Nehemiah 5: A Response to Philippe Guillaume

Abstract

This a response to Philippe Guillaume’s recent article (“Nehemiah 5: No Economic Crisis,” Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 10 [2010], article 8). With Guillaume, I hold the position that the crisis was episodic rather than structural, temporary rather than systemic. We differ, however, on which sociological model best illuminates the text and therefore, we reach different conclusions about the socio-economic circumstances of the time.