[33] So also one can now compare the estimate taken of the Jews in Egypt in Jer. xliv. with the actual religious conditions which are known to have prevailed later at Elephantine, where a small Jewish colony worshipped Yahu (Yahweh) at their own temple (see E. Sachau, "Drei aram. Papyrusurkunde," in the _Abhandlungen_ of the Prussian Academy, Berlin, 1907). [34] Sargon had removed Babylonians into the land of Hatti (Syria and Palestine), and in 715 B.C. among the colonists were tribes apparently of desert origin (Tamud, Hayapa, &c.); other settlements are ascribed to Esar-haddon and perhaps Assur-bani-pal (Ezra iv. 2, 10). See for the evidence, A. E. Cowley, _Ency. Bib._, col. 4257; J. A. Montgomery, _The Samaritans_, pp. 46-57 (Philadelphia, 1907). [35] The growing recognition that the land was not depopulated after 586 is of fundamental significance for the criticism of "exilic" and "post-exilic" history. G. A. Smith thus sums up a discussion of the extent of the deportations: "... A large majority of the Jewish people remained on the land. This conclusion may startle us with our generally received notions of the whole nation as exiled. But there are facts which support it" (_Jerusalem_, ii. 268). [36] On the place of Palestine in Persian history see PERSIA: _History, ancient_, especially § 5 ii.; also ARTAXERXES; CAMBYSES; CYRUS; DARIUS, &c. [37] The evidence for Artaxerxes III., accepted by Ewald and others (see W. R. Smith, _Old Testament in Jewish Church_, p. 438 seq.; W. Judeich, _Kleinasiat. Stud._, p. 170; T. K. Cheyne, _Ency. Bib._, col. 2202; F. C. Kent, _Hist._ [1899], pp. 230 sqq.) has however been questioned by Willrich, _Judaica_, 35-39 (see Cheyne, _Ency. Bib._, col. 3941). The account of Josephus (above) raises several difficulties, especially the identity of Bagoses. It has been supposed that he has placed the record too late, and that this Bagoses is the Judaean governor who flourished about 408 B.C. (See p. 286, n. 3.) [38] Thus a decree of Darius I. takes the part of his subjects against the excessive zeal of the official Gadatas, and grants freedom of taxation and exemption from forced labour to those connected with a temple of Apollo in Asia Minor (_Bulletin de correspondance hellénique_, xiii. 529; E. Meyer, _Entstehung des Judenthums_, p. 19 seq.; cf. id. _Forschungen_, ii. 497). [39] In addition to this, the Egyptian story of the priest Uza-hor at the court of Cambyses and Darius reflects a policy of religious tolerance which illustrates the biblical account of Ezra and Nehemiah (Brugsch, _Gesch. Aeg._ pp. 784 sqq.; see Cheyne, _Jew. Relig. Life after the Exile_, pp. 40-43).