Nehemiah maps & timelines

Geographic Context

Nehemiah begins in Susa, one of the capitals of the Persian Empire, far to the east, where Nehemiah serves the king. From there he travels the long route to Jerusalem, some nine hundred miles, carrying royal letters that secure his passage through the provinces “Beyond the River,” the Persian territory west of the Euphrates.

The heart of the book is Jerusalem itself, and much of it maps the city’s own geography: the circuit of the broken wall and its gates — the Sheep Gate, the Fish Gate, the Valley Gate, the Dung Gate, the Fountain Gate, and the rest — repaired section by section, and the surrounding Kidron and Hinnom valleys. The opposition comes from the neighboring provinces and peoples: Sanballat from Samaria to the north, Tobiah the Ammonite from across the Jordan to the east, and Geshem the Arab from the south, who ring the small province of Judah.

Timeline of Major Events

• 445 BC - Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem’s ruin and is sent by Artaxerxes as governor.
• 445 BC - The wall is rebuilt in fifty-two days despite fierce opposition.
• 445 BC - Ezra reads the Law; the people confess their sin and seal a covenant.
• 445 BC - Jerusalem is repopulated, and the wall is dedicated with great joy.
• c. 433 BC - Nehemiah returns to Persia after his term as governor.
• c. 432 BC - Nehemiah comes back to Jerusalem and reforms the renewed abuses.