Information about Nehemiah
Nehemiah or Nechemya (נְחֶמְיָה "Comforted of/is the LORD (YHWH)," Standard Hebrew Nəḥemya, Tiberian Hebrew Nəḥemyāh, /ˌniəˈmaɪə/) is a major figure in the post-exile history of the Jews as recorded in the Bible, and is believed to be the primary author of the Book of Nehemiah. He was the son of Hachaliah, (Neh. 1:1) and probably of the Tribe of Judah. His ancestors resided in Jerusalem before his service in Persia. (Neh. 2:3).
Primarily by means of his brother Hanani, (Neh. 1:2; 2:3) Nehemiah heard of the mournful and desolate condition of Jerusalem, and was filled with sadness of heart. For many days he fasted and mourned and prayed for the place of his fathers' sepulchres. At length the king observed his sadness of countenance and asked the reason of it. Nehemiah explained this to the king, and obtained his permission to go up to Jerusalem and there to act as tirshatha, or governor of Judea.[3]
He arrived in Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I, (445/444 BC)[3] with a strong escort supplied by the king, and with letters to all the pashas of the provinces through which he had to pass, as also to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, directing him to assist Nehemiah.
On his arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah began to survey the city secretly at night, and formed a plan for its restoration; a plan which he carried out with great skill and energy, so that the whole was completed in about six months.
He rebuilt the walls from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West corner, the Dung Gate in the South, the East Gate and the gate beneath the Golden Gate in the East.
He remained in Judea for thirteen years as governor, carrying out many reforms, despite the opposition that he encountered (Neh. 13:11). He built up the state on the old lines, "supplementing and completing the work of Ezra," and making all arrangements for the safety and good government of the city. At the close of this important period of his public life, he returned to Persia to the service of his royal master at Shushan or Ecbatana. Very soon after this the old corrupt state of things returned.
Some commentators believe that Malachi now appeared among the people with words of stern reproof and solemn warning;[5] and when Nehemiah again returned from Persia, (after an absence of some two years) he was grieved to see the widespread moral degeneracy that had taken place during his absence. He set himself with vigour to rectify the flagrant abuses that had sprung up, and restored the orderly administration of public worship and the outward observance of the Law of Moses. (Neh. 13:6-31)
Of his subsequent history we know nothing. Probably he remained at his post as governor till his death (about 413 BCE) in a good old age. The place of his death and burial is, however, unknown.
Nehemiah was the last of the governors sent out from the Persian court. Judea was annexed to the satrapy of Coele-Syria after this point, and was governed by the Syrian-appointed high priest.[2]
The reality of the 5th century BCE was that the Egyptian revolt[8] continued with an increasing Greek military presence. The security concerns of the Persian Empire required some strategic reforms, namely the refortification of Jerusalem and proper categorisation of people living within the Levant. Hence the rebuilding of the walls and the ban on inter-marriage. (Ezr. 10: 1-3, Neh. 13:23-25)
Malachi or Mal'achi (Hebrew: מַלְאָכִי, Standard
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Personal history
Nehemiah lived during the period when Judah was a province of the Persian Empire, (see also History of ancient Israel and Judah)[1] having been appointed royal cup-bearer at the palace of Shushan. The king, Artaxerxes I (Artaxerxes Longimanus), appears to have been on good terms with his attendant, as evidenced by the extended leave of absence granted him for the restoration of Jerusalem.[2]Primarily by means of his brother Hanani, (Neh. 1:2; 2:3) Nehemiah heard of the mournful and desolate condition of Jerusalem, and was filled with sadness of heart. For many days he fasted and mourned and prayed for the place of his fathers' sepulchres. At length the king observed his sadness of countenance and asked the reason of it. Nehemiah explained this to the king, and obtained his permission to go up to Jerusalem and there to act as tirshatha, or governor of Judea.[3]
He arrived in Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I, (445/444 BC)[3] with a strong escort supplied by the king, and with letters to all the pashas of the provinces through which he had to pass, as also to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, directing him to assist Nehemiah.
The rebuilding of Jerusalem
)
Nehemiah Rebuilding Jerusalem
On his arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah began to survey the city secretly at night, and formed a plan for its restoration; a plan which he carried out with great skill and energy, so that the whole was completed in about six months.
He rebuilt the walls from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West corner, the Dung Gate in the South, the East Gate and the gate beneath the Golden Gate in the East.
He remained in Judea for thirteen years as governor, carrying out many reforms, despite the opposition that he encountered (Neh. 13:11). He built up the state on the old lines, "supplementing and completing the work of Ezra," and making all arrangements for the safety and good government of the city. At the close of this important period of his public life, he returned to Persia to the service of his royal master at Shushan or Ecbatana. Very soon after this the old corrupt state of things returned.
Some commentators believe that Malachi now appeared among the people with words of stern reproof and solemn warning;[5] and when Nehemiah again returned from Persia, (after an absence of some two years) he was grieved to see the widespread moral degeneracy that had taken place during his absence. He set himself with vigour to rectify the flagrant abuses that had sprung up, and restored the orderly administration of public worship and the outward observance of the Law of Moses. (Neh. 13:6-31)
Of his subsequent history we know nothing. Probably he remained at his post as governor till his death (about 413 BCE) in a good old age. The place of his death and burial is, however, unknown.
Nehemiah was the last of the governors sent out from the Persian court. Judea was annexed to the satrapy of Coele-Syria after this point, and was governed by the Syrian-appointed high priest.[2]
The Book of Nehemiah
The book of Nehemiah puts the historical record of Nehemiah's mission in a theological context. Viewed from a political angle his actions were the result of the Persians' desire for increased security in the Levant and enhancement of Imperial control.[7]The reality of the 5th century BCE was that the Egyptian revolt[8] continued with an increasing Greek military presence. The security concerns of the Persian Empire required some strategic reforms, namely the refortification of Jerusalem and proper categorisation of people living within the Levant. Hence the rebuilding of the walls and the ban on inter-marriage. (Ezr. 10: 1-3, Neh. 13:23-25)
References
1. ^ Ackroyd, Peter R. (1968), Exile And Restoration, p. 141, SCM Press Ltd., Library of Congress Catalog card No. 68-27689
2. ^ Easton's Bible Dictionary, Entry: Nehemiah
3. ^ Blenkinsopp, Joseph (1988), Ezra-Nehemiah, A Commentary, pp. 212-213, 140, The Westminster Press, ISBN 0-664-21294-8
4. ^ Blenkinsopp, p. 140
5. ^ "The Book of Malachi," Introduction to the Books of the Bible from the NIV Study Bible
6. ^ Easton's Bible Dictionary, Entry: Nehemiah
7. ^ Entry: Persia at the Holman Bible Dictionary
8. ^ The Persians at the International World History Project
2. ^ Easton's Bible Dictionary, Entry: Nehemiah
3. ^ Blenkinsopp, Joseph (1988), Ezra-Nehemiah, A Commentary, pp. 212-213, 140, The Westminster Press, ISBN 0-664-21294-8
4. ^ Blenkinsopp, p. 140
5. ^ "The Book of Malachi," Introduction to the Books of the Bible from the NIV Study Bible
6. ^ Easton's Bible Dictionary, Entry: Nehemiah
7. ^ Entry: Persia at the Holman Bible Dictionary
8. ^ The Persians at the International World History Project
External links
- Nehemiah and the Edict of Artaxerxes initiating the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks
- Nehemiah in the Biblical Encyclopedia Tanakh Profiles (Hebrew/English) See also translations of names.
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Nehemiah
Yahweh is a proposed English reading of יהוה, the name of the God of Israel, as preserved in the original consonantal Hebrew Bible text. These four Hebrew letters [ i.e.
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The Babylonian captivity, or Babylonian exile, is the name generally given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar during the 6th Century BCE.
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Hachaliah was the father of Nehemiah, the author of the Book of Nehemiah, which is a book of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Tanakh and to Christians as the Old Testament. Hachaliah's name is mentioned at the beginning of the book.
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Tribe of Judah (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה, "Praise"; Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) was one of the Tribes of Israel.
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Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם , Yerushaláyim; Arabic:
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BCE Zayandeh River Civilization Sialk civilization 7500–1000 Jiroft civilization (Aratta) Proto-Elamite civilization Bactria-Margiana Complex Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Kingdom of Mannai Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire Seleucid Empire Greco-Bactrian
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Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew: מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard
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BCE Zayandeh River Civilization Sialk civilization 7500–1000 Jiroft civilization (Aratta) Proto-Elamite civilization Bactria-Margiana Complex Elamite dynasties 2800–550 Kingdom of Mannai Median Empire 728–550 Achaemenid Empire Seleucid Empire Greco-Bactrian
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history of Ancient Israel and Judah is known to us from classical sources including the Judaism's Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (known to Christianity as the Old Testament), the Talmud, the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast
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Susa (in Persian: شوش Shush) is a city in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It had an estimated population of 64,960 in 2005.[1]
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Artaxerxes I (Latin; Greek Ἀρταξέρξης; corruption of Old Persian ��������������[1] Artaxšacā
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Hanani was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. He was the father of Jehu.
of Judaism & Christianity in the Hebrew Bible
Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Aaron Miriam
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of Judaism & Christianity in the Hebrew Bible
Abraham Isaac Jacob Moses Aaron Miriam
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sepulcher, or sepulchre, is a type of tomb or burial chamber. In ancient Hebrew practice, it was carved into the rock of a hillside.
The word is sometimes confused with "sepulture", the act of burying a dead person.
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The word is sometimes confused with "sepulture", the act of burying a dead person.
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Judea or Judæa (Hebrew: יהודה, Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised, celebrated"; Greek: Ιουδαία; Latin: Iudaea
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Pasha, pacha or bashaw (Turkish: paşa) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors and generals.
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Asaph (Hebrew for "God has gathered") may refer to:
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Dung Gate (also known as Sha'ar Ha'ashpot, Gate of Silwan, Mograbi Gate) is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The gate is situated near the southeast corner of the old city, southwest of the Temple Mount.
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The gate is situated near the southeast corner of the old city, southwest of the Temple Mount.
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Golden Gate, as it is called in Christian literature, is the oldest of the current gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls. Jews used to pray for mercy at the gate, hence the name Sha'ar Harachamim, the Gate of Mercy.
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Ecbatana (Old Persian: Haŋgmatana, written Agbatana in Aeschylus, Agámtanu by Nabonidos, and Agamatanu at Behistun) (literally: the place of gathering) is supposed to be the capital of Astyages (Istuvegü
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For other uses, see Malachy.
Malachi or Mal'achi (Hebrew: מַלְאָכִי, Standard
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Moses (Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה, Standard
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5th century BC - 4th century BC
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- See also the related deity Satrapes.
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Coele-Syria, meaning 'hollow' Syria, was the region of southern Syria disputed between the Seleucid dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty. Strictly speaking, it is the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, but it is often used to cover the entire area south of the river Eleutherus including Judea.
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