Unlike the First and Second Books of the Chronicles, the Books of Ezra
and Nehemiah have received considerable attention; partly because their
presentation is more attractive, but more importantly because they
illuminate a period of history about which very little is known:
Jerusalem in the context of the Persian domination of South-West Asia
from 539 to 336 B.C. In other respects, however, there are striking
similarities between these books, textually, linguistically and
theologically: the opening of Ezra repeats the end of 2 Chronicles,
suggesting that the works were originally continuous and possibly by the
same hand or hands; and there is constantly a theological motivation in
the recording of 'historical' events.