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These are the last three books in "twelve book history" of the people of Israsel. They cover a period of about 200 years, from 538 BC to 335 BC. It begins with an "edict" by Cyrus II, King of Persia, that allowed the Jews in Babylon to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, and ends with the King of Macedonia, Alexander the Great, conquering most of the Middle East including the area that once belonged to Israel.
It was a period of great change. Metal coinage came into use, Confucius lived in China, Persia became became the greatest empire in world history, the Roman Republic is founded in Rome, the Parthenon Temple to Athena is built in Athens, Socrates, the great Greek Philosopher lived, Plato founded an Academy for Philosophy in Greece and Rome expands it's boundaries south and east.
During this time Zerubbabel led a small company of exiled Jews back to Jerusalem but because of local opposition, they were unable to build a new Temple. Jerusalem was still in ruins and Zerubbabel was appointed the new Governor of Judah. He and his High Priest, Joshua, led a large group of exiled Jews back to Jerusalem, the new Temple was finally built in March of 516 BC. In 480 BC, the Persian King, Xerxes II, began a search for a new Queen, Ester was chosen. IN 458 BC, Ezra, a Priest and expert on Jewish Law, led a company to Jerusalem. They brought with them, a copy of the Jewish Torah. Nehemiah is appointed Governor of Judah by King Artaxerxes I of Babylon and commissioned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 445 BC. The next 100 years was an obscure period in Hebrew History. The Book of Job was probably written during this period. The locust plague spoken of by the Prophet Joel occured. The Aramaic language replaced, for the most part, the Hebrew Language. The Prophets Section of the Bible was accepted in Judah but was rejected in Samaria. In 332 BC., Alexander the Great conquered Palestine, Samaria resisted and was destroyed. It was rebuilt by Greeks and became a military colony.
Ezra belonged to a "high priestly" family. He was refered to as "a ready scribe". Though many exiled Jews were satisfied with making money in Babylon, Ezra represented those who cherished thoughts of a distant Temple and meditated on their nations sacred writings and traditions. Under the tolerant policy of the Persian Regime, he led a group of 1495 men and their families back across the desert to their home land. When Ezra got back to Judah, he was shocked at conditions there. Mixed marriages, "strange wives", no worship of any kind. He instituted the reading of the Books of the Law and instituted the observance of the Festivals.
He, probably more than anyone else, re-established a Jewish culture that has remained even today. He established divorce laws, encouraged the Jews to divorce their foreign wives, was responsible for a revival of Judaism, restored sacred vessels to the Temple, led the people to a new understanding and devotion of the Scriptures. He organized Synagogues and established the office of Rabbi, an outgrowth of the Scribes. Ultimately, as the result of his reforms, the Great Sanhedrin came into being. His zeal and enthusiasm, and dynamic personality, made his radical program possible and acceptable to the people.
Nehemiah lived in the city of Shushan, one of the capitol cities of the Persian Empire. During the exile, he, like many others, had amassed a fortune and had attained an influential position as "cupbearer" to the Persian King Artaxerxes. When Nehemiah got word that his ancestrial home was in a horrible condition, he appealed to the king and was appointed Governor of Judah with guarantees of safe passage home and letters to Persian authorities to provide the materials necessary for the cities reconstruction.
Nehemiah secured the cooperation of the people of Jerusalem in the rebuilding of the cities walls. There was much opposition to what Nehemiah was doing amongst the Samaritans based on past jealousies and rival defense programs between the two cities. This produced two competing Jewish groups, both worshipping the same God and both obedient to the same Law. Nehemiahs engineering abilities were equaled only by his organization ability.
The scarcity of farm labor led to food shortages and price gouging then to higher living costs that led to farm mortgages covered by unscrupulous lenders of money. Nehemiah put a cap on interest rates and shamed the lenders into interest free loans.
Like Ezra, Nehemiah established marriage reforms, expelled non-Jews from the "Congregation of God", instituted strict adherence of the Mosaic Law and began a program of isolationism. When the "Temple Fees" to the Priests failed to come in he instituted a system of tithes to provide adequate support for the Temple staff.
Nehemiah has been described as a loyal layman, a man of piety and of great faith in God. (Refer to the map of Jerusalem which I gave you showing the repairs to the walls and those who made the repairs.)
We know very little about the Jewish Lady we have come to know as Esther. She was a cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai. She became the wife of King Xerxes II of Persia. He Jewish name was Hadassah, her Babylonian name was Ishtar, after the Babylonian goddess of love. She saved her people from their destruction planned by a man named Haman and lived to see him hanged on the gallows. To commemorate these events, the Feast of Purim was instituted. No other historical book records that King Zerxes ever had a wife called Esther.
Esther had exceptional physical beauty, personal charm and courageous character, of which, she used with great effectiveness. Her character and her mission demonstrated that she "come upon the scene" by God's will for such a purpose.
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