had a special reverence for the legal parts of the Bible. The Pentateuch had played a dominant role in his life. His conception of religion, like that of Ezra, was closely linked with the law. If one could keep the law, the highest ideal of his religious life would be reached. This prayer has a simple structure. It starts with an invocation of God, proceeds to a confession of sins, then a request to the Lord to remember his people, and concludes with a request for success. Some scholars regard this