forth with him. Eight thousand Jews had been ready to leave comfort,
luxury, and affluence behind, that they might go to the desolate city,
and endeavour to stir up its people to energy and life.

One of the 8,000 who went with Ezra was Nehemiah's brother, Hanani. It
is possible that Nehemiah himself was at that time too young to go; it
is also probable that Hachaliah, the father, having been born and
brought up in Shushan, was hard to move. So Hanani set forth alone, and
the brothers were parted.

Twelve long years, and in all probability no news had reached the family
in Shushan of the absent Hanani. A journey of five months lay between
them and Jerusalem; and in those days, when all the conveniences we
enjoy were unknown, they would not only never expect to meet again, but
they would also never anticipate the pleasure of even hearing any news
of each other, or of holding the slightest communication.

But as the Rab-shakeh walks to the gate of Shushan, on the day on which
the story opens, he spies a caravan of travellers coming along the
northern road. They have evidently come a long way, for they are tired,
exhausted, and travel-stained. The mules walk slowly and heavily under
their burdens, the skin of the travellers is burnt and cracked by the
hot sun of the desert, their clothes are faded and covered with dust,
their sandals are full of holes.

Where can the caravan have come from? Nehemiah finds to his astonishment
that it has come from Jerusalem, the city of cities, as he had been
taught to believe it, and, to his still greater surprise, he finds
amongst the travellers his long-lost brother Hanani. What had brought
Hanani back from Jerusalem we are not told; he may have wished once more