Also Cyrus the king brought forth the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
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Bede
AD 735
In these words the great faith of the king and his great piety shine. His faith, certainly, because he understood that the people of Israel was the people of God before all nations. And his piety because without exception he allowed all who wanted to to go back to their homeland. And again his faith, because he testified that that same Lord God dwelled in heaven and was in Jerusalem and moved to Jerusalem together with all those who were coming back from Babylon. Is it not clearer than light that he conceived him not as a corporeal being that can be enclosed in a place but as a Spirit that is everywhere? Indeed Cyrus confessed that [God] was in Jerusalem and in the temple, without doubting that he also ruled the kingdom of heaven at the same time. So he believed that he reigned in heaven but was nevertheless on earth with his faithful, in order to direct their minds and hands to make the good works of salvation. In addition, all the words of this Scripture are fragrant with spiritual m...
Now after these words in the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, and so on until his genealogy is completed and it says, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest from the beginning - this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe swift in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God had given to Israel. This Artaxerxes, under whom Ezra came up from Babylon to Jerusalem, Josephus believes to be Xerxes son of Darius, who reigned after him. Moreover, the books of the chronicles hold that the successor of this same Xerxes, who also among them was called Artaxerxes, is designated here. Now Darius, under whom the temple was built, ruled thirty-six years; after him Xerxes ruled for twenty years; after him Artabanus ruled for seven months (which the chroniclers set down as a year); and after him Artaxerxes ruled for forty years.
