Editing Book of Ezra (section)

===Structure===
The contents of Ezra–Nehemiah are structured in a theological rather than chronological order: "The Temple must come first, then the purifying of the community, then the building of the outer walls of the city, and so finally all could reach a grand climax in the reading of the law."<ref>R.J. Coggins, "The books of Ezra and Nehemiah" (Cambridge University Press, 1976)p.107, quoted in [https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C&q=Ezra-Nehemiah++By+Mark+A.+Throntveit Throntveit, Mark A., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (John Knox Press, 1992)] p. 3</ref>

The narrative follows a repeating pattern in which the God of Israel "stirs up" the king of Persia to commission a Jewish leader (Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah) to undertake a mission; the leader completes his mission in the face of opposition, and success is marked by a great assembly.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C&q=Ezra-Nehemiah++By+Mark+A.+Throntveit Throntveit, Mark A., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (John Knox Press, 1992)] pp.2–4</ref> The tasks of the three leaders are progressive: first the Temple is restored (Zerubabbel), then the community of Israel (Ezra), and finally the walls which will separate the purified community and Temple from the outside world (Nehemiah).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C&q=Ezra-Nehemiah++By+Mark+A.+Throntveit Throntveit, Mark A., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (John Knox Press, 1992)] p. 3</ref>

The pattern is completed with a final coda in which Nehemiah restores belief in Yahweh.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C&q=Ezra-Nehemiah++By+Mark+A.+Throntveit Throntveit, Mark A., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (John Knox Press, 1992)] p. 2</ref> This concern with a schematic pattern-making, rather than with history in the modern sense of a factual account of events in the order in which they occurred, explains the origin of the many problems which surround both Ezra and Nehemiah as historical sources.<ref name="Thront">[https://books.google.com/books?id=VI1bMiMXLs0C&q=Ezra-Nehemiah++By+Mark+A.+Throntveit Throntveit, Mark A., "Ezra-Nehemiah" (John Knox Press, 1992)] pp. 1–3</ref>