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Few dates in ancient chronology are as historically important to biblical studies as the beginning of Artaxerxes I Longimanus’s reign, because it anchors the starting point of Nehemiah’s mission to rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2). Scholars from Robert Anderson to Harold Hoehner have argued that the decree given to Nehemiah in the 20th year of Artaxerxes (444/445 BC) is the “starting gun” for Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy (Dan. 9:24–27). But how sure are we that Artaxerxes actually began his reign in 465 BC?

The evidence is not just strong — it is overwhelming, drawn from three independent streams:

1. Cuneiform tablets from Babylonian astronomy and business records.
2. Ptolemy’s Canon (a 2nd-century AD king list used for astronomy).
3. Greek historians such as Thucydides, Diodorus Siculus, and Ctesias.

1. The Assassination of Xerxes I in 465 BC

Ancient sources agree that Xerxes I (the father of Artaxerxes I) was assassinated in 465 BC.

• Diodorus Siculus (Library of History 11.69): reports Xerxes was killed in the palace by Artabanus, commander of the guard, in the year we identify as 465 BC.
• Ctesias (Persica, fragments 20–22): also records the conspiracy of Artabanus and the subsequent confusion before Artaxerxes secured the throne.
• Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War 1.137): indirectly confirms the timeline by noting political events in Greece and Persia that align with Xerxes’ death in 465 BC.

Thus, the transition from Xerxes to Artaxerxes can be securely placed in late summer 465 BC.

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2. Babylonian Cuneiform Tablets

The real “hard evidence” comes from astronomical diaries and business tablets unearthed in Babylon.

• Parker & Dubberstein (Babylonian Chronology, 1956) collated dated business tablets that explicitly mention “the accession year of Artaxerxes” immediately after “the last year of Xerxes.”
• These tablets show Xerxes’ last regnal year ending in July/August 465 BC.
• One key astronomical text (BM 32234) records lunar/planetary positions during Xerxes’ 21st year, aligning with October 479 BC – September 465 BC.
• Another set of tablets then immediately begins dating documents to Artaxerxes I’s “accession year,” starting in 465 BC.

This seamless transition in cuneiform records leaves no doubt: Xerxes died and Artaxerxes took power in 465 BC.

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3. Ptolemy’s Canon

The Almagest, written by Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century AD), contains the so-called Canon of Kings, a regnal list used by astronomers to calculate eclipses.

• It assigns 21 years to Xerxes I and then 41 years to Artaxerxes I.
• When tied to well-dated Babylonian astronomical events (e.g., eclipses), these regnal totals perfectly align with the cuneiform evidence.
• Thus, Ptolemy’s Canon independently confirms that Xerxes’ reign ended in 465 BC and Artaxerxes’ began the same year.

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4. Corroborating Greek Historians

• Thucydides (1.137–138): References the shift in Persian leadership as Athens consolidated the Delian League in the mid-460s BC.
• Diodorus (11.69): Pinpoints Xerxes’ assassination in 465 BC.
• Ctesias (Persica): Though less reliable in detail, corroborates the murder and succession struggle.

Together, the Greek historians agree in outline with the cuneiform and astronomical record: 465 BC is the year of transition.

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5. Why This Matters for Biblical Studies

Nehemiah 2:1 says:

“In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes…”

If Artaxerxes began in 465 BC, then his 20th year = 445/444 BC (depending on how accession years are reckoned). This is precisely the date used by scholars like Harold Hoehner (Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, 1977) to anchor Daniel’s prophecy:

• Start: Artaxerxes’ decree to Nehemiah (444 BC).
• 69 weeks (483 years of 360 days): lead to AD 32/33 — EXACTLY prophesying the time of Jesus’ death. The Bible shows objectively provable prophecy. It has an accuracy and precision not found in any other book. This includes religious texts or those from the likes of Nostradamus. This is one of the reasons I am still a Christian despite my decades of unfair suffering and incurable disease.

Without the solid 465 BC start date, this entire prophetic timeline would be uncertain. But because we have triple confirmation (cuneiform, Ptolemy’s Canon, Greek historians), the chronology is secure.

To conclude: The evidence converges on a single secure date: Artaxerxes I Longimanus began his reign in 465 BC. The Babylonian tablet BM 32234/LBAT 1419 records simply, “Abu (Month V) (day) 14(+x): Xerxes’ son killed him” (Sachs & Hunger, Astronomical Diaries, Vol. I, p. 18), corroborated by the solar eclipse of 5/6 June 465 (Huber 1982). Using Parker & Dubberstein’s conversion tables (Babylonian Chronology, p. 13), grounded in Ptolemy’s Canon and supported by cuneiform business texts, Month V in Xerxes’ 21st year translates to early August 465. Greek historians reinforce this chronology: Thucydides refers to Artaxerxes as having “recently come to the throne” (History of the Peloponnesian War 1.137), while Diodorus dates Xerxes’ assassination to the archon year 465/4 (Library of History 11.69). Though a minority have suggested 475 BC (e.g., Gertoux 2016; O’Maly 2018), close re-examination by Huber and others shows these readings misinterpret the tablet and calendar system. Thus, the mainstream scholarly consensus stands firm.

📚 Key Sources for Primary Evidence

• Parker, R.A. & Dubberstein, W.H. Babylonian Chronology 626 BC–AD 75. Brown University Press, 1956.
  • Provides tables converting Babylonian regnal years, lunar new moons, intercalary months, etc. Very useful for fixing dates like Xerxes’ death and Artaxerxes’ accession.
  • https://archive.org/details/saoc-24.-babylonian-chronology-626-b.-c.-a.-d.-45
• Sachs, A.J. & Hunger, H. Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia. Vienna, 1988–1996
• Ptolemy. Almagest, Book IV (Canon of Kings).
  • The king list used in the Almagest and elsewhere; crucial to verify regnal years durations; helps align Babylonian, Persian, Greek chronologies.
  • https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/ptolemys-canon/
• Diodorus Siculus. Library of History 11.69.
• Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War 1.137–138.
• Ctesias. Persica (fragments).
• “Astronomical Texts — BM 32234 (LBAT 1419)” (“The Jerusalem Book — Astronomy”)
  • Gives details about the eclipse observations in BM 32234, very helpful for matching the astronomical tablets to calendar years.
  • hhttps://www.jhalsey.com/jerusalem-book/standard/astro.html
• BM 32234 / LBAT 1419 (“Some Ghost Facts from Achaemenid Babylonian Texts”) by Matthew W. Stolper
  • Short article that draws attention to the eclipse data and death-date for Xerxes in that tablet. Good extract for the “death in early August 465 BC.”
  • https://archive.org/details/SomeGhostFactsFromAchaemenidBabylonianTexts/page/n1/mode/2up?utm=