the last books of Old Testament history—Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Ezra went to Jerusalem in 458 BC, and Nehemiah was in Jerusalem from 445–433 BC.3 Esther was written sometime after the death of Xerxes I (a.k.a. Ahasuerus) in 465 BC, and a date during the reign of Artaxerxes I (464–423 BC) is probable.
