Ezra and Nehemiah, books of
- Ezra and Nehemiah, books of
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also spelled Esdras and Nehemias,
two Old Testament books that together with the books of Chronicles formed a single history of Israel from the time of Adam. Ezra and Nehemiah are a single book in the Jewish canon. Roman Catholics long associated the two, calling the second “Esdras alias Nehemias” in the Douay-Confraternity. Later works, e.g., the Jerusalem Bible, maintain separate identities but associate the books. Protestants treat them separately.
The connection of Ezra–Nehemiah with I and II Chronicles is clear from the repetition of the closing verses of II Chronicles in the opening verses of Ezra. The uniformity of language, style, and ideas of the two books and Chronicles mark the entire work as the product of a single author, known as the Chronicler. He belongs to a period after the Babylonian Exile, probably about 350–300 BC.
Ezra 1–6 treats the return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. The work of Ezra and Nehemiah in reconstituting the life of the people following the Exile is told in Ezra 7–Nehemiah 13. Textual dislocations raise a question about the chronological sequence of Ezra and Nehemiah to which there is no solid answer.
The activity recounted in Ezra 7 to Nehemiah 13 represents the Chronicler's view of how the life of his people should be organized in the postexilic period with a religious revival in conformity with Mosaic laws.
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Universalium.
2010.
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EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, BOOKS OF — EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, BOOKS OF, two books in the Hagiographa (i.e., the Book of Ezra and the Book of Nehemiah), which were originally a single work. The Masoretic tradition regarded the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one book and referred to it as… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Operation Ezra and Nehemiah — From 1950 to 1952, Operation Ezra and Nehemiah airlifted between 120,000 to 130,000 Iraqi Jews to Israel[1][2] via Iran and Cyprus. The massive emigration of Iraqi Jews was among the most climactic events of Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim… … Wikipedia
Ezra — /ez reuh/, n. 1. a Jewish scribe and prophet of the 5th century B.C., who with Nehemiah led the revival of Judaism in Palestine. 2. a book of the Bible bearing his name. Abbr.: Ezr. 3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning help. * * *… … Universalium
EZRA — (Heb. עֶזְרָא; (YHWH) helps ), priest and scribe who played a major role in the rebuilding of the Temple, after the return from the Babylonian exile. The Man and His Mission Ezra whose name means help (possibly a shortened form for עֲזַרְיָה The… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Ezra — For other uses, see Ezra (disambiguation). Ezra from Guillaume Rouillé s Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum … Wikipedia
Nehemiah — For other uses, see Nehemiah (disambiguation). Nehemiah (pronounced /ˌniːəˈmaɪə/ or /ˌniːhəˈmaɪə/; נְחֶמְיָה, Comforted of/is the LORD (YHWH), Standard Hebrew Nəḥemya, Tiberian Hebrew Nəḥemyāh) is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which … Wikipedia
Ezra, book of — The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were a unity in the Hebrew and the LXX. But in the Latin Vulgate the books are separated and called Esdras (the Greek form of Ezra) Ⅰ and Esdras Ⅱ. Much of the book of Ezra also appears in a book of the Apocrypha… … Dictionary of the Bible
Ezra-Nehemiah — The books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible are often thought to constitute a unity. William Dumbrell notes that their common authorship is generally accepted. [William J. Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel . 2nd ed., 2002. p. 311.] H. G. M.… … Wikipedia
Books of the Bible — ▪ Table Books of the Bible Jewish canon Christian canon Protestant canon (Revised Standard Version [RSV]) Roman Catholic canon (Douai Confraternity versions) Torah ( The Law ) Old Testament Genesis Genesis; or, The First Book of Moses The Book of … Universalium
Ezra — (fl. 5th cent BCE) Israelite prophet. He served as a scribe in the Persian government. Later he received permission from Artaxerxes I to lead the Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem. Together with Nehemiah, he persuaded the people to return to the … Dictionary of Jewish Biography
