Jo’s Place

Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem Early in the spring, following Nehemiah’s brother’s news, about the poor state of Jerusalem, …in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, Nehemiah was serving the king his wine.  He had never before appeared sad, in the king’s presence.  So the king asked Nehemiah,  “Why are you looking so sad?  You don’t look sick to me.  You must be deeply troubled.” Then Nehemiah was terrified, but he replied,  “Long live the king!  How can I not be sad?  For the city, where my ancestors are buried, is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed, by fire.” The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer, to the God, of heaven, Nehemiah replied,  “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah, to rebuild the city, where my ancestors are buried.” The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked,  “How long will you be gone?  When will you return?”  After I told him how long I would be gone, t

Nehemiah is Concerned for Jerusalem Now, these are the memoirs of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa.  Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me, with some other men, who had just arrived, from Judah.  I asked them, about the Jews, who had returned there, from captivity, and about how things were going, in Jerusalem. They said to me,  “Things are not going well, for those who returned, to the province of Judah.  They are in great trouble, and disgrace.  The wall, of Jerusalem, has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed, by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept.  In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed, to the God, of heaven.  Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant, of unfailing love, with those, who love Him, and obey His commands, …listen to my prayer!  Look down, and see me praying… night and

Ezra and Nehemiah   The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are the only completely historical books in the  third section  of the Hebrew Bible (the Writings).  In English Bibles, they are usually split into two books, with the book of Nehemiah appearing as a separate book from Ezra, but in the Hebrew tradition, they are one book, entitled “Ezra,” …and Nehemiah is simply the second part of Ezra.  Parts of Ezra are written in Aramaic, which was the common language of the Middle East at the time (the time of Ezra and Daniel, whose book is also partly in Aramaic, and are the only books of the Hebrew Bible that are not completely in Hebrew).  Ezra is chronologically the last historical book in the Hebrew Bible, covering the end of the sixth and the beginning of the fifth centuries B.C.  It tells the narrative of the return of the Israelites to Zion. At the end of the sixth century B.C., the kingdom of Judah was dismantled by the Babylonian empire.  Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and thous