Introduction to Nehemiah *

Timeline

Author and Date

Nehemiah is the central figure in the book. It contains some of his own records, but he is not the author of the entire book. The same author probably wrote Nehemiah and portions of Ezra. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem in 445 B.C., 13 years after Ezra arrived. He returned for a further visit sometime between 433 and 423 B.C. He may have made several journeys between Persian capitals and Jerusalem in this period of 20 years

Theme

The theme of Nehemiah is the Lord’s protection of his people and their need to be faithful in worship and in keeping the Mosaic law.

The Persian Empire at the Time of Nehemiah

c. 450 B.C. During the time of Nehemiah, the Persian Empire had reached its greatest extent, engulfing nearly the entire Near East. In 539 B.C. the Persians under Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians and absorbed the lands of Israel and Judah (which they called “Beyond the River”) into their empire. The next year Cyrus allowed the people of Judah (now called Jews) to return home and rebuild the temple of the Lord. Several waves of returning Jews resettled in Judea. In about 445 B.C., Nehemiah was granted permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s ruined walls.
Session 1: The prayer of Nehemiah (rebuilding of brokenness)
Session 2:
Session 3: Planning for Success
* Nehemiah information from https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/introduction-to-nehemiah/