these three chapters has its own independent origin and that the core of Neh. 8 has been moved from its original position in the Ezra memoir. But the result of this assemblage is not merely a jumble of bits and pieces. The various elements have, rather, been put together in a way that creates a pleasing overall theological unity. Ignoring the details which sometimes sit uneasily with each other, the major elements in these chapters are: proclamation of the law—confession-renewal of commitment to