Ezra, a prominent figure in Jewish history, played a crucial role in the formation of the Biblical Canon. As a scribe and priest, Ezra led the people of Israel in restoring their religious practices and laws after their return from exile in Babylon. He is traditionally credited with overseeing the compilation and organization of the Hebrew Bible, which laid the foundation for the Old Testament as we know it today.

Under Ezra's leadership, the Hebrew Bible underwent a process of canonization, where certain texts were selected and recognized as authoritative scripture. This helped to distinguish the sacred writings from other religious or historical texts of the time. The establishment of a canonized scripture provided a sense of unity and identity for the Jewish people, shaping their beliefs, practices, and worldview for centuries to come.

Ezra's influence on the formation of the Biblical Canon highlights the importance of authoritative scripture in religious traditions. The legacy of his work can be seen in the enduring significance of the Hebrew Bible and its influence on the development of the New Testament. Understanding the role of figures like Ezra helps us appreciate the historical context and complexities of the formation of the Bible as a sacred text.

Ezra used Moses’ Example

Using the book of Genesis as an example, Ezra used Moses’ example like this:

Comparing Genesis chapter one and Genesis Chapter two we can see the two stories are different but are similar. It is like the creation story starts over again. In Genesis chapter two, the focus is different. One could look at this difference and speculate (probably accurately) and say that at one time there were two different scrolls that were stitched together by someone intentionally, because of their similarity. As you look through Genesis, even in English translations you can easily see places where the genealogies overlap at the end of one chapter and the start of the next. Scholars call these places, the Seams.[17]  In other words, these are the places where scrolls were literally sewn together, ostensibly by Moses and then Ezra, creating literal ‘Seams.’[18] 

The Bible is made up of various texts and portions of texts that have been stitched together to make it a whole. Like a mosaic, it is crucial to understand where and how the different pieces have been arranged together, (not where they come from), because the meaning is in the stitching, also known as, ‘the Seams.’ Some of the Seams are thematic, some are with words and wordplays, some are with sentence structures.[19] Here are a few examples of the Seams:

In Deuteronomy 33 Moses completes writing his blessings over the Tribes of Israel. However, Deuteronomy 34 is clearly written by a witness, Joshua the son of Nun. The witness tells of Moses’ last conversation with the Lord, Moses’ death, the passing on of the leadership of Israel to Joshua with the laying on of hands by Moses, and finally, a three-sentence summary of Moses’ life.[20] 

1. Genesis. 1-11 is designed as an Introduction to the book. There is a clear break and change of subject matter, a transition, from a more general telling of the story of the ongoing fall of humanity over the course of many generations culminating with the Tower of Babel. Genesis 11.10 appears to be the beginning of a new section of scroll used as a transitional element focused on one family’s genealogy. The next scroll begins at Genesis 12, focused on Abram, and the rest of Moses’ writings are only about this one family’s interactions with God and others.[21]

2. Although the Psalms look like various writings thrown together, they are intentionally ‘sewn together,’ or connected using Ezra’s progressive Headings, which most people today think of as descriptive titles. In the Jewish Bible, they are always the first verse of each psalm.[22]

Ezra did the same kinds of Seam stitching as Moses had previously.[23] For example: He had with him the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah and confirmed what they said with other books not included in the Canon. However, he is the one who put the commentaries in the text, such as, ‘As it is written in the Book of Jasher.’ That was Ezra’s way of writing footnotes, which had not yet been invented.[24]

Key Lesson Concepts:

• Ezra, a scribe and priest, played a key role in restoring religious practices after the Babylonian exile.
• He oversaw the compilation and organization of the Hebrew Bible, contributing to its canonization.
• The establishment of a canonized scripture provided unity and identity for the Jewish people, shaping their beliefs and practices.