Undercurrents in Restoration Literature: Abraham and the Promise of the Land in Nehemiah 9:6-37

This article examines the intertwined roles of Abraham and the promise of the land in Neh 9:6-37. I argue that Israel's ownership of the land is the thematic axis that binds the two parts of the prayer in Nehemiah 9: the historical survey (vv. 6-31) and the description of the current generation (vv. 32-37). The discussion of this confessional prayer underscores the strong connection between Abraham and the land and shows how its author rewrites history in order to create a continuous connection between the people and the land. Although Abraham is central in other exilic- and restoration-generation texts, and in the dispute over the land between the locals and the returnees, his role in Nehemiah 9 differs. There Abraham represents the aspiration of a circle among the returnees for restored hegemony over the land, in opposition to the prevailing ideology of Ezra-Nehemiah, which supported the Persian regime.