3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Adonai?” And He said, “I am Yeshua whom you are persecuting,

IVP Commentary says, “Since Ezra’s group will be traveling without a military escort (compare Nehemiah’s entourage in Neh 2:9), the dangers of the road were a serious matter. Political forces were at work upsetting the balance in the western portions of Persia’s empire. Plus, an unarmed group, transporting large quantities of gold and silver, might have easily been picked apart by a determined band of outlaws.”