EZEL

opening which the Vision of the Chariot afforded for theosophical speculation; no one might discuss It aloud in the presence of a single hearer (.Chag., 11 6).

J. Taylor.

EZEL. — The spot where Jonathan arranged to meet David before the latter's final departure from the court of Saul (1 S 20"). The place is not mentioned elsewhere, and it is now generally admitted that the Heb. text of this passage is corrupt. The true reading seems to have been preserved by the LXX, according to which we should read in v.'" 'yonder cairn,' and in v.i' 'from beside the cairn.'

EZEM (1 Ch 4«).— See Azmon.

EZER.— 1. A Horite 'duke' (Gn 36«, 1 Ch 1"). 2. A son of Ephraim who, according to 1 Ch 7", was slain by the men of Gath. 3. A Judahite (1 Ch 4''). 4. A Gadite chief who joined David (1 Ch 12'). 6. A son of Jeshua who helped to repair the wall (Neh 3"). 6. A priest who ofBciated at the dedication of the walls (Neh 12«).

EZION-GEBER, later called Berenice (Jos. Ant vm. vi. 4). — A port on the Red Sea (on the Gulf of Akabah) used by Solomon for his commerce (1 K 9"). Here also the Israelites encamped (Nu SB's, Dt 2*).

A. J. Maclean.

EZNITE.— See Adino.

EZORA. — The sons of Ezora, in 1 Es 9", take the place of the strange name Klaclmadebai (or Mabnadebai, AVm) in Ezr ICH", where there is no indication of a fresh family.

EZRA (perhaps an abbreviation of Azariah = ' Jahweh helps'), 1. — A Jewish exile in Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes i. Longimanus (b.c. 464-424), who played, as is well known, a prominent part in Jerusalem during the critical period of reform associated with the governor-ship of Nehemiah. Our sources of information regarding him are (1) the autobiographical narratives embodied in Ezr 7-10, and Neh 8-10; and (2) later tradition as embodied in the narrative of the compiler of Ezr.-Neh., and the accounts in the apocryphal books.

According to Ezr 7'-*, Ezra was of priestly descent, and in fact a member of the high-priestly family (a 'Zadokite'). But the Seraiah there mentioned cannot be his father, as this Seraiah had been executed by Nebuchadnezzar in b.c. 586 (133 years before Ezra's appearance). The genealogy may only intend to assert that Ezra belonged to the high-priestly family (cf. also 1 Es 4"- <'). But his priestly descent has been called in question. His work and achievements rather suggest the character of the 'scribe' (sSpfter) par excellence* In the apocalyptic work known as 2 (4) Esdras he is represented as a 'prophet' (2 Es 1').

In order to form a just estimate of Ezra's work and aims, we must picture him as a diligent student of the Law. He doubtless stood at the head — or, at any rate, was a leading figure — of a new order which had grown up in the Exile among the Jews of the 'Golah' or captivity in Babylonia. Among these exiles great Uterary activity apparently prevailed during the later years of the Exile and onwards. The so-called 'Priestly Code' — which must be regarded as the work of a whole school of writers — was formed, or at least the principal part of it, probably between the closing years of the Exile and the arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem (B.C. 536-458), and was doubtless the 'law of God' which Ezra brought with him to Jerusalem. The centre of Jewish culture, wealth, and leisure was at this time — and for some time continued to be— Babylonia, where external circumstances had become (since the Persian supremacy) comparatively favourable for the Jews. In this respect the position of the Jeru-salem community, during these years, afforded a painful

* He is described as ' Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven,' in Ezr 7"-^; as 'Ezra the priest, the scribe,' in Neh 8' 12^; and as ' the priest ' alone in Ezr lO'"- ", Neh 8^. In all these places 'the priest' may easily be due to a redactor's hand.

EZRA, BOOK OF

contrast. The tiny community in Judaea had to wage as a whole a long and sordid struggle against poverty and adverse surroundings. Its religious condition was much inferior to that of the 'Golah.' Moved by religious zeal, and also, it would seem, with the statesman-like view of making Jerusalem once more the real spiritual metropolis of Judaism, Ezra conceived the idea of infusing new life and new ideals into the Judsean community, by leading a fresh band of zealously religious exiles from Babylonia back to Judaea on a mission of reform. With the aid, possibly, of Jews at court, he enlisted the good-will of Artaxerxes, and secured an Imperial firman investing him with all the authority necessary for his purpose. This edict has been preserved in an essentially trustworthy form in Ezr. 7'2-m. aU Jews who so wished could depart from Babylon; offerings were to be carried to the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Law of God was to be enforced. In the 7th year of Artaxerxes (b.c. 458) Ezra collected a band of 1496 men (Ezr 8'-"; in 1 Es 828-41 the number is given as 1690), besides women and children, and started on his journey across the desert. In four months they reached their destination.

Here, after the sacred gifts had been offered in the Temple, Ezra soon learned of the lax state of affairs that prevailed in the holy city, and among the Judaean villages. The 'holy seed' (including even priests and Levites) had ' mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands,' and 'the hand of the princes and deputies' had 'been first in this trespass' (Ezr 9^). Ezra's consequent prayer and confession, in the presence of a large assem-blage of the people, leaid to drastic measures of reform. A general congregation of the community authorizes the estabUshment of a divorce court, presided over by Ezra, which finishes its labours after three months' work: ' and they made an end with the whole business' (10" [corrected text]), many innocent women and children being made to suffer in the process.

In the present form of the narrative Ezra does not emerge again till after an Interval of 13 years, after Nehemiah had arrived in Jerusalem and re-erected and dedicated the city waJls. Shortly after these events (according to the usual chronology, in B.C. 444) the Book of the Law was read by Ezra before the people in solemn assembly, who pledged themselves to obey it. Within the same month (i.e. Tishri, the seventh month) the first of its injunctions to be carried out was the due celebration of the Feast of Booths (Neh 8"-'»).

The sequence of events as described above is not without difficulties. How is the long interval between Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem (b.c. 458) and the promulgation of the Law (B.C. 444) to be explained? It may be, aa Stade has sug-gested, that the compulsory divorce proceedings alienated a conaideiable body of the people, and that the opportune moment for introducing the code was in consequence post-poned. Or — and there is some probability in this view — the chronology niay_ have become dislocated in the present composite narrative, and Ezra may really iiave accomplished the Dulk of his work before Nehemian's arrival. Perliaps with even greater plausibility a case may be made out for

elacingEzra's worksubsequent to Nehemiah's governorship, heyne (JRL p. 54 f .) places it between the two visits (445 and 432). See, further, Nehemiah [Book of], § 3. It is certainly remarkable tliat in their respective memoirs Ezra and Nehemiah mention each other but once.

Ezra's is an austere and commanding figure, which has left a lasting impress upon the religious life of the Jewish people. Ezra is the true founder of Judaism. By investing the Law with a sanctity and infiuence that it had never before possessed, and making it the possession of the entire community, he endowed the Jewish people with a cohesive power wliich was proof against all attacks from without. G. H. Box.

2. Eponym of a family which returned with Zerub. (Neh 121- "■ »»).

EZRA, BOOK OP.— Our present Book of Ezra, which consists of 10 chapters, is really part of a composite work, Ezra-Nehemiah, which, again, is the continuation

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