The "Esdras Chain" is the name typically given to the story found in 1 Esdras 3-4, an apocryphal book of the Bible (
online at Sacred Texts). It is also sometimes called "The Tale of the Three Guards" or "The Tale of the Three Guardsmen." You can find out more at Wikipedia about
1 Esdras, and there is also an article about
Zerubbabel.
The story has its own classification type:
ATU 2031A. The Esdras Chain. I've included a summary of William Hansen's notes on the story below.
Here is the story:
THE THREE GUARDS:
WHAT IS STRONGEST?
1 Now when Darius reigned, he made a great feast unto all his subjects, and unto all his household, and unto all the princes of Media and Persia,
2 And to all the governors and captains and lieutenants that were under him, from India unto Ethiopia, of an hundred twenty and seven provinces.
3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and being satisfied were gone home, then Darius the king went into his bedchamber, and slept, and soon after awaked.
4 Then three young men, that were of the guard that kept the king's body, spake one to another;
5 Let every one of us speak a sentence: he that shall overcome, and whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king Darius give great gifts, and great things in token of victory:
6 As, to be clothed in purple, to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with bridles of gold, and an headtire of fine linen, and a chain about his neck:
7 And he shall sit next to Darius because of his wisdom, and shall be called Darius his cousin.
8 And then every one wrote his sentence, sealed it, and laid it under king Darius his pillow;
9 And said that, when the king is risen, some will give him the writings; and of whose side the king and the three princes of Persia shall judge that his sentence is the wisest, to him shall the victory be given, as was appointed.
10 The first wrote, Wine is the strongest.
11 The second wrote, The king is strongest.
12 The third wrote, Women are strongest: but above all things Truth beareth away the victory.
13 Now when the king was risen up, they took their writings, and delivered them unto him, and so he read them:
14 And sending forth he called all the princes of Persia and Media, and the governors, and the captains, and the lieutenants, and the chief officers;
15 And sat him down in the royal seat of judgment; and the writings were read before them.
16 And he said, Call the young men, and they shall declare their own sentences. So they were called, and came in.
17 And he said unto them, Declare unto us your mind concerning the writings.
Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine;
18 And he said thus, O ye men, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it:
19 It maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich:
20 It turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt:
21 And it maketh every heart rich, so that a man remembereth neither king nor governor; and it maketh to speak all things by talents:
22 And when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw out swords:
23 But when they are from the wine, they remember not what they have done.
24 O ye men, is not wine the strongest, that enforceth to do thus? And when he had so spoken, he held his peace.
1 Then the second, that had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say,
2 O ye men, do not men excel in strength that bear rule over sea and land and all things in them?
3 But yet the king is more mighty: for he is lord of all these things, and hath dominion over them; and whatsoever he commandeth them they do.
4 If he bid them make war the one against the other, they do it: if he send them out against the enemies, they go, and break down mountains walls and towers.
5 They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king's commandment: if they get the victory, they bring all to the king, as well the spoil, as all things else.
6 Likewise for those that are no soldiers, and have not to do with wars, but use husbundry, when they have reaped again that which they had sown, they bring it to the king, and compel one another to pay tribute unto the king.
7 And yet he is but one man: if he command to kill, they kill; if he command to spare, they spare;
8 If he command to smite, they smite; if he command to make desolate, they make desolate; if he command to build, they build;
9 If he command to cut down, they cut down; if he command to plant, they plant.
10 So all his people and his armies obey him: furthermore he lieth down, he eateth and drinketh, and taketh his rest:
11 And these keep watch round about him, neither may any one depart, and do his own business, neither disobey they him in any thing.
12 O ye men, how should not the king be mightiest, when in such sort he is obeyed? And he held his tongue.
13 Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of the truth, (this was Zorobabel) began to speak.
14 O ye men, it is not the great king, nor the multitude of men, neither is it wine, that excelleth; who is it then that ruleth them, or hath the lordship over them? are they not women?
15 Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea and land.
16 Even of them came they: and they nourished them up that planted the vineyards, from whence the wine cometh.
17 These also make garments for men; these bring glory unto men; and without women cannot men be.
18 Yea, and if men have gathered together gold and silver, or any other goodly thing, do they not love a woman which is comely in favour and beauty?
19 And letting all those things go, do they not gape, and even with open mouth fix their eyes fast on her; and have not all men more desire unto her than unto silver or gold, or any goodly thing whatsoever?
20 A man leaveth his own father that brought him up, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife.
21 He sticketh not to spend his life with his wife. and remembereth neither father, nor mother, nor country.
22 By this also ye must know that women have dominion over you: do ye not labour and toil, and give and bring all to the woman?
23 Yea, a man taketh his sword, and goeth his way to rob and to steal, to sail upon the sea and upon rivers;
24 And looketh upon a lion, and goeth in the darkness; and when he hath stolen, spoiled, and robbed, he bringeth it to his love.
25 Wherefore a man loveth his wife better than father or mother.
26 Yea, many there be that have run out of their wits for women, and become servants for their sakes.
27 Many also have perished, have erred, and sinned, for women.
28 And now do ye not believe me? is not the king great in his power? do not all regions fear to touch him?
29 Yet did I see him and Apame the king's concubine, the daughter of the admirable Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king,
30 And taking the crown from the king's head, and setting it upon her own head; she also struck the king with her left hand.
31 And yet for all this the king gaped and gazed upon her with open mouth: if she laughed upon him, he laughed also: but if she took any displeasure at him, the king was fain to flatter, that she might be reconciled to him again.
32 O ye men, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?
33 Then the king and the princes looked one upon another: so he began to speak of the truth.
34 O ye men, are not women strong? great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day.
35 Is he not great that maketh these things? therefore great is the truth, and stronger than all things.
36 All the earth crieth upon the truth, and the heaven blesseth it: all works shake and tremble at it, and with it is no unrighteous thing.
37 Wine is wicked, the king is wicked, women are wicked, all the children of men are wicked, and such are all their wicked works; and there is no truth in them; in their unrighteousness also they shall perish.
38 As for the truth, it endureth, and is always strong; it liveth and conquereth for evermore.
39 With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth the things that are just, and refraineth from all unjust and wicked things; and all men do well like of her works.
40 Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength, kingdom, power, and majesty, of all ages. Blessed be the God of truth.
41 And with that he held his peace. And all the people then shouted, and said, Great is Truth, and mighty above all things.
42 Then said the king unto him, Ask what thou wilt more than is appointed in the writing, and we will give it thee, because thou art found wisest; and thou shalt sit next me, and shalt be called my cousin.
43 Then said he unto the king, Remember thy vow, which thou hast vowed to build Jerusalem, in the day when thou camest to thy kingdom,
44 And to send away all the vessels that were taken away out of Jerusalem, which Cyrus set apart, when he vowed to destroy Babylon, and to send them again thither.
45 Thou also hast vowed to build up the temple, which the Edomites burned when Judea was made desolate by the Chaldees.
46 And now, O lord the king, this is that which I require, and which I desire of thee, and this is the princely liberality proceeding from thyself: I desire therefore that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof with thine own mouth thou hast vowed to the King of heaven.
47 Then Darius the king stood up, and kissed him, and wrote letters for him unto all the treasurers and lieutenants and captains and governors, that they should safely convey on their way both him, and all those that go up with him to build Jerusalem.
48 He wrote letters also unto the lieutenants that were in Celosyria and Phenice, and unto them in Libanus, that they should bring cedar wood from Libanus unto Jerusalem, and that they should build the city with him.
49 Moreover he wrote for all the Jews that went out of his realm up into Jewry, concerning their freedom, that no officer, no ruler, no lieutenant, nor treasurer, should forcibly enter into their doors;
50 And that all the country which they hold should be free without tribute; and that the Edomites should give over the villages of the Jews which then they held:
51 Yea, that there should be yearly given twenty talents to the building of the temple, until the time that it were built;
52 And other ten talents yearly, to maintain the burnt offerings upon the altar every day, as they had a commandment to offer seventeen:
53 And that all they that went from Babylon to build the city should have free liberty, as well they as their posterity, and all the priests that went away.
54 He wrote also concerning. the charges, and the priests' vestments wherein they minister;
55 And likewise for the charges of the Levites, to be given them until the day that the house were finished, and Jerusalem builded up.
56 And he commanded to give to all that kept the city pensions and wages.
57 He sent away also all the vessels from Babylon, that Cyrus had set apart; and all that Cyrus had given in commandment, the same charged he also to be done, and sent unto Jerusalem.
58 Now when this young man was gone forth, he lifted up his face to heaven toward Jerusalem, and praised the King of heaven,
59 And said, From thee cometh victory, from thee cometh wisdom, and thine is the glory, and I am thy servant.
60 Blessed art thou, who hast given me wisdom: for to thee I give thanks, O Lord of our fathers.
61 And so he took the letters, and went out, and came unto Babylon, and told it all his brethren.
62 And they praised the God of their fathers, because he had given them freedom and liberty
63 To go up, and to build Jerusalem, and the temple which is called by his name: and they feasted with instruments of musick and gladness seven days.
NOTES from William Hansen
In his book Ariadne's Thread, William Hansen has a long discussion of this story type, pointing out that it does not work as a chain in the form in which we have it here; a chain would normally go A is strong, B is stronger than A, C is stronger than B, D is stronger than C, and so on, but that is not what we see here in the Biblical text where the argument does not adhere strictly to the chain. One helpful suggestion that Hansen makes is to see this as a five-part chain, adding "men" into the mix: wine - men - king - women - truth. But he points out that the bigger problem is the way the game is played: because the guards do not know what the others have written, they cannot craft their answers based on the answer of the guard before. He concludes: "we have the chain men-king-women which is framed on the one side by wine and on the other side by truth, neither of which gradates coherently with its neighbor."
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