Who was Nehemiah in the Bible?

Last updated Jul 15, 2026

Published by Bible Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

Nehemiah was a Jewish official who served as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes and led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, recorded in the book that bears his name.

Nehemiah 1:1 in the King James Version reads:

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

The verse opens the book of Nehemiah with a first-person heading. Read it in context at Nehemiah 1:1, or the full chapter at Nehemiah 1. Encyclopedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehemiah.

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  • · Nehemiah wall Jerusalem

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