Book Of Ezra Background

The book of ezra records two separate time periods directly following the seventy years of babylonian captivity.

Book of ezra background. Ezra 1 6 covers 538 515 b c. Literary form and authorship. It is interesting to note that once ezra appears on the scene in chapter 7 the author of the book of ezra switches from writing in the third person to first person.

In translating the latin vulgate c. The book of ezra along with nehemiah provide for us all the history among the jews between 536 bc and 430 bc. Israel s struggles to resist foreign influences and to rebuild the temple are spotlighted in the book.

Ezra 1 6 covers the first return of jews from captivity led by zerubbabel a period of twenty three years beginning with the edict of cyrus of persia and ending at the rebuilding of the temple in jerusalem 538 515 bc. Knowing the background of a book often times sheds some light on it s meaning. Ezra 7 nehemiah 13 covers 458 433 b c.

The theme of ezra is faithfulness to the lord both in keeping the mosaic law and in worship. The book of ezra is a book of the hebrew bible. The accomplishments of ezra focuses on the period from 536 two 456 bc and nehemiah begins his mission in 445 bc with a detailed description of 12 years of events.

Which formerly included the book of nehemiah in a single book commonly distinguished in scholarship as ezra nehemiah the two became separated with the first printed rabbinic bibles of the early 16th century following late medieval latin christian tradition. The english translations by wycliffe 1382 and coverdale 1535 also called ezra i esdras and nehemiah ii esdras the same separation first appeared in a hebrew manuscript in 1448. The english translations by wycliffe 1382 and coverdale 1535 also called ezra i esdras and nehemiah ii esdras the same separation first appeared in a hebrew manuscript in 1448.

In translating the latin vulgate c. Because of his concern about worship ezra stresses the importance of rebuilding the temple. Composed in hebrew and aramaic its subject is the return to zion following the close.