The Book of Nehemiah is a pivotal part of the Old Testament.
It is an inspiring story of a man’s courage, faith, and dedication to his people.
When he heard about the plight of the Jews in Jerusalem, he was deeply affected and determined to help.
Despite the opposition of powerful enemies, Nehemiah persisted and successfully rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just fifty-two days.
I will explain in an easy-to-understand manner the "Book of Nehemiah" written about Nehemiah!
What is Book of Nehemiah?
In the 5th century BC, the Book of Nehemiah was written.
It is part of the Hebrew Bible and it is related to the Book of Ezra.
People wrote the book over a long period of time, ending in the Hellenistic era.
Nehemiah was a Jewish official in the court of the Persian king who helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile.
He was dedicated to following God's laws, which he wrote down in the Book of Nehemiah.
Summary of Book of Nehemiah
Nehemiah was a brave leader who helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
He also made sure the people followed the law of Moses.
He had to face a lot of opposition, but he still managed to make sure Jerusalem was safe.
Nehemiah was a man who worked for King Artaxerxes of Persia.
He learned that the wall of Jerusalem was destroyed, so he asked the King for permission to go and rebuild it.
He worked with the Jews to build the wall and faced opposition from people who did not want it built.
He also helped make sure the poor were not taken advantage of, and he made sure that everyone followed the law of Moses.
Finally, the wall was built, and Nehemiah celebrated with the people of Jerusalem.
Historical background of Book of Nehemiah
This book is about a man named Nehemiah who served an important role in the Achaemenid Empire in the 5th century BC.
He was a cup-bearer to the king, and the capital of the empire was Susa.
*A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table.
Nehemiah was sent to Jerusalem to help rebuild the city.
He faced many difficulties and faced opposition from other people, but he still managed to rebuild the walls and make the city better.
He also helped the Jewish community by making sure they followed the laws of Moses.
Textual history of Book of Nehemiah
In the 2nd century BC, "Book of Ezra" was written and translated into Greek.
This book included the deeds of both Ezra and Nehemiah.
Later, some people split up the book and separated the deeds of Ezra and Nehemiah into two different books.
In the 5th century, someone named Jerome rejected this split and kept the book as one, but other people kept the split.
In the 15th century, the split was made official in the Hebrew Bible.
Book of Nehemiah Composition and date
Ezra and Nehemiah were two books from a long time ago written by either Ezra or Nehemiah.
Nehemiah couldn't say he wrote it because he was not nice to people.
The Nehemiah Memorial is a book from the Bible that was combined with the Book of Ezra.
It is believed to have been written in the early 5th century BC, and then later combined with the book of Ezra around the 4th century BC.
It is made up of chapters following,
- 1-7
- 11-13
and contains lists and other information.
If you want to know more about Nehemiah who appears in the "Book of Nehemiah",
The Story of Nehemiah: A Leader for All Times
Nehemiah was a man who lived a long time ago and helped rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Let's find out more about Nehemiah from various books!
Please read this article.