Session 5. Leader comments
1. The renaming helps to blend the Apocrypha into the Scriptures, and lends credibility to the book of 1 Esdras. (3 Esdras in the Septuagint.) Note that, strangely, this book is placed before the other two in the Septuagint.
2. Seventy Years
3. The Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus.
4. the original decree of Cyrus was found which commanded that the Temple be rebuilt.
5. This seems very unlikely. If they were held in such esteem, it is likely that their position would have been more than bodyguards.
6. This also seems preposterous.
7. In the Bible, wine is shown to be strongly negative in it's effect. In 1 Esdras, wine is viewed as being in a position of power. These are entirely different connotations.
8. Perhaps the second guardsman feels that the King will be more disposed to accepting his argument since, after all, he is the King. Note some differences in emphasis, one toward accumulation of wealth and comfort, vs. one of hardship and irresponsibility in 1 Esdras.
9. There certainly are. Some take a lifetime to learn!
11. The bible teaches that the resumption of work on the Temple was instigated due to the finding of the original decree of Cryus. However, 1 Esdras teaches that it was a result of a reward to one of King Darius' bodyguards.
12. It was an interesting story, but should be regarded as fiction since it contradicts the Bible.