Nehemiah cartoons
Build that wall! Build that wall!... and have Persia pay for it.
- Donald J. Nehemiah?
The Book of Nehemiah, an Old Testament narrative, is traditionally dated to around 445–430 BCE and attributed to Nehemiah, a Jewish official in Persian service, with some sections possibly compiled by Ezra or a later editor. Spanning 13 chapters, it tells the story of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and reviving its people after the Babylonian exile. It’s a mix of leadership, prayer, and grit. Here’s the summary:
Chapters 3-6 (Wall Rebuilt): The people—priests, nobles, even goldsmiths—work by sections to rebuild the wall (3). Enemies mock and threaten, but Nehemiah arms the workers and prays (4). Internal strife hits—rich Jews oppress the poor with debt; Nehemiah stops it, modeling generosity (5). Sanballat’s plots (fake meetings, assassination rumors) fail; the wall’s done in 52 days, stunning foes (6:15-16).
Chapters 7-10 (Community Restored): Nehemiah lists returned exiles (7, echoing Ezra 2), appoints guards, and hands leadership to Hanani and Hananiah. Ezra reads the Law; the people weep, then celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (8). They confess sins, recalling God’s history with Israel—Abraham to exile—and renew the covenant, pledging obedience, no intermarriage, and tithes (9-10).
Chapters 11-13 (Reforms and Legacy): Jerusalem’s repopulated by lot (11). Priests and Levites are listed, and the wall’s dedicated with joyous marches and music (12). Years later, Nehemiah returns (after a stint in Persia) to find slack—Sabbath broken, tithes neglected, Tobiah cozy in the temple. He boots Tobiah, restores order, and prays for God to remember his work (13).
Core Theme: Nehemiah’s about restoration—physical (walls) and spiritual (covenant). It’s practical faith in action: prayer meets shovel, unity trumps opposition. No Antichrist here, just a post-exile reboot under Persian rule, showing God’s hand in tough times. Nehemiah’s memoir-like style (first-person “I”) stands out, though scholars debate if Ezra’s hand polished it. It pairs with Ezra as a tale of Judah’s second chance.
Chapters 1-2 (Call and Return): Nehemiah, cupbearer to Persian King Artaxerxes I, hears Jerusalem’s walls are still rubble decades after the exile ended (1). He prays, fasts, and asks the king for leave to fix it. Artaxerxes says yes, giving letters for safe travel and timber. Nehemiah arrives, inspects the ruins secretly, and rallies the Jews: “Let’s rebuild” (2). Opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem starts brewing.