EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, BOOKS

OF. These books, which are the sequel to Chronicles, were originally regarded as one book in the Hebrew Canon; they are named respectively First and Second Esdras in the Vuigate, Second Esdras and Nehemiah in the LXX. Each may be divided into two parts. First part of Ezra (chaps. 1-6) relates return from exile under Zerubbabel, c. 536 B.C., and rebuilding of temple, c. 516 B.C.; second part (chaps. 7-10) deals with second return under Ezra, c. 457 B.C. First part of Nehemiah (chaps. 1-7) gives Nehemiah’s journey from Shushan, c. 144 B.C., and reconstruction of walls of Jerusalem; second part (chaps. 7 (v. 73b) to end) treats of restoration of Jewish religion and reform of various abuses. Written chiefly in Hebrew, with portions in Aramaic, books are a compilation; those parts written in first person may be ascribed to personal memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah respectively, while those in third person are by a later writer whom many authorities believe to have been the author of Chronicles. F, 6th letter of Eng. and Latin alphabet, deriving its form from the Greek digamma. F (1/3) f (1/3)