Editing Artaxerxes II (section)

==Identification==
The Jewish [[Johanan (High Priest)|high priest Johanan]] is mentioned in the [[Johanan (High Priest)#Archaeology|Elephantine papyri]]<ref>Pritchard, James B. ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Princeton University Press, third edition with supplement 1969, {{ISBN|978-0-691-03503-1}}, p. 492</ref><ref>Bezalel Porten (Author), J. J. Farber (Author), C. J. F. Martin (Author), G. Vittmann (Author), The Elephantine Papyri in English (Documenta Et Monumenta Orientis Antiqui, book 22), Koninklijke Brill NV, The Netherlands, 1996, {{ISBN|978-1-58983-628-0}}, p 125-153.</ref> dated to 407 BC, i.e., during [[Darius II]]'s reign, and is also mentioned in [[Ezra#Timeline|Ezra]] [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezra+6%3A10&version=KJV 6:10] after the reign of Darius ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+6%3A1&version=KJV Ezra 6:1]) and during the rule of Artaxerxes ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezra+7%3A1&version=KJV Ezra 7:1]), thereby supporting the chronological sequence.

[[Ahasuerus#Historical identification|Amongst others]], it has been suggested that Artaxerxes II was the [[Ahasuerus]] mentioned in the [[Book of Esther]]. [[Plutarch]] in his ''Lives'' (AD 75) records alternative names ''Oarses'' and ''Arsicas'' for Artaxerxes II Mnemon given by [[Deinon]] (c. 360–340 BC<ref>{{Encyclopædia Iranica Online | first=Wolfgang | last=Felix | date=November 28, 2011 | orig-date=1995 | article=Dinon | volume=7 | fascicle=4 | pages=419-420}}</ref>) and [[Ctesias]] (Artexerxes II's physician<ref>Jona Lendering, ''Ctesias of Cnidus'', Livius, Articles on Ancient History, 1996–2008</ref>) respectively.<ref>John Dryden, Arthur Hugh Clough, ''Plutarch's Lives'', Little, Brown and Company, 1885</ref> These derive from the Persian name ''Khshayarsha'' as do "Ahasuerus" ("(Arta)Xerxes") and the [[hypocoristicon]] "Arshu" for Artaxerxes II found on a contemporary inscription (''LBAT'' 162{{sfn|Dandamaev|1989}}). These sources thus arguably identify Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes II in light of the names used in the Hebrew and Greek sources and accords with the contextual information from Pseudo-Hecataeus and [[Berossus]]<ref name="Hosch">Jacob Hoschander, ''The Book of Esther in the Light of History'', Oxford University Press, 1923</ref> as well as agreeing with Al-Tabari and Masudi's placement of events. The 13th century Syriac historian [[Bar-Hebraeus]] in his ''Chronography'', also identifies Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes II citing the sixth century AD historian [[John of Ephesus]].<ref>E. A. W. Budge, ''The Chronography of Bar Hebraeus'', Gorgias Press LLC, reprinted 2003</ref><ref>Jan Jacob van Ginkel, ''John of Ephesus. A Monophysite Historian in Sixth-century Byzantium'', Groningen, 1995</ref>