Ezra records that enemies of the Jews wrote 'an accusation' against Judah and Jerusalem at the beginning of Xerxes' reign. The noun derives from the verbal root meaning to oppose or accuse, appearing here in political-legal usage. Ancient Near Eastern bureaucracy operated through written petitions and complaints, and this document represents official opposition to Jerusalem's restoration. The vocabulary anticipates the Satan figure's role as accuser in Job and Zechariah—prosecutorial opposition becomes personified.