Peter H.W. Lau, «Gentile Incorporation into Israel in Ezra - Nehemiah?», Vol. 90 (2009) 356-373
In contrast to other texts dated to the post-exilic period, Ezra – Nehemiah is well known for its separatist policy towards gentiles. Two exceptions in EN are the possible participation of foreigners in the Passover ceremony (Ezra 6,19-21) and the community pledge to follow the Torah (Neh 10,29[28]). An examination of antecedent Passover celebrations reveals that participation in the Passover marks out those who are members of ‘true’ Israel. This article argues that these cases indeed exhibit an anomalous inclusiveness, and discusses how it can be understood within the wider ethno-theological thrust of EN.
Gentile Incorporation into Israel in Ezra – Nehemiah? 363
especially necessary to identify those who are part of Israel as it
moves forward into its next stage of national history. Thus, at least
one function of the Passover is to either reaffirm or delineate mem-
bership within Israel as a nation.
2. The Passover in EN
The observance of the Passover in EN both continues certain
themes found in Passover observances in the HB and develops others.
a) Ezra 6,19-22
In EN the return of the exiles from Babylon is presented as a sec-
ond exodus (35). For instance, the provision of silver, gold, and other
gifts for the returnees as they leave Babylon (Ezra 1,4.6) is reminis-
cent of the departure from Egypt (Exod 3,21-22; 11,2; 12,35-36). The
statement closing chapter 1, describing the exiles as ‘brought up from
Babylon to Jerusalem’ (μlçwryl lbbm hlwgh twl[h; Ezra 1,11) is the
echo of ‘brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land’ (tyl[h
≈rah la μyrxm ≈ram; Exod 33,1) (36). Following the list of returnees in
chapter 2, chapters 1–6 then describe the rebuilding of the temple
amidst opposition. Upon completion of the temple, the Passover is
celebrated at the end of Ezra 6. Hence, there is a deliberate drawing
upon the exodus from Egypt in the description of the return from
Babylon throughout the first major section of EN (Ezra 1–6) (37).
(35) S. JAPHET, “People and Land in the Restoration Periodâ€, From the Rivers
of Babylon to the Highlands of Judah. Collected Studies on the Restoration Pe-
riod (Winona Lake, IN 2006) 112; THRONTVEIT, Ezra-Nehemiah 15-18; H.G.M.
WILLIAMSON, Ezra, Nehemiah (Waco, TX 1985) 15-19; H.G.M. WILLIAMSON,
“The Torah and History in Presentations of Restoration in Ezra – Nehemiahâ€,
Reading the Law. Studies in Honour of Gordon J. Wenham (eds. J.G.
MCCONVILLE – K. MÖLLER) (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies
461; New York, NY 2007) 161-162.
(36) WILLIAMSON, Ezra, Nehemiah, 19.
(37) Its reference to YHWH changing the attitude of the king towards the Jews
(Ezra 6,22) marks the conclusion to the section, which began with the same the-
ological sentiment (1,1). WILLIAMSON, Ezra, Nehemiah, 73, suggests the author
reverted back to Hebrew to draw attention the concluding nature of this para-
graph (6,19-22). Although most current scholars agree that Ezra 1-6 is a literary
unit, there is debate concerning its compositional history. WILLIAMSON, “The
Composition of Ezra i–viâ€, 1-30, argues that Ezra 1–6 was composed after the
completion of Ezra 7–Neh 13, and is therefore the final stage in the formation of
Ezra – Nehemiah. More recently, J.L. WRIGHT, Rebuilding Identity. The Ne-
hemiah-Memoir and its Earliest Readers (BZAW 348; Berlin 2004) 338-339,