Ezra, persons in the Bible

Ezra, in the Bible.

1 Central figure of the book of Ezra Ezra, book of the Bible, combined with Nehemiah in the Septuagint to form the book 2 Esdras. In the Vulgate , Ezra and Nehemiah are called 1 and 2 Esdras respectively.
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2 Priest who returned with Zerubbabel.

Ezra, book of the Bible

Ezra, book of the Bible, combined with Nehemiah Nehemiah, originally combined with Ezra to form a single book in the Hebrew canon. In the Septuagint , Ezra and Nehemiah are combined as Second Esdras . The book narrates the return to Jerusalem of Nehemiah, the cup-bearer of Persian King Artaxerxes I, as governor of
..... Click the link for more information. in the Septuagint Septuagint (sĕp`ty

əjĭnt) [Lat.
..... Click the link for more information. to form the book 2 Esdras. In the Vulgate Vulgate (vŭl`gāt) [Lat. Vulgata editio=common edition], most ancient extant version of the whole Christian Bible .
..... Click the link for more information. , Ezra and Nehemiah are called 1 and 2 Esdras respectively. Ezra, like Nehemiah, is the work of the Chronicler (see Chronicles Chronicles, two books of the Bible, originally a single work in the Hebrew canon (the final book of that canon), called First and Second Chronicles in the Authorized Version, and called First and Second Paralipomenon in the Septuagint and in the Vulgate .
..... Click the link for more information. ) and narrates the history of the Jews from 538 B.C. to c.458 B.C. as follows: the decree of the Persian king Cyrus permitting the Jews to return to Palestine from captivity under the leadership of Sheshbazzar Sheshbazzar (shĕsh'băz`är)
..... Click the link for more information. ; the return of Zerubbabel with a certain number to Jerusalem in c.520 B.C. where they complete the task of rebuilding the Temple despite opposition; and the return of Ezra, priest and scribe, to Jerusalem in c.458 B.C. with orders from King Artaxerxes I to restore the Jewish law. It is possible, however, that Ezra might have returned after Nehemiah in c.398 B.C. during the reign of Artaxerxes II. The text is not clear which Artaxerxes is meant. A substantial passage of Ezra is in Aramaic. See also Esdras Esdras (ĕz`drəs) [Gr. from Heb. Ezra ], name of several books found in the Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha .
..... Click the link for more information. for books purportedly written by Ezra in the Apocrypha 1)); First and Second Maccabees ; the Prayer of Manasses (see Manasseh ). All are included in the Septuagint , with the exception of 2 Esdras=4 Ezra. However, they were not included in the Hebrew canon (ratified c.A.D. 100).
..... Click the link for more information. and Pseudepigrapha Pseudepigrapha (s

'dĭpĭ`grəfə) [Gr.
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Bibliography

See F. C. Fensham, Ezra and Nehemiah (1982); M. A. Thronveit, Ezra–Nehemiah (1992).

Ezra

(flourished 4th century BC, Babylon and Jerusalem) Jewish religious leader and reformer. He restored the Jewish community after its exile in Babylon, persuading the people of Judah to return to a strict observance of Mosaic law. He served as a commissioner of the Persian government, which was tolerant of other religions but required order and authority. His efforts led to a restoration of traditional worship in the rebuilt Temple of Jerusalem and the dissolution of all mixed marriages. For creating a Jewish community based on the Law, which could exist without political statehood, he is often considered the founder of modern Judaism. His story is told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.