We now jump roughly 58 years later from the work on the Temple. During that time, Esther was able to save her nation from a plot to have them slaughtered. Thus, a certain descendant of the High Priestly line, Ezra, is alive to bring a more accurate teaching of the Covenant to the people in Judea.
In the previous chapter, Ezra records his commission from Emperor Artaxerxes. It includes a rather generous replay of what Darius had commanded a half-century before regarding support for the Temple services. Ezra identifies himself as a senior scribe. From the sound of things, he was probably something like a deputy to the viceroy reporting to the Emperor on Judean affairs. We skip over a list of notables who came with Ezra, adding to the Temple staff and boosting the leadership in Jerusalem. It appears his entourage was around 1500 priests and elders, and later some Levites and the Nethinim (a special group of Temple attendants David and Solomon had organized as an inherited office).
We cannot identify the Ahava Canal, nor Casiphia. Our best guess is that they were both somewhere north of the Judean district of Babylon’s suburbs. It was there he realized there were no Levites in the group slated to return to Jerusalem. So, he ordered some to appear, and significant group responded.
Ezra had made such a strong testimony to the Emperor of Jehovah’s power to protect them that he would now be embarrassed to ask for an armed escort. We know from secular histories of the time that things were rather unsettled along parts of the long journey. So Ezra called a fast according to the Covenant. At some point there came back a response from God that He would protect them.
Then Ezra delivered into the custody of the leadership of the priests and Levites all the dedicated treasures donated for the Temple. He makes the comment that this stuff is holy, and so the priests and Levites should be the only ones to handle it once they left the hands of those who gave.
After about nine more days, they got everything packed up and left. According to scholars, we could date their departure as 8 April 457 BC. They arrived about 24 July the same year, covering 900 miles. Ezra notes they arrived safe from the typical ambushes laid by raiders. They all camped out around Jerusalem for about three days, getting everything together in order for the official meet and greet.
They had a public ceremonial weigh-in at the Temple for all the treasures donated. They brought a very large offering of sacrificial animals as sort of a thanksgiving and catching up for what they missed by not being there in the first place.
Meanwhile, the imperial orders were delivered to the satrap and other officials over the region. This puts them on notice what the Emperor requires, and indicates his strong favor for the Judeans. The support from the imperial treasury was delivered in due time. Note: Artaxerxes’ decree declared the priests and Levites tax exempt.
Whatever else we can say about Ezra, he clearly had a commission from God. Everything he did was rather strictly by the Covenant. This quickly becomes his trademark during his time there.
April 8 to July 24 is 107 days. They traveled 900 miles. That is 8.41 miles per day. Assuming they only traveled for 8-9 hours a day, then they were moving at about 1 mile per hour. That is about as fast as a man walks! It’s amazing to think of how people walked everywhere they went back then, even covering large distances.
That’s walking with loaded animals and wagons. That’s setting up and breaking down the tents every day, and cooking the food from scratch, feeding the animals and people, etc.
I remember taking a class on Biblical literature in college…a secular one. That was the first time I heard of Ezra being the first one to start collating (or whatever the term is) the OT canon.
The first book I wrote was a modern-day retelling of Esther. It was okay, but I don’t think I will ever publish it.