Editing Ezra (section)

===In the Hebrew Bible===
[[File:Ezra Reads the Law l.jpg|thumb|Painting of Ezra on wood panel from the [[Dura-Europos synagogue]] (3rd century CE)]]
The canonical [[Book of Ezra]] and [[Book of Nehemiah]] are the oldest sources for the activity of Ezra.<ref name="Britannica" /> Many of the other books ascribed to Ezra (First Esdras, 3–6 Ezra) are later literary works dependent on the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The book of [[Ezra–Nehemiah]] was always written as one scroll.<ref>[[Hugh G. M. Williamson]], ''Ezra, Nehemiah'', Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 16 (Dallas:Word, 1985), pp. xxi–lii.</ref>

In late medieval Christian Bibles, the single book was divided into two, as First and Second Ezra. This division became Jewish practice in the first printed Hebrew bibles.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bogaert |first=Pierre-Maurice |date=2000 |title=Les livres d'Esdras et leur numérotation dans l'histoire du canon de la Bible latin |journal=Revue Bénédictine |volume=110 |issue=1–2 |pages=5–26|doi=10.1484/J.RB.5.100750 }}</ref> Modern Hebrew Bibles call the two books Ezra and Nehemiah, as do other modern Bible translations. A few parts of the Book of Ezra (4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12–26) were written in [[Aramaic]], and the majority in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], Ezra himself being skilled in both languages.<ref>James H. Charlesworth – [http://www.ijco.org/?categoryId=28681 "Announcing a Dead Sea Scrolls Fragment of Nehemiah"] – ''The Institute for Judaism and Christian Origins'' – Retrieved 20 August 2011.</ref>

According to the [[Hebrew Bible]] he was a descendant of [[Seraiah#High Priest|Seraiah]],<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|7:1|NIV}}</ref> the last [[High Priest of Israel|High Priest]] to serve in [[Solomon's Temple]],<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Kings|25:18|NIV}}</ref> and a close relative of [[Joshua the High Priest|Joshua, the first High Priest]] of the [[Second Temple]].<ref>[[Ezra 3:2]]</ref> He returned from Babylonian captivity and reintroduced the [[Torah]] in Jerusalem.<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|7–10|NIV}} and {{bibleverse||Neh|8|NIV}}</ref> According to [[1 Esdras]], a Greek translation of the Book of Ezra still in use in [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], he was also a High Priest. [[Rabbinic Judaism]] supports the positions that Ezra was an ordinary member of the priesthood<ref name="Jewish Encyclopedia"/> and that he served as a [[High Priest of Israel]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Was Ezra a High Priest?|last1 = Klein|first1 = Reuven Chaim |journal = Jewish Bible Quarterly |year = 2013|volume = 41|issue = 3|pages = 181–187|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/147829065.pdf | doi=10.17613/M6BJ95}}</ref>

in the seventh year of [[Artaxerxes I]], the [[Achaemenid Empire|Achaemenid emperor]] ({{Circa|457 BCE}}) sent Ezra from [[Babylon]] to Jerusalem to teach the laws of [[Yahweh|God]] to any who did not know them. The Book of Ezra describes how he led a group of Judean exiles living in [[Babylon]] to their home city of [[Jerusalem]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Ezra|8.2–14|NIV}}</ref> where he is said to have enforced observance of the Torah.

When Ezra discovered that Jewish men had been marrying foreign pagan women, he tore his garments in despair. He confessed the sins of Israel before God, then braved the opposition of some of his countrymen to purify the community by enforcing the dissolution of the sinful marriages. He was described as exhorting the Israelite people to be sure to follow the Torah Law so as not to intermarry with people of foreign blood, a set of commandments described in 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> Some years later, Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah, a Jewish noble in his service, as [[Yehud Medinata|governor in Jerusalem]] with the task of rebuilding the city walls. Once this task was completed, Nehemiah had Ezra read the Torah to the assembled [[Israelites]] and the people and priests entered into a covenant to keep the law and separate themselves from all other peoples.<ref>{{bibleverse||Neh|8|NIV}} and {{bibleverse||Ezra|10.10–11|NIV}}</ref>