For many days he fasted and mourned and prayed for the place of his fathers' sepulchres. At length the king observed his sadness of countenance and asked the reason of it. Nehemiah explained this to the king, and obtained his permission to go up to Jerusalem and there to act as tirshatha , or governor of Judea. Blenkinsopp, Joseph (1988), Ezra-Nehemiah, A Commentary , pp. 212-213, 140, The Westminster Press, ISBN 0-664-21294-8 He arrived in Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I, (445/444 BC) Blenkinsopp, p. 140 with a strong escort supplied by the king, and with letters to all the pashas of the provinces through which he had to pass, as also to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, directing him to assist Nehemiah.
Thus Nehemiah could not enter certain areas of the temple. His enemy Shemaiah attempted to trick him into doing so. Another explanation is that Nehemiah was not a priest and was not authorized to go into those portions of the Temple reserved for the priests.
Source: Wikipedia > Nehemiah
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