The Book of Ezra

A book in the Old Testament. It is believed to have been written around the 3rd century BC and consists of 10 chapters. Originally, it and the following book, Nehemiah, formed a single book called the Book of Ezra. Both Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders who played important roles in the development of Judaism after the Babylonian Captivity (587-538 BC), but the title of the book does not refer to the name of the protagonist or author, but rather to Ezra's name, which represents the religious spirit of the time. The contents are divided into (1) the liberation from captivity, the return to the homeland, and the struggle to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (chapters 1-6), and (2) the return of the legalist Ezra and the religious reform (chapters 7-10). The reform demanded strict adherence to the law and was characterized by the prohibition of intermarriage with pagans. These paved the way for the later Jewish idea of ​​the law as the first priority and the view of the chosen people based on the purity of the race.

[Akio Akio]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

『旧約聖書』中の一書。紀元前3世紀ごろの成立とされ、10章からなる。本来はこの書に続く「ネヘミヤ記」とともに、一冊の「エズラ記」を形成していた。エズラもネヘミヤもともに、ユダヤ民族のバビロン捕囚（前587～前538）後のユダヤ教の発展に重要な役割を果たした指導者であるが、書名は主人公や著作者名を表すものではなく、むしろエズラの名にその時代の宗教精神を託したものである。内容は、(1)捕囚からの解放と故国への帰還、エルサレム神殿再建の苦心（1～6章）、(2)律法学者エズラの帰還と宗教改革（7～10章）に分かれる。その改革は徹底的な律法の遵守を要求し、異教徒との雑婚の禁止を特徴とする。これらは、後のユダヤ教の律法第一主義と民族の純血を基盤にした選民観に道を開いた。

［秋輝雄］

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