Nehemiah, Book of

The Book of Nehemiah was originally part of a single work with Ezra in the Hebrew canon, together recounting the return from Babylonian exile and the restoration of Jerusalem. The book draws heavily on Nehemiah's personal memoirs (chs. 1–7; 12:27–47; 13), supplemented by lists, a prayer of confession (ch. 9), and the covenant renewal account (ch. 10). Its central narrative is the 52-day rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah's leadership despite Samaritan opposition. The great assembly of Ezra 8–10 (Nehemiah's ch. 8–10 in most numbering), during which Ezra read the law and the people wept and renewed the covenant, represents the spiritual culmination of the restoration period. The book covers events from approximately 445 to 433 B.C.