Artabanus - for 6 months
Artaxerxes "Macrocheir" - for 41 years
In his reign lived Ezra, the sacred scribe of the Hebrews, who is said to have memorised the whole of Holy Scripture, and who transmitted it to the Jews in the new Hebrew script, because they were living in enemy lands. Nehemiah the head cupbearer also lived at this time; with the approval of the king, he returned to Judaea [p127] and rebuilt Jerusalem, and surrounded the city with a wall; for up until then the city had been deserted, except for the temple which was rebuilt under Dareius. After Artaxerxes there were the following kings of the Persians:
Xerxes the second - for 2 months
Sogdianus - for 6 months
Dareius "Nothus" - for 19 years
Artaxerxes "Mnemon" - for 40 years
Artaxerxes, also called Ochus - for 26 years
Arses the son of Ochus - for 4 years
Dareius the son of Arsames - for 6 years
Alexander, the king of the Macedonians, killed Dareius and ruled over the Persian empire for 6 years; he had ruled over the land for 6 years before killing Dareius.
The empire of the Persians lasted for 234 years. Beginning in the 55th Olympiad [560-557 B.C.] , it ended in the 113th Olympiad [328-325 B.C.] . And from the second year of Dareius until the death of Alexander, who died in the first year of the 114th Olympiad [324 B.C.] , is 197 years.
After the death of Alexander, there were the following kings of Egypt and Alexandria:
1. Ptolemaeus the son of Lagus - for 40 years
2. Ptolemaeus Philadelphus - for 38 years
3. Ptolemaeus Euergetes - for 24 years
4. Ptolemaeus Philopator - for 21 years
5. Ptolemaeus Epiphanes - for 22 years
6. Ptolemaeus Philometor - for 34 years
In his time, Antiochus Epiphanes was king of Syria; and in Antiochus' reign occurred the events which [are related] in the books of Maccabees. These books tell how Antiochus tried to convert the Jews to Greek customs; he defiled the temple by putting up sacred images there, and carried off the sacred vessels of the temple in the 151st Olympiad [176-173 B.C.] .
So from the death of Alexander of Macedonia to the first year of Antiochus Epiphanes, is 150 years. And from the second year of Dareius until Antiochus, is 347 years.
In the reign of Antiochus, Mattathias the son of Asamonaeus [p129] showed great devotion to his country's religion, and became leader of the Jews. After his death, his son Judas Maccabaeus [became leader]; and after him, his brother Jonathan [was leader]; and after him, his brother Simon [was leader].
The account of the book of Maccabees ends in the reign of Simon; it covers a period of 40 years, up until the end of the 161st Olympiad [136-133 B.C.] . And from this time until Augustus the Roman emperor, is 88 years.
After Simon, according to Africanus and Josephus, Jonathan, also called Hyrcanus, was leader of the Jews for 26 years. After him, Aristobulus [was leader] for one year. Aristobulus was the first to wear the royal diadem, acting as king and high priest of the Jewish race; this was 484 years after the Babylonian captivity. After him, Alexander, also called Jannaeus, was king for 25 years. After him, his widow Alexandra, also called Sallina, [was queen] for 9 years. And after her, Aristobulus and Hyrcanus [were kings]. In their reign, Pompeius the Roman general forced the Jews to pay tribute to the Romans. He set up Hyrcanus as their king, but led off Aristobulus as a prisoner to Rome.
In Hyrcanus' reign, in the (?) 184th Olympiad [44 B.C.] , Julius Caesar became emperor of the Romans, for 4 years and 7 months. And after him, Augustus (Sebastos in Greek) was emperor for 56 years and 6 months. In his reign, Herodes was the first foreigner to be made king of the Jews by the Romans; his family came from Ascalon, and he had no right to the throne. In Herodes' reign, Christ the Son of God was born in Bethlehem of Judaea.