Ezra

Who is Ezra?

Ezra, also called Ezra the Scribe and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible he returned from the Babylonian exile and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem. According to First Esdras, a non-canonical Greek translation of the Book of Ezra, he was also a high priest.

His name may be an abbreviation of Azaryahu, "God-helps". In the Greek Septuagint the name is rendered Esdras, from which Latin: Esdras.

The Book of Ezra describes how he led a group of Judean exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem where he enforced observance of the Torah and cleansed the community of mixed marriages.

Ezra, known as "Ezra the scribe" in Chazalic literature, is a highly respected figure in Judaism.