Biblical Facts

Tobiah was not a priest, so moving his household furniture into the temple desecrated the area (13:5, 7). His presence in the temple also meant… Read More »Household furniture

Dedications were ceremonies performed to consecrate something or someone for service to the Lord.

Why did the small towns of Judah send people to live in Jerusalem? In Nehemiah’s time, Jerusalem was only one-fourth the size it had been… Read More »Why did the small towns of Judah send people to live in Jerusalem?

Seals in the ancient Near East (e.g., 10:1) were stamps pressed into soft wax on documents that demonstrated ownership or authorship.

Word pictures for worship and teaching. Religious images were strictly forbidden under the Mosaic law, but Israel’s leaders often used vivid imagery in their story-telling… Read More »Word pictures for worship and teaching

The Feast of Booths (8:2) marked the end of the agricultural year. It was a time to celebrate God’s provision and to ask his blessing… Read More »The Feast of Booths

Can Nehemiah’s wall be seen today? In the 2,500 years since Nehemiah’s day, Jerusalem has been rebuilt, destroyed, and rebuilt again. This has made evidence… Read More »Can Nehemiah’s wall be seen today?

An open letter (6:5) was one that was read to the entire public, not just the individual to whom it was addressed. By publicly claiming… Read More »Open letter

The returned exiles would sometimes mortgage their property (5:3) to raise money for the heavy taxes imposed on them. This mortgaging would have involved temporarily… Read More »Mortgage their property

Why did so many local people oppose Nehemiah? After the exile, people who had been living in Judah for over a hundred years saw it… Read More »Why did so many local people oppose Nehemiah?

What was the Ophel? The Ophel (3:26) was a hill in Jerusalem between the Kidron and Central Valleys. It was northeast of the older City… Read More »What was the Ophel?

The fortress of the temple (2:8) provided extra defense for the temple area, since this section of Jerusalem was very vulnerable to attack. Many other… Read More »The fortress of the temple