The Book of Ezra is a prominent part of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is a historical and religious text that narrates a crucial period in the history of the Jewish people. The book is named after its central figure, Ezra, who was a scribe and priest, and it is traditionally attributed to him as its author. Comprising two distinct sections, Ezra provides a comprehensive account of the events surrounding the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to their homeland, Jerusalem, following the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE. The first section, Ezra 1-6, recounts the initial wave of return led by Zerubbabel and the subsequent rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians.