עזרא, פרק ז׳, פסוק ח׳

A long journey alongside a dedicated community finally draws to a close as Ezra and his followers reach their destination. After departing from Babylon on the first day of Nisan, the group travels for exactly four months, arriving in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, known as Av [רש״י]. Undertaking such a massive expedition during this specific season is a highly practical decision. The dry summer months provide clear roads without the hindrance of rain, making the demanding trek significantly easier to navigate [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The successful arrival in Jerusalem takes place during the seventh year of the king's reign. Commentators offer two distinct ways to understand how this specific year is calculated [מלבי״ם]. Based on the tradition of the Sages, the years of a king's rule are uniformly counted starting from the month of Nisan. Since the group arrived in Av, their arrival took place right in the middle of the king's seventh year. Alternatively, a more straightforward approach suggests that Persian kings measured their rule from the exact date of their coronation. According to this calculation, the king originally took the throne on the second day of the fifth month. Therefore, by arriving in Jerusalem on the first day of that same month, Ezra and his community completed their journey on the very last day of the king's seventh year, just one day before his eighth year officially began.