Answer
When the Babylonian exile ended, God called Nehemiah to lead the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Following generations of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God had removed them from the Promised Land (2 Chronicles 36:15–21). Seventy years later, He graciously allowed the nation to return (Jeremiah 29:10). That’s when God assigned Nehemiah the task of rebuilding the wall that protected Jerusalem. Reliable evidence suggests that Nehemiah was written between 424 and 400 BC, when Ezra, a contemporary of his, was ministering as priest.
Knowing how Ezra’s authorship of Nehemiah is determined helps establish when it was written. Originally, Ezra and Nehemiah were one book called “Ezra-Nehemiah.” The book includes internal references to the author. Portions of Ezra include first-person storytelling, reflecting Ezra’s personal experience. For example, “And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn” (Ezra 9:5, ESV). Because of the historical and literary unity of Ezra and Nehemiah, many scholars conclude that Ezra wrote both.
The first-person perspective also occurs in Nehemiah (e.g., Nehemiah 1:1—7:5). These passages likely come from Nehemiah’s own records, which Ezra used as source material. For instance, Nehemiah 1:4 says, “I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (ESV). This suggests that Ezra may have used written sources from Nehemiah, such as his records as governor. Or, since Ezra and Nehemiah served together (e.g., Nehemiah 8:9), Ezra may have used stories that Nehemiah personally told him.
Additionally, verses in Ezra and Nehemiah refer to Ezra as a scribe, a detail that supports his authorship of both books. For example, Ezra 7:6 says he was “a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses” (ESV). Likewise, Nehemiah 8:9 refers to him as “Ezra the priest and scribe” (ESV). In ancient Israel, scribes taught, interpreted, and applied the law. However, one of a scribe’s primary tasks was writing and record keeping. Due to their important role in society, scribes had access to many of Israel’s historical documents. All this supports the suggestion that Ezra wrote Nehemiah.
The context of Israel’s return from exile also sheds light on when the book of Nehemiah was written. When the exile was complete, God used Cyrus, king of Persia, to allow the Israelites to return home. Cyrus announced this decree in 538 BC. He said, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2, ESV). The Israelites returned to Israel in three main groups. Zerubbabel led the first wave in 538 BC (Ezra 1—2). Ezra led the second wave in 458 BC (Ezra 7—8). Finally, Nehemiah led the third wave in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1–8).
The evidence suggests that Ezra wrote the book of Nehemiah between 424 and 400 BC. These dates align with key historical events, like the death of Artaxerxes I in 424 BC and Ezra’s death around 400 BC. By drawing on his own experience, and likely Nehemiah’s, Ezra told the story of God’s faithfulness to Israel after the exile.
