Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 07.djvu/454

* EZRA. 406 EZZELINO. was regulated according to its theories and pre- script ions. Naturally, not all the laws were car- ried out, or could be, and it is doubtful whether, at any time in the history of Israel, all the Penta- teuchal regulations were adhered to in their de- tail: but what is important to note is that with Ezra the definite departure begins leading to a conception of Judaism as essentially identical with the observance of canonical minutiae, that may best be designated as Rabbinical or Tal- mudie Judaism. Ezra, besides being called the priest, is ex- plicitly designated as the scribe. He receives the title by virtue of his activity in bringing the new law book before the people. As a scribe, he is the forerunner of the rabbis who in the succeed- ing centuries usurp the place of the priests, and as the students and interpreters of the law be- come the characteristic feature of Judaism, until in the nineteenth century the reaction against Talmudic Judaism set in. For the various views held regarding the reor- ganization of the Jews after the exile, consult: Kosters, German translation. Die Wiederhcrstel- lung Israels (Heidelberg, 1895) ; Meyer, Entste- hung des Judenthums (Halle, 1896) ; with Well- hausen's criticisms in the Gottinger Gelehrte Anzeiyen, February, 1897, and Meyer's answer, Julius Willhausen and nu ine Schrift, Die Entste- li ii ay des Judenthums (Halle, 1897) ; Marquardt, I'liiidamente der jildischen Geschichte (1896); Clievne. Jewish Religious Life After the Exile (New York, 1898). See Ezra, Book of. EZRA, Book of. A record of portions of Jew- ish history after the Babylonian exile. It origi- nally formed in the Jewish canon one book with Nehemiah, and is supposed to have been com- piled by the author of Chronicles from various document 3, such as: (a) the memoirs of Ezra and Nehemiah; (b) accounts of the building of the temple at Jerusalem in the reign of Darius; .(c) lists of heads of priestly and Levitical families; (d) lists of returned exiles — to all of which sources the redactor has made additions of his own. In the Septuagint the two books are still inn' and arc called Esdras B (see Esdras, Books OF). A division into two parts suggests itself, the first of which (chs. i.-vi.) contains: (1) The decree of Cyrus, dated in the first year of his reign and giving permission to the .lews to re- turn to their own land and rebuild their temple. (2) The record of his restoration of the sacred vessels of silver and gold which Nebuchadnezzar bad taken from the temple ami brought to Bab- ylon. (3) The return of a portion of flic people anil the commencement of the work. (4) The obstacles placed in their way. chiefly by the Samaritans, in consequence "I the refusal of the to allow them to share in tin 1 work. (5) The interruption of the work till the second year of Darius Bystaspes, who. having found the decree of Cyrus, confirmed it ami gave the Jews additional privilegi and help bj which thej were led to complete their temple in the sixth year ot lit mm ami reestablish divine worship. This part thus comprises tin- history of the Jews from b.o. 538 to 515. The second pari (chs. i In- seventh year of Artaxer- 1 I (B.I 158 i . and contains: ( 1 ) The .i giving Ezra ant hority to i i Jei usalem with all Jews who wished to aceni ipany him. and reestablish the Jewish State. On this occasion, the King, with his counselors, added large sums of silver and gold to the free-will offerings of the people, and also directed his treasurers in the provinces interven- ing between Babylon and Jerusalem to furnish the expedition liberally with needed supplies. (2) The arrival of Ezra, accompanied by 600 chief men and 200 priests and Levites. (3) The measures taken by Ezra for the suppression of mixed marriages. The historical value of the narrative in Ezra and Nehemiah varies with almost every chapter. It is now considered doubtful whether the mem- oirs of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra vii. 27 to viii. 34. and ix. ; Neh. i. 1 to vii. 5, and xiii. 4-31), in which the two are introduced as speaking in the first person, are authentic; and it seems, in any case, certain that the memoirs do not lie before us in their original form. The decree of Arta- xerxes, more particularly, cannot be regarded as authentic. Strong arguments have also been brought forward against the current theory that any formal return of exiles in large numbers took place in the days of Cyrus. The lists in Ezra and Nehemiah are, on this theory, transferred to the days of Ezra, with whom the movement for a reorganization of the Jewish theocracy thus begins. This theory also carries with it the un- historical character of the narrative regarding the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem long before Nehemiah's times (Ezra iv. 6-23). In short, the compiler of Ezra and Nehemiah ap- proached his theme with a certain theory, and did not hesitate to rearrange his material and make his changes and additions in the documents from which he worked, so as to present the his- tory of the Jews from the days of Cyrus as one continued endeavor on the part of the returned exiles to build this temple and establish the cult in accordance with the supposed laws given by Moses ; whereas in reality it was the Jews who had remained in Judea and Jerusalem by whom the work of rebuilding the temple was begun, tin exiles playing no part till B.C. 445, on the occasion of Nehemiah's first visit to Jerusalem. The late W. K. Kosters of Leyden, who first propounded this theory, also claimed that Ezra did not come to Jerusalem till Nehemiah's second visit in B.C. 433. and that it was on this occasion that the new law-book was brought to the people at the assembly which marks the constitution of the congregation of Israel. Certain features of this theory, such as the late date of Ezra's arrival, have been generally rejected; but the doubts cast upon the authenticity of the events, at least in the order as related by the compiler of Ezra and Nehemiah, appear to be justified, though further investigation is required to dispose of some of the problems thai still beset the scholar for the period B.C. 538- 130, which is one of the most puz- zling in Jewish history. Consult, besides the works referred to under Ezra, Torrey's important monograph on The CniiiiMisitidii mill Historic Value Of Ezra mill Velinii inli (liiessen. IsPdi. ami II uimienta- ries on Ezra and Nehemiah by Kyle, Keil, Oettli, ami Siegfried, (hough in view of the direction re ecnily taken by Old Testament studies on Ezra- Nehemiah, these arc in part antiquated. See K/i: 1 : i:iii;miai[. EZZELINO. ct's.-le'm'.. in Romano. An Ital- ian Ghibelline family, The first Ezzelino was B