The main focus of this book gives a close reading of the final form of the text; the Hebrew Ezra, the Hebrew Nehemiah, Esdras, and other Ezra and Nehemiah traditions. The first concludes with a discussion of intertextuality and the growth of various traditions. The second part explores the questions of historicity raised by a close reading of the texts themselves to argue that a close reading of the text has clear implications for any conclusions about historicity.