The book of Ezra is generally known for its negative and exclusivist attitude towards the other. Others are the cause of dread in one part of the book, and in another part they are adversarial. Furthermore, Ezra commands that foreign wives and their children be sent away. Yet the book of Ezra also features an exceptional account of welcome. In Rebuilding a Post-exilic Community, Chingboi Guite Phaipi examines what drives negative attitudes toward the other, and argues that beneath the presence of different attitudes toward the other within the book of Ezra lies a coherent foundation. That is, negative attitudes toward others make sense in light of the community’s strong self-perception in the book of Ezra.
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