Reversing these often repeated, monstrous trends of history is Gods hand unparalleled among ANY people to demonstrate His glory. Key Notes: The wall was done in 52 days. Nothing else would qualify. He asked the king for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem & was sent from Susa the Persian capital as Governor in 445 BC. He is even given letters from the king to ensure safe passage and to obtain timber from the kings forest for the gates and walls of Jerusalem. So Foto Marburg for the rare occasion that a client specifically wants a Nehemiah labels a statue by an unknown artist thus, taking care to cover themselves legally by stating that actually its a prophet OR (possibly) Nehemiah (when, of course, neither may be true, but prophet is wide enough by definition). "'Jerusalem's wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down. The wall is made from stone and mortar with gates. If you sort through the rather scarce historical references of Messianic expectancy in the 1st century BCE you will find like Newton and Davidson that a huge portion of the Persian era was eclipsed. [], [] like in Nehemiahs time, we are living within broken down walls. All that was left was to rebuild the city . 2. What many commentators fail to notice is that up until the 2nd year Darius (Hystaspes) Judah & Jerusalem were still under a period of 70 years of divine indignation (Zech.1). 52 days Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sidesSamaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistinesand rebuilt the walls within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananeel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple . God was using Nehemiah to lead His people to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. 2In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. The caption reads Nehemiah/Photo: Foto Marburg/Art Resource, NY. This printer even prints a color photo in black and white or The burden-bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. 10One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you. 11But I said, Should a man like me run away? According to Jewish tradition the Artakhshast of Ezra and Nehemyah is the same as Daryavesh I. 22After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, made repairs. Cyruss decree initially started the process, but then it was interrupted and the Temple construction stopped. The book of Nehemiah records the rebuilding of Jerusalem's city wall in about 445BC. The following text is the first portion of the Nehemiah Memoir (1:17:4) from the New Revised Standard Version. Will you please drop me a mail? At the end all glory to God was given. Nehemiah served as the kings cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), which evidently put him in a position to speak to the king and request favors from him. 28Above the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each one opposite his own house. Upon arrival into the city, he assessed the damage and got to work. This single letter and its use is the basis for the120 years of missing chronology as well as Christian chronologists attempts to show that Nehemiah and Ezra were contemporary with Artaxerxes Longimanus. Nehemiah Prays for His People. Daniyel 9 has nothing to do with Yeshu, the Roman fabrication. So they relocated the eastern wall higher up the slope and, according to author Eilat Mazar, built it directly on top of a ruined wall of King Davids palace (also known as the Large Stone Structure) and its massive rampart (known as the Stepped Stone Structure). 1st century BCE Jewish messianic expectants considered the prophecy so important that today over 2000 years later we have a Rabbinic chronology which leaves out over 120 year of Persian chronology. 8Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name. 10They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. It was this last project that Nehemiah is most famed for completing. The new chronology I have introduced in my book Sacred Chronology of the Hebrew Kings (available for reading free on my website) shows how the chronologies of the Bible, Egypt, and Assyria are in perfect agreement when the correct chronology for the kings is used. Nehemiah was cup-bearer to Artaxerxes. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. The Book of Nehemiah is usually read together with the Book of Ezra as one long book. I do not see a reference to Yom Kippur in these verses. Why is this important? They told him that the people who had survived being captives were suffering. 20After him Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib. (Neh. In the twelfth chapter, the word days was used to indicate Day(s) of Atonement. See http://www.prophecysociety.org for a fuller explanation than can be provided in this forum. The symbolic focal point of the rebuilding efforts, the Temple, lie waste. Interestingly, after the completion of the wall, the people gathered in the 7th month, dwelt in booths and read the law according to the Torah. The hurried work of repairing and rebuilding Jerusalems walls and gates was completed in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). (who came up with Zerubabbel) Talmon and Akkub were porters who kept the gates during the time Nehemiah was in Jerusalem. Ok here is chapter 2 of Nehemiah.. Eternal Wall represents the strength of God. Nothing symbolically or literally even comes close to this command by YHWH, a command which was witness by both Haggai and Zechariah. One side is built on the. Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. I looked up the complete article from your website. . If building the temple (YHWH house) in Jerusalem does not qualify as the de facto event in building Jerusalem then nothing does. 2He said in the presence of his associates and of the army of Samaria, What are these feeble Jews doing? Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in rebuilding Jerusalem during the Second Temple period.He was governor of Persian Judea under Artaxerxes I of Persia (465-424 BC). Nehemiah brought all the Levites to Jerusalem for the inauguration. 31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper room of the corner. 6So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work. Did the Ancient Israelites Think Children Were People. Accordingly, it can be seen that the time period covered by the prophecy of the seventy weeks is seventy years, not 490 years. following the Babylonian exile. Written by the worlds foremost biblical scholars and archaeologists, each chapter has been updated and expanded to incorporate more than a decades worth of outstanding new discoveries and fresh scholarly perspectives. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man! If the Bible chronology is followed exactly as written, the reigns of the Hebrew kings synchronize perfectly with one another, without having to disregard Scripture and without having to accept long co-reigns not supported in the biblical text, and those reigns synchronize perfectly with the traditional chronology of Egypt as proposed by Ken Kitchen. This then would naturally explain the chronological flow of Ezra. After him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. You don't have to rebuild a wall to do the will of God. Israel is Gods earthly time clock. Here is Gods version of revising history. 18After him their kin made repairs: Binnui, son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah; 19next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armoury at the Angle. How about it? At the top of the eastern ridge of the City of David, Nehemiah and the returned exiles built a new city wall. Dorothy Resig Willette is the former Managing Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. It is the bedrock foundation upon which Jerusalems restoration began. Notice then what YHWH says in verse 16: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall built in it, saith YHWH of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.. The traditional Bible chronology based on Thieles harmonization of the Hebrew kings and the Rohl chronology that shortens the chronology of Egypt are incorrect. 17Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty people, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. How long did it take Nehemiah to rebuild the wall? The workers built the walls in only 52 days. This evidence of God's blessing encourages the Jews and is a terrific blow to the self-confidence of their enemies. 52 days God instructed Nehemiah to build a wall around Jerusalem to protect its citizens from enemy attack. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. You too offer an interesting interpretation. Now the 70 is a dual prophecy and the 2nd part is due to be fulfilled soon!! The prophecy fits his advent exactly. Nehemiah 12 identifies those chief of their fathers who went up with Jeshua and Zerubabbel in the 1st year of Cyrus. The KING is coming soon and HE IS A JEW, YESHUA HAMASHIACH/JESUS THE CHRIST! The first thing they did was use the weapon of mocking. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Chapter 5 says, he finished the wall in the 32nd year of the king!!! Seek Gods knowledge now!! Nehemiah 12 states Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam(Shallum), Talmon and Akkub all lived in the days of Joiakim, Nehemiah and Ezra. He also provided a place where the people could wait for God's salvation. So that the Mikdash would have been completed in his 6th year (Ezra 6), and Ezra would have led the return in his 7th year. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah made repairs beside his own house. This interpretation fits the 70 weeks in all ways. Cyruss decree which started contruction of the temple. 17Then I said to them, You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt. Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sidesSamaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistinesand rebuilt the walls within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananeel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West. I have included Daniel 9:25 below just to be perfectly clear just what the biblical text states. Zechariah 1:12 Then the angel of YHWH answered and said, O YHWH of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? For the purpose of brevity, the word week in this chapter will hereafter represent the Day of Pentecost, although using the full fifty-day time period of the Feast of Weeks will work equally well in the interpretation offered in this chapter.. YHWHs decree in the 2nd year of Darius Hystaspes (through Haggai & Zechariah) to restart contruction of the temple which had stopped sometime earlier. Only this time the Christian chronologists have removed the contextual necessity of association between the command given by YHWH and the 2nd year of Darius even- Artaxerxes. It identified the time of the introduction of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah that would be offered to Israel by John the Baptist, and it identified the anointed one, Jesus, who would confirm that new covenant during the Passion Week. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When [Nehemiah] heard these things, [he] sat down and wept" (Nehemiah 1:3). One of the most astonishing facts about Nehemiah is that he finished the walls in just 52 days If you've ever been to Jerusalem, and seen the size and capacity of the stones you realize the monumental task that was at hand. Required fields are marked *. Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was an important sign to the enemies of Israel. Not even Michelangelo and his David! And thus the wall was built again "even in troublesome times," just as had been foretold in Daniel 9:25. Very good study. Our hearts. The walls of . Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people. He expounded and enforced the Law of God. 5Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders. 16From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, 17who were building the wall. And the Old Testament book of Nehemiah records how Nehemiah completed that massive project in record time just 52 days. Nehemiah 810 is considered part of the so-called Ezra Source (which includes Ezra 710), while Nehemiah 17 and 1113 are from a separate source that scholars call the Nehemiah Memoir. The Nehemiah Memoir is written in the first person and recounts details of Nehemiahs life, his deeds and his administration of the province, probably meant to serve as an official record of his accomplishments to be deposited in the Temple archives (by genaa). Video lectures from world-renowned experts. 4. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it'. Building the Wall and Dealing With Resistance. 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. Photo: Foto Marburg/Art Resource, NY. Read more. Still, they are incorrect.Dan Bruce, The Prophecy Society. Although there is no consensus about the relative chronologies of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (the Biblical dates are unclear), Nehemiahs return to Jerusalem probably preceded Ezras by a couple years. Ezra insisted upon the dismissal of these wives. Notice the common names are in the same order in both lists. You see, God is NOT against building walls! This is my understanding. Each of them has a name and a biblical story. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work. Thus Artaxerxes is not another Persian ruler but a title which defines Darius son of Hystaspes. . I really like all of the points youve made. Families and professional groups take on the responsibility for repairing stretches of the wall, while gates are provided with attics, doors, bolts and bars, and towers are rebuilt. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, What is this that you are doing? Here is where the problem develops in the chronology. Contextually it was all about returning to the temple construction which had stopped. Thats too big a price to pay. Nehemiah served as the kings cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), which evidently put him in a position to speak to the king and request favors from him. Ezra 7 begins with Ezra going up to Jerusalem in the 7th year of Artaxerxes the king. 9Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the kings letters. Equip. 21So we laboured at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. 17After him the Levites made repairs: Rehum son of Bani; next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. Israel is not serving God as of now and so time is not calculated because of that. Nehemiah 3 is even more specific. Each issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: Fascinating finds from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament periods, The latest scholarship by the world's greatest archaeologists and distinguished scholars, Stunning color photographs, informative maps, and diagrams, Reviews of the latest books on biblical archaeology, 45+ years of Biblical Archaeology Review, 20+ years of Bible Review online, providing critical interpretations of biblical texts. As noted earlier a variation on this tradition has been carried on by Christians today in their association of Artaxerxes with the Persian Longimanus. the walls in 586. 1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. etc., but apparently no available stock photo of a work from the Middle Ages whose artist actually recorded that his intention was to depict Nehemiah. 9So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. For the people had a mind to work. and more. 2So the king said to me, Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? The only decree that does fit, and fit exactly using all of the biblical text, is the decree issued by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE that was recorded by Josephus as mentioned above. Nehemiah asked some friends about Jerusalem. In this way the Persian era was eclipsed. Notice the verse again. [] Nehemiah was a high official in the Persian court of King Artaxerxes I at the capital city of Susa, which lay 150 miles east of the Tigris River in what is now modern Iran. So why did chronologist place a gap in chronology between Ezra 6 &7 between Jeshua/Zerubabbel and Ezra/Nehemiah? Nehemiah prayed and fasted to God for four months before petitioning the King to return to his home and reinforce Jerusalem's city walls. Will they restore things? And rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh 26and the temple servants living on Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. David Rohls chronology works only if one disregards major portion of the Hebrew Scriptures. At the time, I was cupbearer to the king. The al so important, yet lost and presently under known appearance and working of the Urim and Thummim (Neh 7:65), was ignored in the text of the report concerning the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Ezra 6 ends with completion of the temple in the 6th year of Darius even- Artaxerxes. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. In the eighth chapter of Daniel, the phrase evening-morning(s) was used to indicate Passovers. If you are talking about Daniel 8:14, I do not see anything about Pesach. 15So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Ezra 7:13-28. WHAT DID NEHEMIAH DO THAT ENABLED HIM TO ENJOY THE FAVOR AND THE HAND OF GOD IN HIS TASK OF RESTORING. I am not a scholar or a biblical archaeologist, just someone who has viewed Nehemiahs role and strategies as a model of best practise in leadership and how to empower a community/ people. He immediately surveyed the damage to the entire city on his well-known night journey around the walls (Nehemiah 2:1215). They are appropriate here again: Ezra 6:14 14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. Thus, the time periods being designated in verse 25 are seven Pentecosts and sixty-two Pentecosts. [] In it, Nehemiah describes his efforts to rebuild the city, even in the face of hostile neighbors: NehemiahThe Man Behind the Wall Biblical Archaeology Society Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to []. Once the defenses had been rebuilt by Antipater, the seven weeks and sixty-two weeks and one week (totaling seventy weeks) could begin, and that is exactly what happened. The waw would have been more accurately translated as a hendiadys where the 2nd word specifies the first. Brenton Septuagint Translation Studying them will reveal something about getting close God. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.. Our lives are in ruin and we co-exist under the [], It is interesting reading thoughts, theories and views expressed by all posted on this page from 2012 to 2014. The people of the prince to come were in fact those who destroyed the temple under Titus in 70 A.D. . As a leader with strong Christian values holding various ministerial positions in government at a state and federal level within our country, the writings of Nehemiah was my blue print on how to be strategic, diplomatic and never forgetting my purpose. to quickly repair the breaches in the wall, Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Destruction of the Temple, http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/80353228.jpg, http://www.prophecysociety.org/books/LV2012/LV-091.html. How difficult is it to build a wall? 7Then I said to the king, If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; 8and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the kings forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy. And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. 3The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 30After him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. Ok here is Nehemiah chapter 1 says, 1The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislevin the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa. Just a few years later Cyrus gave his command(at the prompting of YHWH) which allowed the people to return and rebuild the temple. Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. Nehemiah and the people rebuilt 10 city gates. 11Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Despite of them we steadily kept on our building, and the result was that soon all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof - the whole continuous line of wall was completed to half the contemplated height. Will they sacrifice? No one has made it fit the biblical text that way. Kind of like a pervert pedophile looking for a job with the boys choir or the boy scouts, I guess. The Finklestein chronology, which dismisses the biblical record almost entirely, is also incorrect.Dan Bruce, The Prophecy Society. and packages. Back to Nehemiah Even in the the 7th year of Daryavesh I he could be no younger than 70. After hearing about the sad state of affairs in Judah, Nehemiah acquired the kings permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and its fortifications. Your email address will not be published. Being a representative of the king to rebuild jerusalem was such a great feat that he would not have time for a family either.
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