Ezra
Ezra
Technical
Critical
Jewish

Ezra

in Anchor Yale Bible

by Tamara Cohn Eskenazi

5 Rank Score: 5.32 from 1 reviews, 2 featured collections, and 1 user libraries
Pages 504
Publisher Yale University Press
Published 2023
ISBN-13 9780300149692
A new translation and commentary on the biblical book of Ezra by the renowned author of two award-winning biblical commentaries

The book of Ezra is a remarkable testament to a nation’s ability to survive and develop a distinctive identity under imperial rule. But Ezra is far more than a simple chronicle; it constitutes a new biblical model for political, religious, and social order in the Persian Empire.

In this new volume, Tamara Cohn Eskenazi outlines how the book of Ezra documents the radical transformation that followed reconstruction after the fall of Jerusalem and Judah. The extensive introduction employs literary and historical methodologies to highlight the book’s innovations, including its textualization of the tradition, as well as the unprecedented role of the people as chief protagonists. The translation and commentary incorporate evidence from ancient and contemporaneous primary sources from Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Persia, along with new archaeological studies of Judah. With great care and detail, Eskenazi demonstrates how the book of Ezra creates a blueprint for survival after destruction, shaping a new kind of society and forging a new communal identity.

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This highly anticipated volume promises to contribute greatly to the study of Ezra-Nehemiah. Eskenazi is a highly respected voice in Ezra-Nehemiah studies, known particularly for her insightful and historically aware literary readings of these text. This commentary will offer the fruits of a long and influential scholarly career focused on these texts. The volume promises to set a new standard in the study of Ezra-Nehemiah and to update the field in relation to several advances in our understanding of the archaeology, history, and social and economic shape of the Persian Period. [Full Review]