Apharsites
The Biblical Reference
The Apharsites appear in Ezra 4:9, listed among the various peoples who sent a letter to the Persian king Artaxerxes opposing the Jewish effort to rebuild Jerusalem's walls and temple. The letter was drafted by Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe, and it bore the names of multiple ethnic groups who had been settled in Samaria and the surrounding region. The Apharsites are named alongside the Tarpelites, Apharsathchites, and several other groups.
Opposition to the Rebuilding
The context of the Apharsites' mention is significant. After the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon under the decree of Cyrus, they began rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:8-10). However, the various peoples who had been settled in the region during the Assyrian and Babylonian periods viewed this reconstruction with suspicion and hostility. They wrote to the Persian king claiming that Jerusalem had a history of rebellion and that allowing its restoration would threaten Persian authority (Ezra 4:12-16).
This opposition successfully halted the rebuilding work for several years, until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to resume construction (Ezra 5:1-2). The temple was finally completed in 516 BC during the reign of Darius (Ezra 6:15).
Identifying the Apharsites
The identity of the Apharsites has been a subject of scholarly discussion. One prominent theory, advanced by the Assyriologist Henry Rawlinson, identifies them as Persians. He suggested that the Apharsites and the closely related Apharsathchites (Ezra 4:9; 5:6) are variant spellings of the same ethnic designation referring to Persian settlers. The Hebrew rendering of their name could plausibly represent a form of the word "Persian."
An alternative view connects the Apharsites to a Median tribe from the district of Parsua, mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions of Sennacherib. This identification places them among the diverse mountain peoples of the Zagros region whom the Assyrians relocated as part of their imperial population transfer policies.
The Assyrian Deportation Policy
The presence of so many diverse ethnic groups in Samaria was the direct result of Assyrian imperial strategy. Beginning with Sargon II's conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, the Assyrians systematically deported conquered populations and resettled them in distant territories. This policy, continued by later Assyrian kings including Ashurbanipal (referred to as "Asnappar" in Ezra 4:10), was designed to prevent rebellion by severing local loyalties and mixing populations.
Significance for the Biblical Narrative
The Apharsites represent just one thread in the complex tapestry of post-exilic opposition that the returning Jewish community faced. Their inclusion in the letter to Artaxerxes demonstrates how deeply entrenched the foreign settler communities had become in the land during the exile period. The conflict between the returnees and these settled peoples would continue to shape Jewish history through the time of Nehemiah and beyond.
Biblical Context
The Apharsites are mentioned in Ezra 4:9, within the letter sent to King Artaxerxes opposing the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The broader passage (Ezra 4:6-24) describes the various efforts by local populations to obstruct the Jewish restoration. The opposition is finally overcome through prophetic encouragement (Ezra 5:1-2) and royal authorization (Ezra 6:1-12).
Theological Significance
The opposition of the Apharsites and their allies to the rebuilding of Jerusalem illustrates a recurring biblical theme: the forces of the world resisting God's restorative work. Despite sustained political and legal opposition, God's purposes for His people and His temple were ultimately accomplished. This pattern encourages believers that divine purposes cannot be permanently thwarted by human opposition.
Historical Background
The Assyrian Empire practiced systematic deportation and resettlement of conquered peoples throughout the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Inscriptions of Sennacherib mention the district of Parsua in the Zagros mountains, which may be the homeland of the Apharsites. The Persian-period administrative correspondence preserved in Ezra reflects authentic bureaucratic practices of the Achaemenid Empire, where local complaints could be escalated to the royal court for adjudication.