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Of the state of the Jews in the days of Ezra the Scribe.

Henceforward we are not to look on the Jews, free, rich and glorious, under the direction of Prophets and warlike Monarchs; they had been sold as slaves by their conquerors, and dispersed throughout all their vast and mighty Empires. Some few of the favored, eminent and worthy characters obtained posts of honor, who distinguished themselves in the discharge of those duties imposed on them in their several appointments. Of the great number of the people who had been carried into captivity, scarcely more than fifty thousand returned to Jerusalem, and those were principally of the poorer classes, who, it must be noticed, are in all ages the most religious. The richer portion of the nation remained behind—and, as proverbial with the Jews for their charity and fellow feeling, they raised among themselves a subscription sufficient to enable their brethren to proceed on their holy pilgrimage.

The proposal made to the Jews was, that they should be governed by their own laws; but as they became subject to Persia, and subsequently to Syria and Rome, their privileges, and even the exercise of their religion, greatly depended on the caprice of their several conquerors. Immediately on the publication of the edict, the Chief of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Babylon, with the Priests and Levites; and as many who retained a love for their country and a zeal for the honor of their God, were disposed to return to that once happy land, and now came and signified their intention of returning. The wealthy portion, and many who formed connections with them, and were engaged in traffic, or had acquired places and employments, chose rather to stay and content themselves with raising a large contribution to supply their brethren with what they could spare of gold, silver, and other valuables for the Temple.

The book of Ezra informs us of the three great and pious men whom God raised up to assist the poor Jews, and gives us some particulars of their return to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel, who built the Temple and the Altar; Ezra, who reformed and re-established the sacred religion to its former standard, which, during the captivity had undergone many changes and innovations; as the people were not in a position at that time fully to observe it, as it was practised in the palmy days of their Fathers; and Nehemiah, who built the walls of the City, and ably assisted Ezra in his good work in introducing and ultimately effecting a great and solid improvement among the people. This book embraces a period of about one hundred and forty-six years, and the acts thereof were accomplished during the reigns of six successive Persian Monarchs, viz: Cyrus, Darius, Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, Darius the second, and a second Artaxerxes. About eighty years after their establishment, Ezra obtained a full commission from Artaxerxes to succeed Zerubbabel, the present Viceroy, and return to Jerusalem, with as many of the nation as were willing to go with him; and there to regulate and reform all matters of State, and restore the worship of the true God among his people in the city of Jerusalem.

The high reputation of Ezra in the Court of Persia, may be imagined by the nature of the commission granted to him by the King, who addressed him as the Priest of the Law of the God of Heaven; and declared to him as his decree, that whosoever felt desirous to go up to Jerusalem were permitted to do so freely and safely; and furthermore, that they should take with them presents direct from the King himself, as a proof of his sanction and approbation. In the middle of March, about the year of the World 3540, Ezra set out on his journey, and pitched his tents on the banks of the river Ahavah, where he waited till his companions had assembled together, from whom he selected a number of Priests and Levites to assist him on the journey.

As soon as Ezra had collected about him a large body of people, he issued a proclamation for a general fast and days of thanksgiving, to implore the blessing and protection of God. He then proceeded on his journey, and arrived safely with all his company at Jerusalem in the middle of the month of July, being about four months after he had set out for Jerusalem.

Having arrived at Jerusalem, Ezra convened all the Elders of the people, before whom he laid open his Commission and had it publicly read to all the people. He then delivered up to the Treasury and the Priests, all the presents which had been made by the Persian Monarch and his Nobility; also the presents of those Jews who preferred to remain at Babylon.

Ezra then appointed Judges and Magistrates, and gave each of them their Commission, empowering them to enforce the Laws as laid down for the general government of the people.

Ezra maintained the supreme authority under his Commission from the Persian Court, during thirteen years, occupying himself with the faithful discharge of every part of his sacred duty, with unfeigned and pious zeal and assiduity. And still it seems that Ezra had not power or influence enough fully to accomplish by himself, his noble and praiseworthy enterprise.

About this time it was that Nehemiah, of whom we shall speak in the following Chapter, succeeded Ezra as Governor or Viceroy, and he brought with him a new Commission, with fresh power and authority from the Persian Court.

Ezra, now with a graceful and pious condescension, assumed a subordinate station. He acted as President to the Sanhedrin, the Grand Council of the Elders, and employed the whole of his time in reforming the Temple service, which had been sadly abused during the long captivity, and succeeded in restoring all its former rites and discipline. He carefully examined all the sacred Books, revised and corrected them. He then divided and fixed the number of Books to twenty-four, such as are now in use among the Hebrew Nation, called the Old Testament. Ezra was learned and well versed in them all; his high station and authority enabled him to collect the best copies from which to take the standard. In addition to all this, Ezra being himself inspired, and zealous in the sacred cause, and favored as he was with the valuable assistance of the three later Prophets, Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi, no doubt exists in the hearts of the Jewish Nation that the Bible now in their possession, is the same which existed in the days of the great Patriot for his God and his Religion, the inspired Ezra.

One of the strongest proofs that the Jews are correct in this respect is, that recent travelers have stated in all their journals, that wherever they met with Jews and their Synagogues they found a uniformity in the Scroll of the Law as read in the Jewish Church; besides, if we take into our consideration that Moses either wrote himself, or had written, thirteen copies of the Pentateuch, one of which he gave to each of the twelve Tribes, and the other he deposited in the Ark to remain there, in obedience to God's command in Deuteronomy, Chap, xxxi: 26, it is not at all surprising that the Jews have the original law in their possession, as handed down from Moses, the Divine Legislator.

When Nehemiah was established in his new Government, Ezra being relieved from the public duties and affairs of the State, now employed himself in expounding the Scriptures to the people, from morn till noon; and that he might be properly heard and understood, he had a platform fixed in one of the widest streets in the City. Ezra, himself, was raised upon the middle of the platform, and on each side of him stood the Priests, who were assistants and interpreters; and as Ezra read the Law in the Hebrew, the Priests explained it to the people in the Chaldee language, which had become familiar to them in consequence of their long sojourn in the great City of Babylon. In this way it was, that all the people of the Holy City, as well as those who came from very distant parts, especially on the Festivals and Holy days, could thus have the Bible and the Law explained to them, and their duty fully recommended to them every day, or at least regularly every Sabbath.

It must here be noticed, that all those Jews who had settled themselves in Alexandria and all the Grecian Provinces, had the Bible interpreted to them in the Greek language, after that the Bible had been translated into that language. From this circumstance it arose that those of the people who used the Greek language in the Synagogues, were called Hellenists, to distinguish them from those who continued the use of the Chaldee language.

The last work which Ezra performed, was, the restoring to the people the sacred service of the Temple, according to the original and usual form before the captivity. He revised and amended the Jewish Liturgy, adding many new prayers and forms of Thanksgiving composed since the return from Babylon, on the blessings of Liberty and freedom from bondage. This pious and truly religious man composed also the service used at the dedication of the new Temple; and he carefully arranged all the Psalms and Hymns chanted on that occasion by the Priests and the Levites, in the house of God. Many of the prayers above noticed, are still extant among the Jewish Nation, of which we shall have to speak in a future Chapter.

Ezra as a Priest, a Preacher of righteousness, and a skilful Scribe of the Law of God, unweariedly continued the reformation he had begun. He spent almost the whole of his time in preparing correct editions of the Holy Scripture—as during the captivity at Babylon, many copies had been lost, and many of them had been destroyed by the enemy—those which remained were chiefly in the hands of private individuals. Ezra, therefore, carefully examined these copies, and corrected those errors which may have been made, probably through the carelessness of the various transcribers.

It is stated, that in the Church of Saint Dominic, in Bononia, or Bologna, in Italy, there is a copy of the Law, kept with great care, said to be written by Ezra himself, upon leather made up into a roll according to the ancient manner, and in the same form as used now among the Israelites of the present day. This very eminent, pious and good man, may truly be said to be a second founder of the Jewish Church and State—a character highly esteemed, honored and beloved—zealous for his God, and anxious only for the happiness and welfare of his people.

Ezra had now been some years succeeded by his friend and coadjutor Nehemiah, whom Ezra had originally introduced at the Court of Persia; and to whom he had rendered every assistance in his power to enable him to discharge his mission with credit to himself, and satisfaction to the Government by whom he was engaged.

Ezra continued to employ the remainder of his life in the religious affairs of his Nation. There is some doubt entertained as to the place where he died—some suppose that he died and was buried in Jerusalem—others again assert that in his old age Ezra returned to the Court of Persia, and died there at the advanced age of one hundred and twenty years. Ezra brings down the history of his Nation to the twentieth year of Ahasuerus, the then reigning King of Persia.