The first readings for the beginning of this week are taken from the Book of Ezra – a book that might not be familiar to you. Here is “the big picture”: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah are two of the historical books of the Old Testament that tell the story of the return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Book of Ezra begins with the decree of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and rebuild the temple. While the Temple was dedicated in 516 BC, religious reforms were another matter. Ezra was not with the original returnees. He arrived in Jerusalem in 458 BC some 80 years after the decree of Cyrus the Great. Continue reading →