Mithradates
Two Persian Officials Named Mithradates
The name Mithradates (or Mithredath in its Hebrew form) belonged to at least two different Persian officials who played roles in the biblical story of the Jewish return from Babylonian exile. The name itself is Persian, meaning "given by Mithra," referencing the Persian deity of light and covenant. Both men demonstrate how Persian imperial administration intersected with God's purposes for Israel.
Mithradates, Treasurer of Cyrus
The first Mithradates served as the royal treasurer of King Cyrus the Great of Persia. When Cyrus issued his famous decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple (538 BC), he also ordered the return of the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Solomon's Temple decades earlier. Mithradates was the official entrusted with this responsibility. He counted out the vessels and delivered them to Sheshbazzar (also called Sanabassar), the prince of Judah who led the first wave of returnees (Ezra 1:8; 1 Esdras 2:11).
The inventory included gold and silver dishes, knives, bowls, and other vessels totaling 5,400 items (Ezra 1:9-11). This careful accounting by a Persian official highlights the formal, documented nature of the return and the respect shown to the Jewish sacred objects.
Mithradates, Opponent of Jerusalem's Rebuilding
The second Mithradates was a commissioner stationed in Samaria who actively opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Along with other officials, he co-authored a letter to King Artaxerxes warning that Jerusalem had a history of rebellion and that allowing its reconstruction would threaten Persian interests in the region (Ezra 4:7; 1 Esdras 2:16). The letter was successful: Artaxerxes ordered the rebuilding to stop until he issued further instructions (Ezra 4:21-23).
This opposition delayed the restoration of Jerusalem and represents one of many obstacles the returning exiles faced. The irony is striking: one Mithradates facilitated the return of sacred vessels, while another Mithradates tried to prevent the rebuilding of the very temple those vessels were meant to furnish.
The Persian Context
Both Mithradates lived during the period of Persian dominance over the ancient Near East (539-332 BC). The Persian Empire's policy toward conquered peoples was generally tolerant, allowing subject nations to maintain their religious practices. Cyrus's decree permitting the Jewish return was consistent with this broader policy, as documented in the famous Cyrus Cylinder. However, local Persian officials sometimes had different priorities, and resistance from provincial administrators like the second Mithradates was a recurring challenge for the returning Jewish community.
Significance in the Restoration Story
The two Mithradates represent the mixed experience of the Jewish restoration. On one hand, the highest levels of Persian authority supported the return and provided the resources for rebuilding. On the other hand, local opposition created delays and discouragement. This tension between divine purpose working through imperial power and human resistance working against it characterizes the entire post-exilic period.
Biblical Context
The first Mithradates appears in Ezra 1:8 as Cyrus's treasurer who returned the temple vessels. The second appears in Ezra 4:7 as an opponent of Jerusalem's rebuilding. Both also appear in 1 Esdras (2:11 and 2:16 respectively). Their stories bracket the tension between Persian support and local opposition to the Jewish restoration.
Theological Significance
The two Mithradates illustrate how God works through human institutions to accomplish his purposes, even when individual actors within those institutions resist. The return of the temple vessels through the first Mithradates demonstrates God's faithfulness in restoring what was lost, while the opposition of the second shows that God's purposes advance despite human resistance.
Historical Background
The name Mithradates was common in the Persian world, derived from the deity Mithra. The most famous bearer of the name was Mithridates VI of Pontus, who fought Rome centuries later. Cyrus the Great's policy of returning sacred objects to conquered peoples is confirmed by the Cyrus Cylinder and other Persian records. The opposition from provincial officials reflects the complex administrative structure of the Persian Empire, where central policy and local implementation sometimes conflicted.