Ezra–Nehemiah and 1–2 Chronicles

Coming from the period of Persian vassalage and standing as the conclusion to the Jewish canon, these books set forth two things crucial for identity formation in the absence of national sovereignty. First, they provide a narrative heritage from creation to the (then) present, traced through genealogy and a rereading of Israel’s national history. Second, they provide an institutional heritage that underwrites the two most essential religious practices, Torah reading and temple worship. Ezra–Nehemiah takes an exclusivist approach to the question of identity, but Chronicles evinces a broader view of Israel’s life among the nations while retaining a firm attachment to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. Israel’s Scriptures end with Jews outside the land and encouraged to return; thus they point to an active God whose intentions for the people are not fully revealed or accomplished.