This time, we take a brief look at a smallish book of Hebrew history -- the book of Ezra, with the story of the end of the exile. According to Asimov, this book was likely written by the Chronicler, picking up with what he considered important about Jewish history, and skipping over the “unpleasantness” of the Exile in Babylon.
Ez 9:1-4 - After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of
Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. Thus the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and in this faithlessness the officials and leaders have led the way." When I heard this, I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat apalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat apalled until the evening sacrifice.
Ez 10:10-14 - Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have trespassed and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now make confession to the LORD the God of your ancestors, and do his will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, "It is so; we must do as you have said. But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for many have transgressed in this matter. Let our officials represent the whole assembly, and let all in our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every town, until the fierce wrath of our God on this account is averted from us."
Ezra, who claims to be a direct descendant of Levi and quite a holy guy, is really into racial purity. Apparently, he's really upset that the "holy seed" should become mixed with the “subhuman” folks living in his promised land.
Luckily, Ezra has his answer to the problem of racial impurity. Mass divorces. In other words, the women and children of these “unholy” marriages were to be cast aside with no further questions, regardless of their feelings or suffering. The only concern the men had was how much time it would take to process the paper work!
One big question that occurs to me is -- why were these people concerned about avoiding God’s wrath? The whole point of this book is that of the return of Israel from exile -- surely, they were aware that these people had been married before the end of the exile. Wouldn’t God have done or said something before this if such things bothered him?
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