Nehemiah
A Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king who became governor of Judah, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days and enforced reforms of debt, Sabbath and temple. Much of the book of Nehemiah is his own account.
Nehemiah son of Hacaliah served King Artaxerxes I as cupbearer at Susa (Nehemiah 1:1, 11). He was governor of Judah from the king’s twentieth year to the thirty-second, and came back for a second term after a visit to court (Nehemiah 5:14) (Nehemiah 13:6–7). He rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem in the face of Sanballat and his allies (Nehemiah 6:15–16), and his account is punctuated by short prayers that God would remember what he had done (Nehemiah 5:19; 13:14, 31).
Ben Sira honours him among the great men of Israel (Sirach 49:13), and a letter preserved in 2 Maccabees credits him with founding a library of the books about the kings and prophets and the writings of David (2 Maccabees 2:13). Josephus says that he lived to a great age (Josephus, Antiquities 11.183).
In the timeline
- 445 BC, estimated dateNehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king, is sent to Judah as governor and rebuilds the ruined walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days against the opposition of Sanballat of Samaria. He then reforms the city’s debts, Sabbath and temple.