Encyclopaedia Judaica - Vol.06 (Dr-Feu) - WiccanGeek's Reading ...

for the dedication of the wall in Jerusalem. Nehemiah divided
the participants into two processions each commencing from
the same point; one procession marched south towards the
Dung Gate and then around the right side of the wall, the
other marched north along the top of the left side, and both
groups joined up together at the Temple square. Each procession
was led by a choir, and musicians with trumpets, cymbals,
harps, and lyres brought up the rear. Ezra is said to have
marched in one procession (though his presence in the text
is probably an editorial addition), and Nehemiah in the other.
The two joyful processions met up in the Temple square where
the dedication was concluded with many sacrifices.
Nehemiah’s Resolution of Economic Problems (5:1–19). During
the period of the rebuilding, the people complained about the
scarcity of food and the burden of high taxes. To meet their
basic needs, the poor were required to pledge their possessions,
even to sell sons and daughters into slavery. Nehemiah
reacted angrily against the creditors accusing them of violating
the covenant of brotherhood. When his appeal to the creditors
voluntarily to take remedial action failed, Nehemiah forced
them to take an oath, reinforced by a symbolic act of shaking
out his garment, to restore property taken in pledge, as well
as to forgive claims for loans. Nehemiah himself alleviated
the people’s tax burden by refusing to accept the very liberal
household allowance for his official retinue which amounted
to some 40 shekels of silver a day.
Nehemiah’s Religious Reforms (10:1–40, 12:44–47, 13:1–29). Nehemiah’s
religious reforms are found (a) in the so-called Code
of Nehemiah; and (b) in the regulations he enacted upon embarking
on his second term as governor in the 32nd year of
Artaxerxes I (433).
Code of Nehemiah (10:1–40). The Code of Nehemiah represents
pledges made by the community to observe the Torah,
its commandments and regulations. It is preceded by a list
of signers including Nehemiah, his officials, the priests, Levites,
and prominent family members (1–28). In the Code, the
community promised to do seven things: (1) to avoid mixed
marriages with the peoples of the land; (2) not to buy from
foreigners on Sabbaths and holy days; (3) to observe the sabbatical
year; (4) to pay a new annual third shekel temple tax;
(5) to supply offerings for the services and wood for the Temple
altar; (6) to supply the first fruits, firstlings, tithes, and
other contributions to the Temple; (7) to bring the tithes due
to the priests and Levites to local storehouses.
Regulations Enacted by Nehemiah during his Second Term as
Governor (13:1–31). Expulsion of Foreigners (13:1–9). In their
continued reading of the Torah the community came across
a law (possibly referring to Deut 23:4–6) that Ammonites and
Moabites were prohibited from becoming Israelites, and so
they resolved to separate from foreigners (ברֵ ֶע).
When Nehemiah
returned from an official visit to the Persian court in the
32nd year of Artaxerxes (433) he discovered that the high priest
Eliashib had given living quarters in a former storage room of
Ezra and Nehemiah, Books of
the Temple to one of his old enemies Tobiah, the Ammonite
(see above). When Nehemiah returned he evicted Tobiah, discarded
all his belongings, and had the chambers purified and
restored to their original use.
Renewal of Levitical Support (13:10–14). Another consequence
of Nehemiah’s absence at the Persian court was that the people
had stopped giving tithes to the Levites forcing them to return
to their villages. Nehemiah took steps to bring back the
Levites to Jerusalem by ensuring that outstanding payments,
which had not been collected during his absence, would be
paid and that future tithes would be regularly given.
Enforcing Sabbath Regulations (13:15–22). Nehemiah reports
that in his day the Sabbath had been utterly commercialized.
People were working in vineyards and on the farms, and
Phoenician traders set up shops in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.
Nehemiah attempted to put a stop to this Sabbath activity by
ordering the gates of the city closed during the Sabbath. Despite
his orders, the Phoenician traders camped outside the
walls hoping to entice customers to come outside.
Problem of Mixed Marriages (13:23–29). As in Ezra’s day, Nehemiah
had to deal with problems arising from marriages
with foreign women. A major concern of his was the fact that
the children of these marriages could no longer speak the
language of Judah. Nehemiah ordered an end to further intermarriage,
but he did not go as far as Ezra who demanded
divorce from foreign wives.
Significance of the Books for Later Judaism
Ezra and Nehemiah’s actions and decrees may be seen as the
beginning of an ongoing reinterpretation of tradition in its application
to changing circumstances (Talmon). Ezra’s reading
of the Torah inaugurated a new element in Jewish life whereby
the Torah was read and explicated on regular occasions in
public. This public reading also led to the democratization of
knowledge of the Torah among Jews, since prior to this event
most parts of the Torah were under the exclusive provenance
and control of the priests (Knohl). The differences between
the formulation of regulations in the Book of Nehemiah and
their counterparts in the Torah illustrate the process of legal
elaboration necessary to meet contemporary exigencies
(Clines, 1981). These differences can be seen in at least three
areas: contributions to the Temple, regulations regarding Sabbath
observance, and new intermarriage prohibitions.
TEMPLE CONTRIBUTIONS. Some examples of modifications
to Pentateuchal laws introduced in the Code of Nehemiah involve
upkeep of the Temple. In Exodus 30:11–16, mention is
made of a one-time half-shekel tax. The Code of Nehemiah,
however, establishes an annual Temple tax, that of one-third
of a shekel. In Leviticus 6:1–6, it is stated that fire should burn
continuously on the altar but it does not prescribe the mechanism
by which this ought to be done. The Code of Nehemiah
does this by stipulating how the wood for the altar is to be
obtained. In Deuteronomy 14:23–26, it is enjoined that tithes
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 6 661