Zerubabbel and Ezra: A Revived and Revised Solomon and Josiah? A Survey of Current 1 Esdras Research

After an introduction into the history of the research, this article reviews commentaries and studies written in the 1980s on Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles, focusing on 1 Esdras. It reviews the contributions dealing with 1 Esdras that were written in the 1990s, then offers some remarks on Qumran research and Ezra Studies. This article presents the author's perspective: that the author of the Vorlage of 1 Esdras compiled the story using 2 Chronicles 35-37, Ezra-Nehemiah, and 2 Kings 22 and its parallels. The author of 1 Esdras inserted the Three Youths Story, reorganized the letters, added Nehemiah 8, and presented the authorial perspective in 1 Esd. 1.21-22, offering an alternative to the biblical Ezra-Nehemiah story.