Ezra's Knowledge of Torah equal with Moses

Ezra (Hebrew: עֶזְרָא, Standard ʿEzra Tiberian ʿEzrâ) was a Jewish priestly scribe who led about 5,000 Israelite exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem in 459 BCE or 428 BCE or 397 BCE.[1] Ezra reconstituted the dispersed Jewish community on the basis of the Torah and with an emphasis on the law. According to the Hebrew Bible, Ezra resolved the identity threat which arose by the intermarriage between Jews and foreigners and provided a definite reading of the Torah.[2] [3] Ezra is highly respected in the Jewish tradition. His knowledge of the Torah is considered to have been equal with Moses. [4] Like Moses, Enoch, and David, Ezra is given the honorific title of "scribe" and is referred to as עזרא הסופר, or "Ezra the scribe" in the Jewish tradition.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra



Ezra, the Levite Priest

http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/thera/canaan.html

Later in his book he mentions that the historian Philadelphus, writing on the origins of the Greek translations of the Old Testament, stated that the Scriptures had perished during the captivity of the Jews while in Babylon. And that at the time of Artxerxes king of the Persians, that Ezra the Levite priest having become inspired in the exercise of prophesy then restored again the whole of the ancient Scriptures.

So Ezra compiled and catalogued the books of the Israelite writings from sources from Persia to Egypt; and through his research wrote the books containing his peoples histories and the writings of the prophets (much of the histories were contained in the body of the prophetic works), quoting as much as he was inspired; he included their genealogy and his commentary in the Scriptures. This is evidenced as one reads through the various books; of Genesis; Exodus; Numbers; Joshua; Judges; Samuel; Kings; Chronicles: and the prophets (especially Isaiah).
The list of books used to put together the scriptures are mentioned in many places. For convenience I will list them here:

The book of the beginnings;
The books of Eden;
The acts of the Patriarchs;
The acts of Moses;
The book of the laws given to Moses (Joshua 23:6);
The book of Numbers;
The book of Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14);
The book of Jashar, the upright (Joshua 10:13, II Samuel 1:18);
The acts of Joshua;
The oracles of Balaam (Numbers 23:24);
The books of the Judges of Israel (a separate one for each judge);
The words and deeds of Samuel the seer (I Chronicles 29:29);
The acts of David (I Chronicles 27:24), which the Psalms were found;
The words of the days of Nathan the seer (I Chronicles 29:29;
The words of the days of Gad the seer (I Chronicles 2:29);
The acts of Solomon (II Chronicles 9:29),
which contained the song of Solomon, the proverbs and ecclesiastics:
The prophesy of Ahi'zah (II Chronicles 9:29);
The visions of Iddo (II Chronicles 9:29);
The words of the days of Iddo (II Chronicles 13:22);
The words of the days of Shemai'ah (Samaria (II Chronicles 12:15);
The words of the days of Jehu the seer, son of Hana'ni (II Chronicles 20:34);
The words of the days of Isaiah the prophet, son of Amos (II Chronicles 26:20);
Commentary on the writings of the Kings (II chronicles 24:27);
The words of the days of the seers (II Kings 21:17);
The writings of the days of the kings of Judah (by Jehu);
The writings of the kings of Israel (by Jehu).

Ezra, pronounced the Divine Name (Yhwh) according to its proper sounds (Yoma 69b),
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp...E&artid=578

He is regarded and quoted as the type of person most competent and learned in the Law (Ber. R. xxxvi.). The Rabbis associate his name with several important institutions. It was he who ordained that three men should read ten verses from the Torah on the second and fifth days of the week and during the afternoon ("Minḥah") service on Sabbath (B. Ḳ. 82a); that the "curses" in Leviticus should be read before Shabu'ot, and those in Deuteronomy before Rosh ha-Shanah (Meg. 31b; see Bloch, "Die Institutionen des Judenthums," i. 1, pp. 112 et seq., Vienna, 1879). He ordained also that courts be in session on Mondays and Thursdays; that garments be washed on these days; that garlic be eaten on the eve of Sabbath; that the wife should rise early and bake bread in the morning; that women should wear a girdle (B. K. 82a; Yer. Meg. iv. 75a); that women should bathe (B. Ḳ. 82a); that pedlers be permitted to visit cities where merchants were established (B. Ḳ. 82a; see Bloch, l.c. p. 127); that under certain contingencies men should take a ritual bath; that the reading at the conclusion of the benedictions should be "min ha-'olam we-'ad ha'olam" (from eternity to eternity: against the Sadducees; see Bloch, l.c. p. 137). His name is also associated with the work of the Great Synagogue (Meg.17b). He is said to have pronounced the Divine Name (Yhwh) according to its proper sounds (Yoma 69b), and the beginnings of the Jewish calendar are traced back to him (Beẓah 6a; Rashi, ad loc.).
According to tradition, Ezra died at the age of 120 in Babylonia. Benjamin of Tudela was shown his grave on the Shaṭṭ al-'Arab, near the point where the Tigris flows into the Euphrates ("Itinerary," i. 73). According to another legend, he was at the time of his death in Babylon, as a courtier in the retinue of Artaxerxes (see Vigouroux, "Dictionnaire de la Bible," ii. 1931). Josephus, however, relates that Ezra died at Jerusalem, where he was buried ("Ant." xi. 5, § 5). In the seliḥah for the 10th of Ṭebet the date of Ezra's death is given as the 9th of Ṭebet (see Shulḥan 'Aruk, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 580).E. C

posting error