Ãâó: http://archive.catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9409otg.asp
O l d T e s t a m e n t G u i d e
EZRA AND NEHEMIAH
By ANTONIO FUENTES
THESE two books cover a fifty-year period after the Babylonian
captivity. As we have seen, Cyrus, the king of Persia, in 538 B.C. issued an
edict allowing the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. These two books are named after
their main protagonists--Ezra, a priest, and Nehemiah, the king's governor. The
two books really form one, and the old Hebrew Bible grouped them both under the
title of "The Book of Ezra." The Vulgate established the division and
Daniel Bomberg's Hebrew edition of 1517 went along with this.
Although they are attributed to Ezra and Nehemiah, the final edition --that is,
the edition we have, which is the canonical version--is of a later date. It may
date from the time of Greek domination around the end of the fourth century B.C.
The reason for saying this is that the list of high priests given in Nehemiah
(12:11) ends with Joiada, who according to Flavius Josephus was contemporary
with Darius II Codomannus (336-330).
These books cover the main historical events subsequent to Cyrus' decree and
Nehemiah's second mission, particularly the religious restoration in Israel
after the exile. Cyrus had authorized the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding
of the Temple, which was in ruins after Nebuchadnezzar's invasion. Flavius
Josephus recounts how the Jews showed Cyrus the text of the prophecy of Isaiah
(44:28; 45:1) where Cyrus' name appeared and the king was so impressed that he
immediately decreed the return of the exiles. In the last analysis the Jews owed
their liberation to the special intervention of God, who guides all human
events; but he certainly availed of the Persians' preference for "the gods
of heaven" in fact, even official Persian documents identified Yahweh with
the supreme God, the God of heaven, whom the Persian kings adored and regarded
as their own.
Although the Jews returned immediately after the king's decree and started to
rebuild the Temple, the building works were soon stopped due to fierce
opposition from the Samaritans. What particularly rankled the Samaritans was
that they were not allowed to join in the building. The work was not re-started
until 520, under Darius I, and it was completed four years later thanks to the
intervention of Zerubbabel and the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra
6:14). However, although the Temple was finished, forty years passed without the
walls of Jerusalem being rebuilt--again due to Samaritan opposition.
Meanwhile, Ezra, a scribe skilled in the Law, who was in charge of Jewish
affairs at the Persian court, was authorized in 458 to undertake a journey to
Jerusalem. He arrived there in the same year in a Jewish caravan. King
Artaxerxes had empowered him to reestablish the Law of Moses in the new
community at Jerusalem; from then on the Mosaic Law is the King's Law. When they
reached the river Ahava (which has not been positively identified) they decided
to celebrate a feast to implore God's help and protection. On entering Jerusalem
Ezra visited the Jews but in applying the Mosaic Law he had to adopt severe
measures to deal with marriages of Jews with foreign women. The erring Jews
repented and promised to repudiate their wives. Judges were appointed to apply
Ezra's decree; the transgressors' names are listed in the book.
Seven months after this arrival Ezra solemnly promulgated the Law to the people.
They celebrated the feast of Tabernacles and a few days later did public penance
and confessed their sins (8:1-9, 37). Finally Ezra established a covenant to
which all the people subscribed (chap. 10).
Some years after these events--in 445--Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes' governor, was
aided by God to obtain royal permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and
the city itself. This was done despite the Samaritans' opposition and the city
was repopulated.
The king appointed Nehemiah governor of Jerusalem. Nehemiah took his role very
seriously; he administered the city very well and maintained a high level of
religious observance. Some years later, Nehemiah, on a second mission to
Jerusalem, tried to get the Levites to agree to an equitable distribution of
tithes and to ensure that the Jews kept the sabbath properly; he also upbraided
those who had foreign wives. Nehemiah ends with this invitation: "Remember
me, O my God, for good" (13:31).
When he comes to the end of his labors Nehemiah does not seek his own glory or
any human reward; instead he lifts his gaze to heaven and entreats God to
remember him and all he has done to promote the glory of God, in whom he places
all his trust.
Ezra and Nehemiah played a key part in the religious restoration of the Jewish
people after the exile. The land in which they lived was no longer politically
dependent; it was part of the Persian empire. The chosen people, the remnant,
could no longer say that they owned their country: The only property which was
absolutely their own is the Law of Yahweh, their God. Prayer had taught them
that they were the "faithful remnant," called upon to bring about the
religious restoration so vigorously fostered by the prophets. Haggai and
Zechariah managed to overcome the sloth of some and the human respect of others
and got them to take up the task again, but it was Ezra who most energetically
reminded them of their Alliance with Yahweh and exhorted them to be totally
faithful to it.
Thus, the people gradually began to adopt a new, more religious lifestyle. Even
daily life became imbued with greater optimism and hope, through meditation on
the Law, which Ezra recommended. They came to realize better what God's election
of them meant--holiness, an upright life, constant recourse to God; national
sovereignty no longer seemed to be a priority.
Certain institutions developed in this spiritual climate, institutions which may
have originated during the exile. The more important of these were the
synagogue, where the Law was read out and commented on and where the scribes
typically studied; and the Sanhedrin, which originally had a religious function
but which soon took over civil affairs, such as the administration of justice,
for which it became exclusively responsible.
Ezra and Nehemiah were the two men chosen by God to spearhead this religious
restoration. Ezra, in his eagerness for holiness, infected those around him with
his own optimism and brought the "remnant" of Israel to really commit
itself to its religion.
Nehemiah had the same kind of zeal, also directed towards getting the returned
exiles to aim at religious and moral purity. He put his trust fully in God and
yet showed understanding towards the weaknesses of people. He spared no effort
to improve the economic position of the Jews, who were very poor indeed in the
period immediately after their repatriation--as Sirach describes: "The
memory of Nehemiah also is lasting; he raised for us the walls that had fallen
and set up the gates and rebuilt our ruined homes" (49:13).
Antonio Fuentes teaches theology at the University of Navarre, Spain.
¡¡