The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem : Neh 2:1-9 and the use of Zoroastrian principles
2008; Volume: 34; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0259-0131
Autores Tópico(s)Historical and Linguistic Studies
ResumoNehemiah, cupbearer of King Artaxerxes I (465-425/424 BCE), was informed by Hanani and his companions from Yehud about the bad situation of the Jewish inhabitants of the province of Yehud and Jerusalem. He determined to go to Yehud to try and rectify the situation, but he needed permission from the Achaemenian-Zoroastrian king Artaxerxes. Nehemiah risked his life and asked for permission to go to Jerusalem, which the king had very recently considered a bad and rebellious city. It is suggested that the secret of Nehemiah's success in receiving permission was his clever and exact planning of his decisive and crucial meeting with the king. Nehemiah, who was close to the king and desperately wanted to strengthen Yehud and save Jerusalem from its shame, based his argument primarily on key values of the Zoroastrian faith. As senior minister in the palace, he was familiar with the king's religion and the king's faithfulness to his principles, and cognisant of the Persian Empire's difficulties in ruling and holding the Province Beyond the River, and especially Yehud. Accordingly, Nehemiah skilfully demonstrated to the king that his request was consistent with Zoroastrian principles, and that neither his journey nor his actions in Yehud would jeopardise the peace or stability of the empire. His actions might even contribute toward ruling the province and stabilising the surrounding sensitive area.
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