Athanasius of Alexandria

In his own words on Nehemiah

• Nehemiah 1:1

  [Synopsis on Nehemiah] In the second book he says the same things (as the book of Ezra) concerning the return from Babylon, except the riddles. On the other hand, he relates more things concerning Nehemiah the eunuch, how he too asked for the building of the temple, and how Ezra performed the function of a scribe, while Josue, Baneas and Habia instructed the people. He relates that Ezra explained the knowledge of the Lord by reading; that the people, through his reading, understood what things must be done and celebrated the phase. They also observed a fast in the seventh month, and the feast of the Tabernacles, as is written. "They had not done so since the days of Josue the son of Nun", he says. When Ezra saw Azotian women married to Hebrews, he mourned and cried, and made everyone promise to keep God's law, and he cast out those women, as being joined by unlawful union, and everyone swore to keep the law. And, thus sanctified and cleansed, they rejoiced, and each man went away to his house. It is also told about Ezra that, when the books had been lost owing to the people's negligence and the long captivity, he, being a man fond of virtue, industrious, and a scribe, kept them all with him, and eventually brought them forth and transmitted them to all, and thus preserved the Bible.