Nehemiah tells, first hand, the powerful story of the rebuilding of ancient Jerusalem's walls after the exile. This rebuilding, in the face of great odds, represented the renewal of the people's faith and the reforming of their conduct. In opening up Nehemiah's text, Raymond Brown concludes: 'He must surely be regarded as one of the most inventive and resilient personalities in the rich tapestry of Old Testament biography.' As well as vividly drawing out Nehemiah's historical and social milieu and the contents of his book, Raymond Brown demonstrates the striking relevance for today of Nehemiah's dominant themes: his doctrine of God, his passion for Scripture, his experience of prayer and his example in leadership.