EZRA, Book of. For the discussion of the original union of Ezra with Nehemiah and Chronicles and for the date of the complete work, see CHRONICLES.
The book of Ezra covers the history from 537 B.C. to 458, although some would substitute another date for the latter one. Most of this period is described very briefly, with extended sections of which nothing is said; it is the narrative of the events of the year 458 that is most extended, chapters vii-x.
Chapters i-vi are claimed to rest upon cer tain official documents which were partly in Hebrew and much more largely in Aramaic. Whether this claim is true is a matter on which there is difference of opinion; it is probable i that it is in large measure true, but perhaps not altogether. The remainder of the book, chapters vii-x, is evidently based upon memoirs of Ezra. These memoirs as they now appear are partly in the first person, having been quoted by the writer verbatim or with slight changes, and partly in the third person, hav ing been considerably rewritten. Ezra vii, 27 ix, 15 are of the former kind; Ezra vii, 1-26; 10, of the latter kind.
The question of the historic city of Ezra and Nehemiah is one of much difficulty. The com piler seems to have had access to more ac curate records for this period than for the earlier time covered in the books of Chronicles. Nevertheless, there are many unhistorical de tails in these books, and many that are doubt ful. Ezra iv, 7-24a is out of its chronological order. The question of the proper order is one on which there is much difference of opinion.
The register of returning exiles in Ezra ii is substantially identical with that in Nehemiah vii, 6-73a, where it is put chronologically at a later point. The connection in Nehemiah is probably more nearly the original one, and the connection in Ezra is unhistorical.
The so-called Septuagint translation of Ezra and Nehemiah, which some have considered to be actually the version of Theodotion, is called 2 Esdras, Esdras being the equivalent of Ezra.
1 Esdras is a so-called apocryphal book, now known only in Greek. It contains the book of Ezra, practically entire, with small portions of 2 Chronicles and of Nehemiah. It is now generally accepted that the book of 1 Esdras is a variant recension of these portions, trans lated from a Hebrew and Aramaic original. There is considerable chronological rearrange ment of the material, and the order of 1 Esdras is now considered to be on the whole superior. 1 Esdras iii, 1-v, 6 is the only portion which has no parallel in these other books.
Bibliography.— Adeney. W. E., 'Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther'
Bible,' New York 1893) ; Batten, L. W., 'The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah' ((International Criti cal Commentary,' New York 1913) ; Davies, T. W.,