Athanasius of Alexandria

In his own words on Ezra

• Ezra 1:1

  [Synopsis on Ezra] These two books were written by the man whose name they bear as a title. This Ezra, being a priest and a scribe, recounted the return of the children of Israel from Persia to Jerusalem. In the first book, he relates how the charge of organizing the return was in the hand of Josue the son of Josedec, and of Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, a Jewish eunuch. The return was occasioned as follows: three soldiers who guarded the king, one of whom was Zerubbabel, were engaged in a competition regarding a certain question, and a promise had been made that the winner should ask the king for whatever he wanted. When the first soldier had said that wine was stronger, and the second that the king was stronger, Zerubbabel contended that women were stronger, and that truth excelled over all things. Because Zerubbabel spoke these things, he won. When he was told to ask what he wanted, he asked for the captives to be released and for Jerusalem to be rebuilt. And it was done as he asked, and the captives were let go. For at that time sixty years of wrath had been completed. The people of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin, together with the Levites, who went up from the captivity to Jerusalem, were in all forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty in number. Their menservants and womenservants were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-four. Their singing men were two hundred and forty-five. Their camels four hundred and thirty-five. Their donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty. The builders were Zerubbabel, Josue the son of Josedec, and Nehemiah. As for Ezra, being skilled in the knowledge of the law, he brought forth the law and read it, and arranged everything pertaining to the temple, and he also it was who used to designate the Levites according to the law. Moreover, he also made sure that strange wives should be cast out by such as had married them during the time of the captivity. They all cast them out indeed, and they cleansed themselves, and, as is written, they observed the phase and a fast according to the law.

• Ezra 3:2-7

  Or rather let them learn of you, who are so well instructed in such histories, how that Jeshua the son of Josedek the priest, and his brother, and Zerubbabel the wise, the son of Salathiel, and Ezra the priest and scribe of the law, as the temple was being built after the captivity, the feast of tabernacles being at hand (which was a great feast and time of assembly and prayer in Israel), gathered the people together with one accord in the great court within the first gate, which is toward the east, and prepared the altar to God, and there offered their gifts and kept the feast. And so afterwards they brought hither their sacrifices, on the sabbaths and the new moons, and the people offered up their prayers. And yet the Scripture says expressly that when these things were done, the temple of God was not yet built; but rather while they thus prayed, the building of the house was advancing. So neither were their prayers deferred in expectation of the dedication, nor was the dedication prevented by the assemblies held for the sake of prayer. But the people thus continued to pray; and when the house was entirely finished, they celebrated the dedication, and brought their gifts for that purpose and all kept the feast for the completion of the work.

  DEFENSE BEFORE CONSTANTIUS 18