Nehemiah 11:22

ARTAXERXES SUPPORTED THE LEVITES

"The overseer also of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the business of the house of God. For there was a commandment from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers, as every day required. And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people."

Artaxerxes was indeed a friend of Israel; and here we find that he had allotted a regular payment for the Levites and singers. He had already exempted them from all tolls, tribute, custom and taxes of every kind (Ezra 7:24); and his cooperation with both Ezra and Nehemiah in all of the things done for the Chosen People is the sine qua non of everything in both of these Biblical books. "Now he had even gone further and assigned an allotment from the royal revenue for the support of the persons mentioned here."[12] It is also of interest that the king showed in this action a definite preference for the Levites, as compared with the priests. Artaxerxes was probably aware of the general corruption of the priesthood, a corruption that merited and received a curse from Almighty God Himself (Malachi 2:2) because of their detestable immorality. The king must have been aware that, if any prayers were to be offered for, "the king and his sons" (Ezra 6:10), the Levites, not the priests, would be the ones who did it.