Kush), his taste for enormous building projects, and a religious policy harsher than his father's. They give the historical frame for Esther but say nothing about Esther, Mordecai or Haman.
The Hebrew word: ah-chash-vay-ROSH
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ
אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ is pronounced ah-chash-vay-ROSH and means Ahasuerus, the Hebrew form of Xerxes (Strong's H325).
People this discovery connects to
- Ahasuerus (Xerxes) — אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ (ah-chash-vay-ROSH) — Persian Khshayarsha, 'ruling over heroes'
Places
- India to Cush — מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ (may-HO-doo ve-ahd-KOOSH) — from India to Ethiopia, the span of the empire
Events
Reign of Xerxes I · Accusation against Judah at the start of his reign (Ezra 4:6)
Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) in Scripture
Esther 1:1 Ahasuerus reigns over 127 provinces from India to Cush; Xerxes' own list of subject lands runs from Hindush to Kush. (First mention of Ahasuerus.)
Esther 3:8 Haman calls the Jews a people with different laws; Xerxes' Daiva text shows his hostility to cults he disapproved of.
Ezra 4:6 In the reign of Ahasuerus an accusation was written against Judah and Jerusalem.
Questions people ask
What is Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus)?
Trilingual (Old Persian, Elamite, Babylonian) inscriptions in Xerxes' name. The Daiva inscription lists the peoples of the empire, boasts that Xerxes destroyed a sanctuary of 'daivas' (false gods), and calls on the reader to worship Ahura Mazda.
When was Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) discovered?
It was found in 1935 by Erich F. Schmidt, Oriental Institute excavations at Persepolis (Daiva inscription slabs found 26 June 1935 in the Garrison Quarters; a missing fragment found by Ali Sami in 1957; a further copy at Pasargadae by David Stronach, 1961). Earlier Xerxes texts at Van and on the Persepolis buildings were copied by 19th-century travelers, at Persepolis and other Persian royal sites.
Where is Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) today?
Persepolis (in situ); XPh tablets in the National Museum of Iran, Tehran.
Which Bible verses does Inscriptions of Xerxes (Ahasuerus) relate to?
Esther 1:1, Esther 3:8, Ezra 4:6.
Related discoveries
- בִּירָהPalace of Darius at Susa (Shushan)The royal citadel where the book of Esther is set, with its Apadana and garden court
- אַחְמְתָאEcbatana (Hamadan) and the Tomb of Esther and MordecaiThe Median capital where Cyrus's decree was found, and Iran's shrine to the heroes of Purim
- פַּתְבַּגPersepolis Fortification TabletsTens of thousands of ration records from the heart of Darius's empire
Sources
- Wikipedia: Xerxes I
- Livius.org: XPh (Daiva inscription)
- Abdi, 'The Daiva Inscription Revisited' (2007)
- Livius.org: Persepolis, Inscription XPh (National Museum, Tehran)
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