Nehemiah (Man living at the time of Exile and Return)

The cupbearer-turned-governor who rebuilds Jerusalem's walls in fifty-two days despite constant sabotage (Nehemiah 1-6). Josephus's chapter title pairs him directly with Ezra, the same pairing their two books share in most English Bibles.

Nehemiah was a Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes who used his position of trust to get permission, funding, and safe passage to rebuild Jerusalem's ruined walls, finishing the job in just fifty-two days despite constant opposition and sabotage attempts. He went on to serve as governor of Judah, enforcing debt relief for the poor and confronting the intermarriage and Sabbath violations that had crept back into Jewish practice. Two other men named Nehemiah appear only in passing, one in the list of returning exiles and another among those who repaired a section of the wall.