Zusammenfassung / Summary
The contest of king Darius’ bodyguards about what is to be considered as most powerful (1 Esdr 3-4) consists mainly of three addresses: the first arguing in favour of the power of wine, the second on the king and the third, Zerubbabel’s, on the might of women, but which surpasses all others is the might of truth. Zerubbabel’s speech on truth in 1 Esdr 4,34-41 is widely seen as a secondary addition to his first speech on the power of women (1 Esdr 4,13-32) and sometimes even suspected of being of non Jewish origin. This article argues that, firstly, Zerubbabel’s twofold address on women and truth forms a coherent whole and only in this combination makes a philosophical argument refuting the preceding speakers. And secondly, Zerubbabel talks about truth as e. g., the Qumran texts do. 1 Esdr, a composition of the 2nd century B. C., uses the concept of truth, quite like the Qumran dissidents do, as a polemical weapon against the “liars” of the Hasmonean establishment.