Dr. Myers' Ezra and Nehemiah,' Inspiration to Bible Students Newest Anchor Bible Volume, Prof. Jacob M. Myers of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Pa., who already has contributed two volumes to the Anchor Bibles series published by Doubelday—Chronicles I and II, continues his biblical research Happy Hanukah to Our Relatives and Friends Dick's Toytown 18289 Wyoming UN 2-4924 work with his newest Anchor Bible, "Ezra and Nehemiah." His interesting new translation of the two biblical books that deal with the era of the return from the Exile in Babylonia is accompanied by valuable notes and by an im- portant contention that the same writer authored Chronicles and Ezra and Nehemiah. The Christian scholar offers interesting views on the history of the Jews in the Babylonian era and the conquest by Cyrus which enabled the return of Jews from the captivity. Nehemiah is the statesman, the administrator, the politician, while Ezra, intro- Greetings BROOKS LAWN SPRINKLER CO. 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President Agnes Bristol, Secretary 872-7870 Holiday Greetings GORDON AND DICK SHELL SERVICE Tune-up — Brakes — Mufflers — Road Aid 18911 Livernois at Clarita DI 1-4555 Holiday Greetings to Our Friends and Patrons TOPINKA'S COUNTRY HOUSE W. Seven Mile & Telegraph KE 1-9000 TOPINKA'S Across from the Fisher Theater THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS TR 5-2614 Friday, December 17, 1965-47 duced as "the second Moses" in the views of his contemporaries, was the spiritual architect. "While Nehemiah tended to the body of Judaism, Ezra ministered to its soul," Dr. Myers declares. There is special significance in Prof. Myers' study in his allusions to Cyrus. Dr. Myers' tells about the decree he issued "permitting the reconstruction of the House of God at Jerusalem and returning the temple vessels taken by Nebuchadnezzar." Dr. Myers' description is according to II Chronicles xxxvi 22-23; Ezra I 1-4, vi 2-5. Cyrus' decisions are de- scribed as being "in harmony with the policy of the great king." The editor's notes appended to his commentary on Ezra adds valu- able viewpoints to the available historic data on Syrus and the Per- sians, the 2,500th anniversary of whose emergence as an autonomous state (Presently Iran) is about to be observed. There is this sum- mary by Dr. Myers: "To judge from the biblical references, the Persians could have had no more zealous sup- porters than the Jews. The Sec- ond Isaiah waxed eloquent over Cyrus: 'He is my shepherd and shall fulfill my purpose fully' (xliv 28a); 'Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped . . . ' (xlv 1). For the religious enthu- siasts he was the anointed (mes- siah) of Yahweh sent as deliv- erer for his people . . ." The status of Jews in the era under discussion is reviewed by Dr. Myers. His work analyzes the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah and the order of their appearance in the present Bibles. After reviewing the contents of Ezra as it deals with the problems of mixed marriages; the covenant subscribed by Nehemiah; the re- ports of the reform measures upon Nehemiah's visit in Jerusalem, Dr. Myers contends that Ezra was in- tended as part of Chronicles, that the writer intended to portray the cultic Jewish community from Da- vid to Ezra, The present order of Ezra-Nehe- miah in our Bibles "was not a downgrading of Nehemiah and his work," Dr. Myers states; "it was rather the exigencies of the situa- tion that dictated the interests and form reflected in the writer's com- position. The memoirs of Nehemiah thus were added as an appendix to the larger corpus of the Chronicler, though the coming of Nehemiah may have antedated that of Ezra." The significant periods dealt with in Ezra and Nehemiah — in postexilic Jewish history—receive thorough scrutiny in Dr. Myers' study and the notes that appear voluminously after his translation serve the scholars who search for biblical knowledge immensely. Dr. Myers picks up the sugges- tion that Ezra was the secretary for religious affairs at the Per- sian court, and as such "must have been invested with legal authority on two levels—that of the court and that of Jewish law Torah. And if the surmise Is correct that he came after Nehe- miah, it follows that he acted with dispatch. Nehemiah had al- ready established a modus viven- di; Ezra gave it legal sanction by applying to the reforms the principles of the law of Moses which he brought along from Babylon and promulgated in Jerusalem and Judah. This is what the Persian King had sent him to do (Ezra vii 25-26). Ezra seems to have gone further in resolving the matter of mixed marriages than Nehemiah; he demanded divorce of the guilty parties. Nehemiah forbade only the intermarriage of the youth." Before turning to the actual study of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Dr. Myers makes this significant statement, one that may apply to modern times and to con- ditions resulting from the forma- tion of Israel: "Difficulties in the post-exilic community were due, very largely, to the failure to support the cultus and to keep it pure. The rehabilita- tion and survival of Israel was ut- terly and unquestionably depend- ent upon the maintenance of a vig- orous and healthy religious institu- tion. That was the unmistakable lesson of its history. And Ezra and Nehemiah devoted all their energy and means to the revitalization of the cult so that Israel might live. The Chronicler's intentions may ac- count for the present order of Ezra- Nehemiah." Dr. Myers' study, his commen- tories, his historic research, thus encourages further study, addi- tional research, and consideration of the issues inspired by the latter comment. His work is scholarly, thought-provoking, an inspiration to Bible students and historians. Holiday Greetings BERRY & SEYBURN Property Management 3500 David Stott Bldg. Happy Hanukah A TO Z CHROME PLATING CO. Polishing - Buffing - Plating T.W. & W.W. 21029 Dequindre, Hazel Park Le Pine LI 5-1535 Sincerest Hanukah Greetings HOA KOW INN Chinese and American Restaurant Specializing in Cantonese Foods 13715 West 9 Mile, West of Coolidge, Oak Park LI 7-4663 Hanukah Greetings INTERNATIONAL METAL PRODUCTS CORP. Coils, Strips, Sheets — Galvanized, Electrolytic 10621 Capital Oak Park 48237 LI 8-8111 Hanukah Best Wishes JEFFERSON STEEL CO. WAREHOUSE 1256 Meldrum LO 7-1600 Happy Hanukah SAUL KATZ CONSTRUCTION CO. 625 Lafayette Bldg. Happy Holiday Greetings KL1P & KURL BEAUTY SALON Reba Paske, Prop. 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