Story · 13 · Ezra
The day the people asked for a book
On a holy day when the law called for temple sacrifices, Jerusalem's crowds gathered instead at the Water Gate and asked the scribe Ezra to read them the Torah.
A scroll took the place of the altar.
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Ezra read from a high platform to 'men, women, and all who could understand.' The people stood, answered 'Amen, Amen,' and wept, then were told to celebrate and share food with those in need. Even if more imagined than real, the scene marks a tectonic shift.
Bible reference: Nehemiah 8
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 204–205
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