UCLA

The biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah portray the return and restoration of exiled Judeans set in the Persian period. Evidence suggests the post-exilic period included immense difficulties for various groups of returnees. In this study, I argue that they navigated their struggles, in part, at the intersection of ritual and economy—that is, the place where ritual actions overlap and intertwine with the movement of material resources, often in the form of exchange. In order to investigate and hypothesize about motivations behind decision-making at this intersection, this study draws on economic anthropology and ritual theory to form a methodological framework. The analysis covers three ritual realms: freewill offerings, marriage rituals, and the Sabbath. Freewill offerings presented by returnees upon arrival in Jerusalem, as portrayed in Ezra 2:68-69, provided an important opportunity to performatively present their wealth, engender trust, and demonstrate group commitment in order to build mutually supportive relationships. Similarly, the ritual and economic elements involved in the intermarriage episodes of Ezra 9-10 and Neh 13:23-28, supported with comparative evidence from the Elephantine marriage documents (TAD B2.6, B3.3, B3.8), functioned for some as a way to establish and build a support network outside the returnee community and for others as a way encourage inner-group relationships. Lastly, the closing of the gates of Jerusalem as part of the Sabbath episode (Neh 13:15-22), which kept out merchants as well as economic resources, becomes an integral part of the Sabbath day ritual, functioning to limit relationship with outsiders. Ultimately, the intersection of ritual and economy within these three ritual realms is the place where relationships are formed, maintained, and/or broken. Certain community leaders sought to use this space to encourage inner-communal relationships whereas others, including wealthy and elite groups, tended to prioritize external connections, often at the expense of their fellow returnees.