Nehemiah, Cup-Bearer to Emperor Artaxerxes
Governor of Judah and Builder of Jerusalem's Walls and Gates
May 17, 2009
Jerusalem, a city of three faiths, has over the centuries been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The work of a leading, yet for some controversial, Israeli archaeologist has rekindled interest in one particular Biblical builder.
Dung Gate
On November 9, 2007 at Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv Dr Eilat Mazar told conference delegates that she had discovered parts of Nehemiah’s wall close to Jerusalem’s Dung Gate. She confidently dated the wall after finding pottery shards and arrowheads at the scene, said to be from the 5th century BCE.
Her discovery has been the catalyst for considerable academic debate. Ephraim Stern, Professor of Archaeology at Hebrew University at the time agreed with Mazar’s dating of the wall.
However Israel Finkelstein, Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University cast doubt on the dating. He said: “The pottery and other artefacts do not indicate that the wall was built in the time of Nehemiah.”
Nehemiah’s Biblical Story
Little is known about Nehemiah except that he was a Jew and a cup-bearer to Persian emperor, Artaxerxes I who ruled from around 465 BCE to 424. As a cup-bearer Nehemiah was a man of rank, responsible for serving wine at the emperor’s table and protecting him from poisoning.
Nehemiah 2: tells of a conversation with the emperor: “How can I help looking sad when the city (Jerusalem) where my ancestors are buried is in ruins…” Nehemiah then pleaded with the emperor to be allowed to return to Judah to start the rebuilding work.
Artaxerxes granted his request and appointed him Governor of Judah. He gave him letters of introduction to other governors in the region and allowed him access to building materials from the royal parks.
It seems likely that the emperor hoped that Nehemiah would bring stability to the region and increase the security of his empire.
The Bible tells of his arrival in Jerusalem, probably around 445 BCE and without the knowledge of local officials he travelled through the Valley Gate, south past Dragon’s Fountain to the Rubbish Gate inspecting the ruined walls and broken gates as he went along.
After revealing himself to the city elders he persuaded them to take pride in their city and work together to rebuild the walls.
“This is how the city wall was rebuilt. The High Priest Eliashib and his fellow priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate dedicated it and put the gate in place. They dedicated the wall as far as the tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.” (Nehemiah 3)
“The clan of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They put the beams and gate in place, and put in the bolts and bars for locking the gate.” (Nehemiah 3:3)
“Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah rebuilt Jeshanah Gate…” (Nehemiah 3:6)
A History of Jerusalem
Karen Armstrong, A History of Jerusalem, suggests that the building work was concentrated on the old City of David and that Biblical text gives a picture of how the city was laid out.
The markets ran along the western wall of the city; priests lived next to the Temple on the site of the old Ophel fort. Craftsmen lived in the south-eastern section of the city while the soldiers were quartered in the northern section, thought to be the most vulnerable part of the city.
After Nehemiah had completed the building he remained as governor for twelve years. At some point after 433 BCE he returned to Jerusalem for a second term as governor and carried out religious reforms in the city.
Today the work of Dr Eilat Mazar continues. She said: “It’s nice to touch your history.”
Sources:
Etgar Lefkovits, Nehemiah’s Wall Uncovered, Jerusalem Post November 28, 2007.
Good News Bible, The Book of Nehemiah
Jewish Virtual Library, Jerusalem – The City of David, Original source Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (August 18, 2008)
Karen Armstrong, A History of Jerusalem, Harper Collins 1997
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