An Atheist Explores the Bible Part 83: Accidental Proof That Civil Law Is Better Than Religious Law (Ezra 6-10)

Ezra 6-10
Accidental proof that Civil Law is better than Religious Law.

Welcome to another instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Bible version).
In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the King James Bible, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.
For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/2F8f9JT
For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP

And now:

Ezra 6
“Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.”

The adventures in Babylonian planning laws continue, as Darius finds records from the time of Cyrus that confirms what the Jews say, so Darius tells Tatnai and Shetharboznai to allow the work to continue on the temple. Furthermore he promises material help and threatens to hang anyone who hampers the Jews from his own roof timbers. Unsurprisingly the work is finished, and sacrifices are made to consecrate the new temple.

Ezra 7
“This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.”

Ezra finally enters his eponymous book. Ezra is a Jewish scribe sent by Ataxerxes of Persia (next but one after Darius, so some time has moved on since the last chapter), and the bulk of this chapter is the text of the writ given to him by Ataxerxes, to bring money to the temple and to enforce religious law. This includes the power to gather tithes and also grant considerable privileges to the Levites to be free from taxation, arrest and so forth. It’s interesting that these Persian kings are offering such generous terms to the Jews, and also that Ataxerxes is granting Ezra such power to enforce it, ultimately in the name of Ataxerxes but still pretty much in accordance with Mosaic law. I think it speaks very highly of Persia that it should grant such a deal of religious freedom.

The chapter shifts to first person in the last few verses, with Ezra himself describing his own actions.

Ezra 8
“And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.”

I think a couple of times in previous books the narrative has shifted to first person as one character has reported action to another, but to my recollection this is the first time the book itself becomes first person, and it lends it a good level of immediacy, even if the action in this chapter is not enormously compelling.

As most biblical books ought, this starts with a lengthy genealogy of the people travelling with Ezra, but then after a count they realize that not Levites are with them, so they send for some and place all the treasures in their safe-keeping. Ezra’s party also hold a fast to atone for the fact that Persian soldiers are protecting them rather than solely relying on God, and after a short break for this they continue on their way and reach Jerusalem, where offerings are made.

Ezra 9
“And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.”

Ezra learns that the Jews have inter-married with the various Amorites, Moabites etc. (you know them all by now), and also, it is implied, taken on some of their religious practices. He is so distraught by this that he tears his clothes and pulls out his hair and beard (for which: ouch!), and prays to God for forgiveness. A couple of points of interest here – I do like the word “astonied”, presumably a variant or precursor of “astonished” but it carries overtones of being paralysed with shock. Also that Ezra refers to the Jews returning from captivity as a “remnant”, which given the numbers in the tallies in this chapter compared to the numbers when reckoned by the various kings, they are very few. Some family groups being in the tens, where before the numbers were all tens of thousands.

I may have mentioned before that the whole racial purity aspect of the laws makes me uncomfortable, and it seems especially pointless given that several of the named heroes and patriarchs have been from mixed parentage. Given that some of the religions seem to involve child sacrifice, I can see the wisdom in avoiding that kind of cultural crossover, however.

Ezra 10
“Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”

The book of Ezra kind of fumbles to an end. Ezra passes a judgement that all “strange wives” and children resulting from such a marriage should be “set aside”. We don’t know what this means in practical terms. There’s a very disturbing ethnic cleansing element to this all, even if the wives and children are merely sent away somewhere or just divorced and disowned. Given how few the Jews are, and given how many of them have married foreigners (the chapter ends with a list of the most significant) it seems like a harsh way to end, and compares very poorly with the fair legal judgments of the Persian kings that begin this chapter. The intent is probably not meant to be that civic law is preferable to religious law, but that’s what I take away from this book.

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