Page 9 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

However, other commentaries suggest that Nehemiah is the author as he starts the book off by speaking in the
first person, The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. He continues to speak in the first person until 8:9, where
he switches to speaking in the third person, Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites
who were instructing the people, said to all of them. From this point on, Nehemiah refers to himself in the
third person. Therefore, based on the opening of Nehemiah, many believe that Nehemiah was the author and
switched to speaking in the third person intentionally. Those who hold to Ezra being the author believe that
Ezra was using memories from the writings of Nehemiah, and this is why he spoke in the first person at the
beginning of this book. To this author, the stronger case seems to be that Ezra was the author of the earliest
historical documents.

Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked Judah and carried off
most of its inhabitants. (see 2 Chronicles 36:15-21) Jerusalem had been burned, and the great stones that made
up the 1 1/2 to 2 1/2-mile-long wall of the city had been dislodged and tumbled into the steep valleys that
surrounded it. (2.2 to 4 kilometers) After decades, grass and trees had grown up and covered the masses of
overthrown stones. The first group returned to Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel in approximately 536
BC. (see 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1) Despite tremendous opposition from the Samaritans, they eventually
succeeded in rebuilding the temple in 515. Nehemiah began to rebuild the wall on August 1, 445 BC, and
finished it on September 21, 445 BC, in just 52 days. How did he do it? By God working through him and all
those who assisted him in the work. When the various parts of Ezra-Nehemiah were originally composed and
subsequently compiled is a matter of scholarly debate and is an issue of fact discussion I will leave to others.
Likewise, the arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem is also debated and will only be considered briefly.

Panorama of Ezra-Nehemiah
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