The walls and ceiling of the entire hall were covered with plates of burnished gold, and the floor with purple carpets.

Before the silver gates lay winged bulls, and the king’s body-guard-their dress consisting of a gold cuirass under a purple overcoat, and the high Persian cap, their swords in golden scabbards glittering with jewels, and their lances ornamented with gold and silver apples, were stationed in the court of the palace.  Among them the band of the “Immortals” was easily to be distinguished by their stately forms and dauntless bearing.

Officers, whose duty consisted in announcing and presenting strangers, and who carried short ivory staves, led the deputies into the hall, and up to the throne, where they cast themselves on the ground as though they would kiss the earth, concealing their hands in the sleeves of their robes.  A cloth was bound over the mouth of every man before he was allowed to answer the king’s questions, lest the pure person of the king should be polluted by the breath of common men.

Cambyses’ severity or mildness towards the deputations with whose chiefs he spoke, was proportioned to the obedience of their province and the munificence of their tribute-offerings.  Near the end of the train appeared an embassy from the Jews, led by two grave men with sharply-cut features and long beards.  Cambyses called on them in a friendly tone to stop.

The first of these men was dressed in the fashion of the Babylonian aristocracy.  The other wore a purple robe woven without seam, trimmed with bells and tassels, and held in at the waist by a girdle of blue, red and white.  A blue garment was thrown over his shoulders and a little bag suspended around his neck containing the sacred lots, the Urim and Thummin, adorned with twelve precious stones set in gold, and bearing the names of the tribes of Israel.  The high-priest’s brow was grave and thoughtful.  A white cloth was wound round his head, the ends of which hung down to the shoulders.

“I rejoice to behold you once more, Belteshazzar,” exclaimed the king to the former of the two men.  “Since the death of my father you have not been seen at my gate.”

The man thus addressed bowed humbly and answered:  “The favor of the king rejoices his servant!  If it seem good unto thee, to cause the sun of thy favor to shine on me, thine unworthy servant, so hearken unto my petition for my nation, which thy great father caused to return unto the land of their fathers’ sepulchres.  This old man at my side, Joshua, the high-priest of our God, hath not feared the long journey to Babylon, that he might bring his request before thy face.  Let his speech be pleasing in thine ears and his words bring forth fruit in thine heart.”

“I foresee what ye desire of me,” cried the king.  “Am I wrong, priest, in supposing that your petition refers to the building of the temple in your native land?”

“Nothing can be hidden from the eyes of my lord,” answered the priest, bowing low.  “Thy servants in Jerusalem desire to behold the face of their ruler, and beseech thee by my mouth to visit the land of their fathers, and to grant them permission to set forward the work of the temple, concerning which thine illustrious father (the favor of our God rest upon him), made a decree.”