If, as we have seen, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah contain much more than merely the recollections of Ezra and Nehemiah, the centrality of their respective contributions within the books is nevertheless readily apparent. That what Ezra and Nehemiah offer are stories is evidenced by the presence of characters, setting, and plot,9 but begs the question: what sort of stories do Ezra and Nehemiah offer? Most obviously, these are stories not about the future (as
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