MS Encarta gives 444 BC as when Nehamiah was given permission by Artaxerxes to go to rebuild Jerusalem, others give 444 BC as well. The decree to restore Jerusalem is of interest in that it is mentioned in Daniel 9, before it had occurred, as something to watch for, that Daniel was told by an angel that it would happen, and that future events would be referenced to that decree. That decree to restore Jerusalem eventually occurred. At the time the decree went out, Jerusalem was in a shambles. There were some exiles allowed to return prior to Nehamiah, they were told they could rebuild the temple, but until Nehamiah's time, they were not allowed to actively rebuild Jerusalem. Nehamiah was told by Artaxerxes that he could return, that he could govern the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and that return is discussed in the Nehamiah verse set in the bible. In that verse set, it begins with Nehemiah describing that when he asked them about Jerusalem, that they replied the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates were burned by fire. Nehemiah then describes his asking God to help them, that God had told Moses that if they'd transgressed against him, he'd scatter them abroad, and if they returned to him and did his commandments, then even if they were scattered to incredible distances, God would bring them back. From there, Nehamiah went to ask Artaxerxes to help, the decree was given, and through Nehamiah's governership, the wall was rebuilt and Jerusalem restored. God heard Nehamiah's plea for help, and decades before that, heard Daniel's plea for help, of which, God said it would be a long time off in the future, but that it would occur, and as Nehamiah described, it eventually did. The timing of that rebuilding of Jerusalem is important, it was referenced in the Daniel verse set before it happened, given out by an angel that told Daniel that the timing of it occurring was to be used as an indicator for when the messiah would be CUT OFF (killed), not for himself, but for an end to sins. God made it all, Jesus died for our sins.
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