Category:Nehemiah (subject)

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Nehemiah was a Jewish governor of Judah, appointed by the Persian king, during the Persian Period.

Overview

The Jewish Nehemiah was an important official (the "cupbearer") at the court of the Persian King "Artaxerses" (probably Artaxerses I). He was distressed at the situation in Jerusalem and appealed to the king, who sent him as governor in Judah.

Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem in the "twentieth year of Artaxerses" (445 BCE). His goal was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which he accomplished in spite of external and internal opposition. External opposition came primarily by the Samaritans and their leader Sanballat, the leader of a powerful dynasty of governors. Internal opposition was fueled by the remainees, led by the prophets and the Tobiads. Nehemiah succeeded in accomplishing his goal with the dedication of the walls.

After thirteenth years, Nehemiah went then back to Babylon, only to return for a second mandate some years later (possibly under Darius II). This time he had to confront again the influence of the Tobiads in the Temple, and a major crisis involving the marriage of a member of the Zadokite family with the daughter of Sanballat of Samaria.

Nehemiah's relationship with Ezra is uncertain. It is obviuos that the Nehemiah and the Ezra traditions developed autonomously. The first-person Memoirs of Nehemiah makes no reference to Ezra, as 1 Esdras makes no reference to Nehemiah. The early 2nd century Jewish author Ben Sira praises Nehemiah, but makes no mention of Ezra. The two traditions chronologically overlaps in Ezra-Nehemiah, but there is no real contact between the two characters, if not in harmonizing additions to the Nehemiah narrative (12:26,36). In Josephus Nehemiah came after the death of Ezra.

In Depth

• Nehemiah (sources) -- survey of ancient sources

• Nehemiah (arts) -- survey of fictional works

Related categories

• Ezra
• Ezra-Nehemiah

External links

• Wikipedia]