priests, &c. I 23, 6. 24, 1 &c. (¬y and pho are found elsewhere, but not in these applications).

In addition to the idioms that have been noted, hardly a verse occurs, written by the Chronicler himself, which does not present singularities of style, though they are frequently of a kind that refuses to be tabulated. Comp. likewise above, pp. 474-6. He uses also many individual late words and expressions, which cannot be here enumerated.

§ 2. EZRA AND NEHEMIAH.

LITERATURE.-Ewald, Hist. i. 189 ff.; E. Bertheau in the Kgf. Hdb. 1862, ed. 2 by V. Ryssel, 1887; C. F. Keil (see p. 449); Eb. Schrader, "Die Dauer des zweiten Tempelbaues. Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Kritik des B. Esra," in the Stud. u. Krit. 1867, pp. 460-504 (important; pp. 494-8 to be qualified by KAT.2 p. 374f.); Rud. Smend, Die Listen der Bb. Esra u. Nehemia [tabulated synoptically, and discussed]; S. Oettli (see p. 484); A. Kuenen, Onderzoek, ed. 2, §§ 29, 33-35, and De Chronologie van het Perzische tijdvak der Joodsche geschiedenis, Amsterdam 1890; P. H. Hunter, After the Exile; a Hundred Years of Jewish History and Literature, 1890; H. E. Ryle in the Camb. Bible for Schools, 1891.

522. Pseudo-Smerdis (Gaumâta), for 424. Darius II. (Nothus).

444. Nehemiah's first visit to Jeru- 332. Persian empire overthrown by

salem (Neh. 2, 1).

432. Nehemiah's second visit to Jeru

salem (Neh. 13, 6f.).

Alexander the Great.

As remarked above (p. 484), Ezra and Nehemiah form in the Jewish canon a single book, "Ezra." This book embraces the period from the return of the exiles under Zerubbabel, B.C. 536, to the second visit of Nehemiah in B.C. 432; but the history is not told continuously: it is confined chiefly to certain periods or occasions of importance, viz. the return, and events immediately following it (B.C. 536), the rebuilding of the Temple (B.C. 520-16), and the visits of Ezra and Nehemiah in B.C. 458, 444, and 432.

Parts of the Book of Ezra are written in Aramaic (4, 8-6, 18; 7, 12-26).

Contents. I. Ezr. 1-6. Events issuing in the restoration of the Temple. C. 1. The edict of Cyrus, granting the Jews permission to return to Jerusalem, and to take back with them the sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had removed to Babylon. C. 2. A register of the numbers and families of those who availed themselves of this permission. C. 3. The altar of Burntoffering is set up, and the feast of Booths observed (vv. 1−7); in the 2nd month of the 2nd year the foundations of the Temple are laid amid the mingled rejoicings and regrets of the people (vv. 8-13). C. 4. The "adversaries of Judah and Benjamin" (chiefly, as the context shows, Samaritans) ask permission to assist in the task of rebuilding the Temple, which is refused by Zerubbabel and Jeshua: they seek consequently to prejudice the Jews at the court of Persia, and succeed in stopping the further progress of the restoration till the second year of Darius (B.C. 520). C. 5. In this year, at the instigation of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work is resumed: Tattenai, the Persian governor of the provinces west of Euphrates, and Shethar-bozenai, in doubt whether it should be permitted to proceed, make a formal application to Darius for instructions (5, 3-17); a favourable answer is returned by him (6, 1-12); the work in consequence advances rapidly; and the restored Temple is solemnly dedicated in the 6th year of Darius, B.C. 516 (6, 13-18). There follows a brief notice of the Passover of the following year (6, 19–22); and with this the first part of the Book of Ezra ends. Between 6, 22 and 7, 1 there is an interval of nearly sixty years.

II. Ezr. 7-10. The journey of the scribe and priest Ezra to Jerusalem in the 7th year of Artaxerxes (458 B.C.), and the reforms introduced by him upon his arrival there. C. 7, after stating who Ezra was, and mentioning briefly how he obtained leave to return to Jerusalem with such of the Jews as were disposed to accompany him (vv. 1-10), recites (in Aramaic) the edict of Artaxerxes, defining the terms of Ezra's commission, and authorizing the different Persian officers west of the Euphrates to afford him (within certain specified limits) such assistance as he might need (vv. 12-26). The edict ended, Ezra speaks in the first person to the end of c. 9. First, after an expression of thankfulness (7, 29 f.) to the God of his fathers for having thus put it into the