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Bible Book: Nehemiah
Bible Book Code: 1600100101
Scene no: 1 of 2

Bible Reference & Cartoon Description

Nehemiah 1:1-4 (ANIV)
Nehemiah’s Prayer
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified in the Bible narrative. I have set this scene in the late morning.

LIGHTING NOTES:
The sun is high in the sky in the east (left) casting small shadows below and to the right of the figures, buildings and objects in this scene.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
From left to right: an un-named young man, Hanani, Nehemiah son of Hacaliah (sitting on the floor).

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
My scene shows the devastating effect of the news which Hanani brought to Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, regarding the condition of Jerusalem. Verse 4 informs us that Nehemiah sat on the floor and wept once he knew the fate of Jerusalem. The thought bubble above Nehemiah represents the news Hanani brought to him. We see him in his plush apartment, with marble flooring & columned balcony, and expensive rugs. We know that Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king (verse 11), so it would be reasonable to assume that he was well looked after, and had opulent clothes, since he served the king.

Notice that Nehemiah is clothed in Persian attire, rather than the usual Hebrew clothing I draw; and which the other two men in my picture are shown wearing. This is because Nehemiah served in the Persian king’s court, and so naturally would wear the Persian clothing supplied by the royal court. For notes on Persian costume see Nehemiah 02 – Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem – Scene 01 – Cavalry escort.

This scene is set in the citadel of Susa, the capital of King Artaxerxes I, this one was the third son of Xerxes and was raised to the throne by Artabanus, the murderer of Xerxes. All are agreed that the Artaxerxes at whose court Ezra and Nehemiah were officials is Artaxerxes I, the son of Xerxes, commonly called Longimanus, who reigned from 465 to 424 B.C.

Susa was one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, serving as the capital of Elam and the winter capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was known for its wealth, grandeur, and strategic significance. Susa is also the site of the famous story about Queen Esther.

“Susa, capital of Elam (Susiana) and administrative capital of the Achaemenian king Darius I and his successors from 522B.C.. It was located at the foot of the Zagros Mountains near the bank of the Karkheh Kur (Choaspes) River in the Khuzistan region of Iran.”
[Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Susa]

In the background there are various houses, important buildings and temples, with a defensive wall surround the whole citadel.

Here’s the scene without any of the figures included, but with Nehemiah’s room and the balcony over looking the citadel of Susa city.

Background of Nehemiah 01 – Nehemiah’s Prayer – Scene 01 – Mourning for Jerusalem (with balcony)

Click on the colour bar below to view/buy this Background:
Background of Nehemiah 01 – Nehemiah’s Prayer – Scene 01 – Mourning for Jerusalem (with balcony)

Here’s the scene without any of the figures or Nehemiah’s room or balcony, to give a better view of the citadel of Susa city.

Background of Nehemiah 01 – Nehemiah’s Prayer – Scene 01 – Mourning for Jerusalem (with balcony)

Click on the colour bar below to view/buy this Background:
Background of Nehemiah 01 – Nehemiah’s Prayer – Scene 01 – Mourning for Jerusalem (without balcony)

Follow this link to see the BC Encyclopaedia article about Jerusalem’s Gates and Walls up to the time of Nehemiah:
Jerusalem’s Gates and Walls
The article also includes two photographs of stones used in the wall construction of Jerusalem. The material looks like limestone to me, a very common stone found in Israel.

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Bible Doctrine Notes
1:2 THE CHURCH, Remnant (5.11B)
See Note on Ezra 1:4: God’s people are not limited to one geographical location , in fact, after the Exile, Israel learned that the people of God could live in many places, e.g. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, etc. Wherever they were living at the time, the survivor’s formed a remnant called on to support the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Geographical distance should never hamper the co-operation of God’s people to do His work. See note on 2 Chronicles 34:9.

1:4-11 WORSHIP, Prayer (5.34B5)
See note on Genesis 12:6-8: The building of an altar refers to worship, of which prayer is a vital part. Although we may not here God’s voice audibly today, we can “hear” it in our experience of worship through the Holy Spirit and by reading the Bible. See notes on PRAYER, Worship.

1:4-11 PRAYER, Confession (5.54A)
Just like Ezra, Nehemiah identified himself with sinful Israel and confessed his nation’s sins to God. Unlike Ezra, Nehemiah claimed the promises of the Bible and asked for success in his plans to help Israel. Ezra initiated his plan only in a 2nd step – see note on Ezra 9:1-15; 10:1-17. Confession of sin is always an appropriate prayer before attempting a challenging project for Gos and His people.