You will find a new section on our website this month: Bible Overview. It encompasses all of our Bible related articles - in one site. Bible Overview now includes what used to be Bible Forum as well as Bible Characters, Questions and Answers (formerly called I Want To Know), the Bible Time-Line, and Bible Study information. We expect this new organization to be a helpful streamlining of all our Bible research materials and hope it helps you navigate more easily.

Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book(s) of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chapin Chaignot. This month's entry is Ezra-Nehemiah, which essentially brings Israel's history full circle. Even though these are separate books, most scholars consider them to be a unified story. They document the return to Jerusalem after the exile. They start where II Chronicles ended - with a statement that the King of Persia was commissioned to build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, God, of heaven. He encouraged people to return to do just that and sent all the treasures taken from the original temple along with them. If some of you want to read the history previous to this event, you can refer to our archives where you will find the previous books as well as information on some of the main characters of this time period. The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference tool for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible Study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.

Bible Overview

• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Esther

Ezra-Nehemiah

Although we think of these as two distinct books - one being Ezra and the other being Nehemiah - they were regarded as one literary unit throughout antiquity. The first known separation of them comes around the time of Origen, ca 184-254 C.E. Typically, Ezra is believed to predate Nehemiah by about 13 years, although both focus on the restoration of Judah. Not all scholars agree with this chronology. Some think Nehemiah predated Ezra; others think their ministries did not overlap at all. Various arguments are set forth to validate each position, but in the absence of new data, they remain inconclusive.

For our purposes, we will examine the books in the order in which they were written. Namely, we will follow the theory that Ezra began his ministry in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes (458BCE) and Nehemiah appeared on the scene roughly 13 years later in 445BCE. Let us not forget that the date of the exile was 587 BCE. The children of Israel had been in captivity a long time. The edict from Cyrus (recorded at the end of II Chronicles and repeated at the beginning of Ezra) had been given in 538BCE, and a few Jews under Sheshbazzar had returned to Jerusalem. Supposedly, they had built a new altar and repaired at least the foundation of the temple. But the group encountered local resistance and was poorly equipped to deal with it. Their work faltered. In 522BCE, another group of Jewish reformers set out for Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua. They were successful in their efforts to rebuild and rededicate the temple.

This was a momentous event for the Jewish people. The temple served many important functions. Among them was the fact that it provided the means for atonement of sins. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and atoned for the sins of the people, the people believed those sins had been forgiven. After that ceremony, everyone in the community started with a fresh slate. In the years preceding the exile, the prophets had continually warned about the dangers of having this practice become routinized and perfunctory. Nonetheless, the people were confident that atonement wiped out their sins -- and any consequences that might have been attached to them. When the temple was destroyed, this benefit was destroyed as well. With the restoration of the temple, the priests were able to resume their atonement practices, and the religious organization was again intact.

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe life in Jerusalem approximately 60 years after the time of Zerubbabel. At this point, the people were once again taking lambs to the altar, but living in a way that did not reflect the religious principles they were meant to uphold. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, with their heavy emphasis on the law, are intended to counteract this mechanical and perfunctory aspect of the atonement system. Leading by example, these men had a personal relationship with the Lord through prayer that was reflected in their everyday lives. They also put a heavy stress on the covenantal relationship and the expectations that came with it. They proclaimed the continuity of the covenant; it continued to be binding. But Ezra and Nehemiah were also practical leaders. They could see the inherent dangers of syncretism, which means the Hebrews were adapting to the local cultures and taking on many of their customs, including religious ones.

In reality, most of the Jews were very poor at this stage of the restoration. They had to interact with the surrounding peoples for business, and were perhaps even dependent upon them. In order to live peacefully with these peoples, certain practices had to be adopted and such familiarity eventually began to result in the practice of intermarriage. But it is here that Ezra and Nehemiah drew a hard line. This had nothing to do with purity of blood; it had everything to do with purity of the religion. As bearers of God's revelation, the people could not allow their orthodoxy to be jeopardized by foreign influences. This is the basis for Ezra and Nehemiah's ministries.

Like so many previous writers, Ezra and Nehemiah saw everything through the God of history. His will shaped and determined all human affairs. The nation's prosperity (or lack thereof) was a product of God's actions. In his sovereignty, God had acted through foreign kings to bring them to exile - and to restore them to the land. For their part, however, Ezra and Nehemiah stood in solidarity with the people - for good or bad. They accepted their responsibility alongside them, and prayed for God's grace and covenant love. In a very real sense, the implication of this newly awakened religious life was the beginning of modern Judaism.

There are four main sections in Ezra-Nehemiah: Ezra 1-6 - The Return under Zerubbabel; Ezra 7-10 - The Return under Ezra; Nehemiah 1-7 - The Return under Nehemiah; Nehemiah 8-13 - Renewal and Reform.

Bibliography

Allen, L, and T. Laniak, "Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther." New International Biblical      Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Press. 2003.

Alter, Robert and Frank Kermode. The Literary Guide to the Bible. Cambridge, MA:      Belknap Press. 1987.

Fensham, F. Charles. "The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah." The New International      Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans. 1982.

Holmgren, Fredrick Carlson. "Israel Alive Again." International Theological      Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans. 1987.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA:      Mercer University Press, 1995

McConville, J.G. "Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther." The Daily Study Bible Series.      Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1985.

Throntveit, Mark. "Ezra-Nehemiah." Interpretation. Atlanta: John Knox Press. 1989.