Darius I, King of Persia, claimed to have accomplished many deeds in the early years of his reign including rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. The books of Haggai and Zechariah and the Book of Ezra confirm this. The genealogical information contained in the book of Nehemiah, however, suggests otherwise. The Origins of the 'Second' Temple presents a ground-breaking study which re-dates the temple to the reign of Artaxerxes I. The book argues that the editor of Haggai and Zechariah mistakenly set the rebuilding under Darius I because he was influenced by Darius' widely circulated autobiography of his rise to power and by a desire to show the fulfilment of inherited prophecy. Artaxerxes I instituted a plan to incorporate Yehud into the Persian road, postal, and military systems and the rebuilding of the temple was a minor part of this plan. The temple was rebuilt to provide soldiers stationed in the fortress in Jerusalem and civilians living in the new provincial seat with a place to worship their native god whilst also providing a place to store taxes and monies collected on behalf of the Persian administration.

"Edelman's book provides a major challenge to the scholarly consensus about the 'origins' of the Second Temple. It will stimulate much discussion.'"

Source: Review of Biblical Literature