What does the "twentieth year" come from in this text?

Question

Nehemiah 1:1 ....in the 20th year...of what?

Answer 1

in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, Artaxerxes was the step Son of Esther and ruler of Persia.

Answer 2

III. Nehe 1:1 (NKJV) The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, (November — December) [in] the twentieth year, (of King Artaxerxes — 445 BC)

http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/comm_read.pl?book=Neh&chapter=1&verse=1&Comm=Comm%2Fjohn_brown%2FNeh%2Fnehemiah1.html%231@@@@@4%26%7BJohn+Brown%26&Select.x=20&Select.y=9

Answer 3

I'll try to explain this the best way I can:

This was in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes(Longimano) (2:1). Since in this story first it is mentioned the month of Kislev (November - December) and then the month of Nisán (March - April), it seems that the Persian kings were counting every year of his autumn reign to autumn, although also it is possible that they were counting it from the moment in which they were amounting to the throne. Both the historical reliable evidence and the fulfillment of certain Biblical predictions point out that the month of Nisán of the twenties of Artaxerxes it corresponded to that of the year 455 to. of the E.C. So that Nehemías began his history in the autumn of 456 to. of the E.C., and the decree of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem was expressed in the spring of 455 to. of the E.C.

Answer 4

The text goes on to describe the captivity of Isreal so I would say it was the twentieth year since the begining of the captivity.

Answer 5

Refers to the reign of King Artaxerxes. @0th year of Artaxerxes reign.