Book Of Ezra Background

The book of ezra recounts israel s final years of exile in babylon including accounts of two returning groups as they are restored to their homeland after 70 years in captivity.

Book of ezra background. Composed in hebrew and aramaic its subject is the return to zion following the close. So like the records of chronicles the accounts recorded in the first part of the book were gathered by the holy writer from other sources and written as a narration and not in the first person. The tradition is that the prophet ezra wrote the book of ezra.

This is the case for the book of ezra. 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. Ezra lived in the mid 5th century but his book begins with cyrus decree in 536 b c.

The theme of ezra is faithfulness to the lord both in keeping the mosaic law and in worship. The book of ezra records two separate time periods directly following the seventy years of babylonian captivity. Literary form and authorship.

Knowing the background of a book often times sheds some light on it s meaning. 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 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.

Israel s struggles to resist foreign influences and to rebuild the temple are spotlighted in the book. The book of ezra does not specifically name its author. 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.

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. Ezra 1 6 covers 538 515 b c.