Ezra
9839
225249682
2008-07-12T18:13:28Z
Bkell
32452
arisen -> which arose
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Tomb of Ezra.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Site traditionally described as the [[Ezra's Tomb|tomb of Ezra]] at Al Uzayr near [[Basra]].]]'''Ezra''' ({{Hebrew Name|עֶזְרָא|ʿEzra|ʿEzrâ}}) was a [[Jewish]] [[priest]]ly [[scribe]] who led about 5,000 [[Babylonian captivity|Israelite exiles]] living in [[Babylon]] to their home city of [[Jerusalem]] in [[459 BCE]] or [[428 BCE]] or [[397 BCE]].<ref>The dates of Nehemiah's and Ezra's respective missions, and their chronological relation to each other, are uncertain, because each mission is dated solely by a regnal year of an [[Achaemenian]] King Artaxerxes; and in either case we do not know for certain whether the [[Artaxerxes]] in question is Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C.) or [[Artaxerxes II]] (404-359). So we do not know whether the date of Ezra's mission was [[458 B.C]]. or 397 B.C.' [[Arnold Toynbee]], ''A Study of History'', vol.12 (1961) [[Oxford University Press]], 1964 pp.484-485 n.2</ref> Ezra reconstituted the dispersed Jewish community on the basis of the Torah and with an emphasis on the law. According to [[Hebrew Bible|the Hebrew Bible]], Ezra resolved the identity threat which arose by the intermarriage between Jews and foreigners and provided a definite reading of the Torah.<ref name="BrillPauly"> Liwak, Rüdiger; Schwemer, Anna Maria "Ezra." Brill's New Pauly. </ref> <ref name="Britannica"> Ezra." [[Encyclopædia Britannica]].2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> Ezra is highly respected in the Jewish tradition. His knowledge of the Torah is considered to have been equal with Moses. <ref>The New Encyclopedia of Judaism, ''Ezra'' </ref> Like [[Moses]], [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]], and [[David (biblical king)|David]], Ezra is given the honorific title of "scribe" and is referred to as {{lang|he|עזרא הסופר}}, or "Ezra the scribe" in the Jewish tradition.<ref>Edward Kessler, Neil Wenborn,''A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations'', [[Cambridge University Press]], p.398</ref>
Although not explicitly mentioned in the [[Quran]] among the prophets, he is considered as one of the prophets by some Muslim scholars, based on Islamic traditions.<ref name="shahid"> {{cite book
| last = Ashraf
| first = Shahid
| title = Encyclopaedia of Holy Prophet and Companions
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=5GiZqe3tI1gC&pg=PP1&dq=Encyclopaedia+of+Holy+Prophet+and+Companions&as_brr=3&ei=0spDR97FL4fe7QLF3MmEBw&sig=icbDI0cBzODcG9sZrrh-ToMbo6Q
| format = [[Google Book Search|Google Books]]
| accessdate = 2007-11-20
| year = 2005
| publisher = [http://www.anmolpublications.com/ Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd.]
| location = [[Daryaganj]], [[New Delhi]]
| isbn = 8126119403
| pages = 199–200
| chapter = Prophets ’Uzair, Zakariya and Yahya (PBUT)
| chapterurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=2UqxApJT4JAC&pg=PA199&dq=uzair+was+a+prophet&as_brr=3&ei=RJ4qR8eBN5nKiQGl3py1DA&ie=ISO-8859-1&sig=z2JJi_4OVbBJcni08qyCMP5wu2I
}}
</ref><ref name="kathir">{{cite web
|url = http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=80&chapter=12
|title = `Uzair(Ezra)
|accessdate = 2007-11-21
|author = Ibn Kathir
|authorlink = Ibn Kathir
|coauthors = Ali As-Sayed Al- Halawani (trans.)
|work = Stories Of The Quran
|publisher = [http://www.islambasics.com/ Islambasics.com]
}}
</ref> On the other hand, Muslim scholars such as Mutahhar al-Maqdisi and [[Al-Juwayni|Djuwayni]] and notably [[Ibn Hazm]] and [[Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw'al|al-Samaw'al]] accused Ezra (or one of his disciples) of falsification of the Scriptures. <ref name="EoI"/>
Our knowledge of Ezra comes from the [[Book of Ezra]], [[Book of Nehemiah]] and Apocryphal [[1 Esdras|Book of I Esdras]].<ref name="Britannica"/>
==Etymology and meaning==
The Hebrew term {{lang|he|עֶזְרָא}} (Ezra) is probably an abbreviation of "{{lang|he-Latn|Azaryahu}}" meaning "God helps".<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia">Emil G. Hirsch, Isaac Broydé, "[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E Ezra the Scribe]", [[Jewish Encyclopedia ]] (Online) </ref>
==Sources==
Our knowledge of Ezra comes from the [[Book of Ezra]], the [[Book of Nehemiah]], and the [[Apocrypha|apocryphal]] [[1 Esdras|Book of I Esdras]].<ref name="Britannica"/>
===Hebrew Bible===
According to the genealogy in Ezra 7:1-5, Ezra was the son of [[Seraiah]], the high priest taken captive by Babylonians (see [[Books of Kings|2 Kings]] 25:18 and compare 1 Chron. 6:14), a lineal descendant of [[Phinehas]], the grandson of [[Aaron]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|7:1-7:5|HE}}</ref>
In the seventh year of the reign of [[Artaxerxes I|Artaxerxes I Longimanus]], Ezra obtained leave to go to Jerusalem and to take with him a company of Israelites. Artaxerxes showed great interest in Ezra's undertaking, granting him his requests, and giving him gifts for the house of God.<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|7:7|HE}}, {{bibleverse||Ezra|7:11-7:28|HE}}</ref> Ezra assembled a band of approximately 5,000 exiles to go to Jerusalem.<ref> Watson E. Mills, Roger Aubrey Bullard, ''Mercer Dictionary of the Bible'', p.285 </ref> They rested on the banks of the [[Ahava]] for three days and organized their four-month march across the desert.<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|8:15-8:28|HE}}</ref> After observing a day of public fasting and prayer, they left the banks of the river Ahava for Jerusalem. Having rich gifts and treasures in their keeping and being without military escort, they made the due precaution for the safeguarding of the treasures.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>
After his arrival in Jerusalem, Ezra notices that contrary to the Jewish law, even the Jews of high standing and priests, had intermarried with pagan non-Hebrew women.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Catholic"> [[Catholic Encyclopedia]], ''Esdras''</ref> Ezra took strenuous measures against such marriages and insisted upon the dismissal of such wives.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/><ref name="Catholic"/> No record exists of Ezra until we find him at the reading of the Law which took place after the rebuilding of the [[Defensive wall|wall of the city]] by [[Nehemiah]].<ref name="Catholic"/> Ezra then brought the "book of the law of Moses" for the assembly.<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8:1|HE}}</ref> On the first day of the seventh month ([[Tishri]]), Ezra and his assistants read the [[Torah]] aloud to the whole population from the morning until midday.<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8:2|HE}}</ref> According to the text, a great religious awakening occurred.<ref name="Catholic"/> Ezra read the entire scroll of the Torah to the people, and he and other scholars and [[Levite]]s explained the meaning of what is being read so that the people could understand them.<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8:7|HE}}</ref> These festivities culminated in an enthusiastic and joyous seven-day celebration of the Festival of ''[[Sukkot]]'', concluding on the eighth day with the holiday of ''[[Shemini Atzeret]]''. On the 24th day, immediately following the holidays, they held a solemn assembly, fasting and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8:18|HE}}, {{bibleverse||Nehemiah|9:1-9:3|HE}}</ref> Afterwards, they renewed their national [[covenant]] to follow the [[Torah]] and to observe and fulfill all of the Lord's commandments, laws and decrees.<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|10:1|HE}}</ref>
===Esdras===
Besides the books of Ezra and Nehemiah accepted as a canonical part of the Hebrew Bible by all churches, the book of Esdras also preserves the Greek text of Ezra and a part of Nehemiah.<ref name="Britannica"/> There are disagreements among Christians over the authenticity of the book of Esdras. <ref> "Greek Ezra" or sometimes named I (or II or III) Esdras was considerably popular in the [[Early Christianity|early Church]]. It was included in the canon of the [[Septuagint]] (a translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek). In the reforming [[Council of Trent]] (1545–63), the [[Roman Catholic Church]] removed the book from the canon and placed it as an appendix to [[New Testament|the New Testament]]. (cf. "biblical literature." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online, p.173; "Esdras, First Book of." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online ) The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] however considers I Esdras as canonical, as does the [[Oriental Orthodox Church]] (cf. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, p.423; R. W. Cowley, ''The Biblical Canon Of The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Today'', Ostkirchliche Studien, 1974, Volume 23, pp. 318-323.)</ref>
The [[1st century|first century]] Jewish historian, [[Josephus]], preferred I Esdras over the canonical Ezra–Nehemiah and placed Ezra as a contemporary of [[Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] son of [[Darius]], rather than of [[Artaxerxes]].<ref name="Britannica3"> "Esdras, First Book of." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online </ref>
The [[apocalypse|apocalyptic]] [[2 Esdras|fourth book of Ezra]] (also called the second book of Esdras) is thought by Western scholars to have been written AD 100 probably in Hebrew-Aramaic. It was one of the most important sources for [[Jewish philosophy|Jewish theology]] at the end of the first century. In this book, Ezra has a seven part prophetic revelation, converses with an angel or God three times and has four visions. Ezra, while in the Babylonian Exile, prophecies the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.<ref name="BrillPauly"/> The central theological themes are "the question of theodicy, God's justness in the face of the triumph of the heathens over the pious, the course of world history in terms of the teaching of the four kingdoms (12,11 Daniel), the function of the law, the eschatological judgment, the appearance on Earth of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Messianic Period, at the end of which the Messiah will die (7:29), the end of this world and the coming of the next, and [[Last Judgment|the Last Judgment]]."<ref name="BrillPauly" /> Ezra restores the law that was destroyed with the burning of the temple. He dictates 24 books for the public (i.e. the Hebrew Bible) and other 70 for the wise alone (70 unnamed revelatory works).<ref name="cox"> Howard H. Cox, ''The Pentateuch: History Or Story?'', p.101 </ref> At the end, he is taken up to heaven like [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]] and [[Elijah]]. <ref name="BrillPauly"/> Ezra is seen as a new Moses in this book.<ref name="BrillPauly"/> There is also another work, thought to be influenced by this one, known as the ''[[Greek Apocalypse of Ezra]]''.
== Role in Judaism ==
Traditionally Judaism credits Ezra with establishing the [[Great Assembly]] of scholars and prophets, the forerunner of the [[Sanhedrin]], as the authority on matters of religious law. The Great Assembly is credited with establishing numerous features of contemporary traditional [[Judaism]] in something like their present form, including [[Torah reading]], the [[Amidah]], and establishing the feast of [[Purim]].<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>
In Rabbinic traditions, Ezra is metaphorically referred to as the "flowers that appear on the earth" signifying the springtime in the national [[Jewish history|history of Judaism]]. Even if the law had not been given to Moses before, Ezra was worthy of being its vehicle.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/> A disciple of [[Baruch ben Neriah]], he favored study of the Law over the reconstruction of the Temple and thus because of his studies, he did not join the first party returning to Jerusalem in the reign of Cyrus. According to another opinion, he did not join the first party so as not to compete, even involuntarily, with Jeshua ben Jozadak for the office of chief priest.<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/> Ezra reestablished the Torah and apparently as a polemical measure against the Samaritans, he introduced Assyrian or square characters in it. Ezra was also doubtful of the correctness of some words in Torah and said that "Should [[Elijah]], said he, approve the text, the points will be disregarded; should he disapprove, the doubtful words will be removed from the text".<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>
According to the tradition, Ezra was the writer of the [[Book of Chronicles]].<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/>
==Islam==
{{Main article|Islamic view of Ezra}}
Although not explicitly mentioned in [[Quran]] among the prophets, Ezra is considered as one of the prophets by most Muslim scholars, based on Islamic traditions. Ezra lived between the times of King [[Solomon]] and the time of [[Zechariah]], father of [[John the Baptist]]. <ref name="shahid">[http://books.google.com/books?id=2UqxApJT4JAC&pg=PA199&dq=uzair+was+a+prophet&as_brr=3&ei=RJ4qR8eBN5nKiQGl3py1DA&ie=ISO-8859-1&sig=z2JJi_4OVbBJcni08qyCMP5wu2I Encyclopaedia of Holy Prophet and Companions By Ashraf, Shahid, p199]</ref><ref name="kathir">[http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=80&chapter=12 Stories Of The Quran, Ibn Kathir]</ref>. On the other hand, Muslim scholars such as Mutahhar al-Maqdisi and [[Al-Juwayni|Djuwayni]] and notably [[Ibn Hazm]] and [[Ibn Yahyā al-Maghribī al-Samaw'al|al-Samaw'al]] accused Ezra (or one of his disciples) of falsification of the Scriptures. <ref name="EoI"> Uzayr, ''Encyclopedia of Islam'' </ref>
== Academic view ==
===Historicity and genealogy===
{{POV-section|date=December 2007}}
Mary Joan Winn Leith in the ''The Oxford History of the Biblical World'' believes that the historical Ezra's life was enhanced in the scripture and was given a theological buildup, but this does not imply that Ezra did not exist.<ref name="MaryJ1">{{cite book
| last = Winn Leith
| first = Mary Joan
| editor = Michael David Coogan (ed.)
| title = The Oxford History of the Biblical World
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Oxford+History+of+the+Biblical+World
| format = [[Google Book Search|Google Books]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-13
| origyear = 1998
| year = 2001
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]
| location = [[Oxford]]; [[New York]]
| isbn = 0195139372
| oclc = 44650958
| id = {{LCCN|98||016042}}
| pages = pg. 306
| chapter = Israel among the Nations: The Persian Period
| chapterurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Oxford+History+of+the+Biblical+World&ei=v-FhR-q_MJKIiQGU-eCIBw&sig=09eixie3bqkoalqx66xDGO9GBqI#PRA2-PA306,M1
}}
</ref> Gosta W. Ahlstrom, argues the inconsistencies of the biblical tradition are insufficient to say that Ezra, with his central position as the 'father of Judaism' in the Jewish tradition, has been a later literary invention. <ref>Gosta W. Ahlstrom, ''The History of Ancient Palestine'', Fortress Press, p.888</ref> Those who argue against the historicity of Ezra argue that the presentation style of Ezra as a leader and lawgiver resembles that of Moses. There are also similarities between Ezra the priest-scribe (but not [[high priest]]) and [[Nehemiah]] the secular governor on the one hand and Joshua and [[Zerubbabel]] on the other hand. The early [[2nd century BC|second century BCE]] Jewish author [[Jesus ben Sirach]] praises Nehemiah, but makes no mention of Ezra.<ref name="MaryJ1"/>
According to the biblical genealogy of Ezra in {{bibleverse||Ezra|7:1-7:5|HE}}, he is the son of Seraiah, the high priest taken captive by Babylonians.<ref>William David Davies, [[Louis Finkelstein]], William Horbury, John Sturdy, ''The Cambridge History of Judaism'', p.144 </ref>
===Activities ===
Modern islamic scholarship considers Ezra "as a lettered man with spiritual tendencies who was a functionary of the Persian state which sent him to Israel around the fourth century BCE in order to promote the political authority of Persian rule."<ref>Abu-Rabiʿ, Ibrahim M. "Ezra ." Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān. General Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC. Brill, 2007.</ref>
===Time line===
Scholars are divided over the chronological sequence of the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra came to Jerusalem "in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the King".<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|7:7|131}}</ref> The text does not specify whether the king in the passage refers to Artaxerxes I (465-424) or to Artaxerxes II (404-359).<ref name="igb">{{cite book |title=The Illustrated Guide to the Bible|last=Porter|first=J.R. |year= 2000|publisher=Barnes & Noble Books|location=New York|isbn=0-760-72278-1 |language=English |pages=115-116}}</ref> A group of scholars hold that Ezra lived during the rule of Artaxerxes I, though serious difficulties arises from this assumption:<ref name="Britannica"/> Nehemiah and Ezra "seem to have no knowledge of each other; their mission do not overlap;<ref>{{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8|131}} is transposed for rhetorical reasons; {{bibleverse||Nehemiah|8:9|131}} is almost unanimously considered to be a scribal harmonization</ref> and no reflection of Ezra's activity appears in Jerusalem of Nehemiah."<ref name="MaryJ2">{{cite book
| last = Winn Leith
| first = Mary Joan
| editor = Michael David Coogan (ed.)
| title = The Oxford History of the Biblical World
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Oxford+History+of+the+Biblical+World
| format = [[Google Book Search|Google Books]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-13
| origyear = 1998
| year = 2001
| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]
| location = [[Oxford]]; [[New York]]
| isbn = 0195139372
| oclc = 44650958
| id = {{LCCN|98||016042}}
| pages = pg. 281
| chapter = Israel among the Nations: The Persian Period
| chapterurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=zFhvECwNQD0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Oxford+History+of+the+Biblical+World&ei=v-FhR-q_MJKIiQGU-eCIBw&sig=09eixie3bqkoalqx66xDGO9GBqI#PRA2-PA281,M1
}}
</ref> These difficulties has led many scholars to assume that Ezra arrived in the seventh year of the rule of Artaxerxes II , i.e. some 50 years after Nehemiah. This assumption would imply that the biblical account is not chronological. The last group of scholars regard "the seventh year" as a scribal error and hold that the two men were contemporaries.<ref name="Britannica"/><ref> John Boederman, ''The Cambridge Ancient History'', 2002, p.272</ref>
<!--
According to a hypothesis expounded by some Biblical scholars, Ezra did play a fundamental role in the compilation of nearly all parts of the Hebrew Bible, including the Five Books of Moses. {{fact}} According to this hypothesis, the [[documentary hypothesis]], Ezra is thought to have interspersed various primary texts with occasional additions of his own that were intended to help reconcile apparent contradictions among the original texts.{{fact}} Discussion of the merits of the documentary hypothesis can be found in works by Rabbi [[David Weiss Halivni]] such as ''Revelation Restored: Divine Writ and Critical Responses'' (Westview Press, 1997), and ''Peshat and Derash: Plain and Applied Meaning in Rabbinic Exegesis'' (Oxford University Press, 1998), as well as in works such as "Who Wrote the Bible?" (Harper San Francisco, 1997 reprint) by Richard Elliot Friedman. -->
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=578&letter=E&search=Ezra Jewish Encyclopedia: Ezra the Scribe]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05535a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Esdras]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible people]]
[[Category:Old Testament Apocrypha people]]
[[Category:Old Testament saints]]
[[Category:Prophets in Islam]]
[[am:ዕዝራ]]
[[be:Ездра]]
[[bs:Ezra]]
[[da:Ezra]]
[[de:Esra (Person)]]
[[fr:Esdras]]
[[ko:에즈라]]
[[hr:Ezra]]
[[id:Ezra]]
[[it:Esdra (profeta)]]
[[he:עזרא הסופר]]
[[jv:Ezra]]
[[nl:Ezra]]
[[no:Esra]]
[[pl:Ezdrasz (Biblia)]]
[[pt:Esdras]]
[[ru:Ездра]]
[[fi:Esra]]
[[sv:Esra]]
[[tr:Ezra]]
[[yi:עזרא]]
[[zh:以斯拉記]]