Reforms+of+Ezra+and+Nehemiah

Reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah: Ezra and Nehemiah led a group of Jews back from Babylonian Exile during the reign of Artaxerxes II. Upon returning, Nehemiah rebuilt the city walls and they undertook to reenforce the laws of the Torah, specifically regarding the sanctity of the Sabbath and observance of Temple rites. Ezra’s name is associated with several institutions, including the Minhah service on Sabbath, court sessions on Monday and Thursday, etc. Ezra and Nehemiah also saw that many people had intermarried with non-Israelite peoples. They introduced the concept of the “holy seed,” dissolving mixed marriages and removing foreign women and interbred in order to preserve Israelite purity in lieu of territorial differentiation.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5967-ezra-the-scribe http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11422-nehemiah See also Rachel Haverlock's article, "Maps and Legends" page 10.