Ezra

Ezra narrates the return of part of the Jewish people after seventy years in Babylon, authorized by a Persian decree. The first half follows the rebuilding of the temple, with a moving scene: when the foundations are laid, the young shout for joy and the old weep, because they remember the former temple — and no one can tell the weeping from the celebration. The work is interrupted by political opposition and resumed years later, encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The second half introduces Ezra, a scribe skilled in the Law, who arrives in Jerusalem to teach and lead a reform. It is a book about starting over with fewer resources and more bureaucracy than anyone would like.