2024 · Religious
Ezra and Nehemiah
Lead returning exiles in rebuilding Jerusalem after the Persian decrees by allocating workers, spending resources, and playing cards over three weeks of work. Players score points mainly by constructing the temple, repairing city walls and gates, and teaching the Torah to rebuild community life. Rounds proceed as six days of labor followed by a Sabbath: manage food, deploy workers to projects and travel to outlying settlements, develop land, and tend the altar. Prophetic encouragement and card synergies shape priorities while victory points determine the winner after the third Sabbath.
- Players
- 1–4 best 3
- Playing time
- 90–120 min
- Age
- 13+
- Complexity
- 3.8 / 5
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 93
- Plays logged
- 122
- Players
- 2h 21m
- Average play
- 37
- In collections
- 28
- On wishlists
- 4
- Pre-ordered
8.1/10
from 17 Ludoya reviews
Last played: 2024-11
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Do my Levites need to be fed during the Sabbath?
Levites are exempt from feeding during the Sabbath and are not placed into the feeding/tuck resolution; see Rulebook page 27.
When do tucked Character cards score their victory points?
Tucked Character cards are resolved and scored during the Sabbath phase when you tuck them; see Rulebook page 27.
How do Banners work — can I mix banner colors to pay for a Main Action?
Each Main Action requires banners of a specific color (red/grey/blue) and you count only banners of that color from your cards and board to meet the cost; see Rulebook pages 12–13 for counting and spending banners and the worked example.
If a Scroll tile has branching fees, do I pay the base cost plus the branch fee when placing a Scribe?
Yes — you pay the base placement cost for the Scroll tile and any additional branching fee shown when you place a Scribe on a branched tile; see Rulebook page 20 for costs and branching rules.
When does Prophets' Judgment happen and what do I do if a Prophet activates?
Prophets' Judgment is resolved during Prepare for Sabbath (the phase after the action round); you resolve each Prophet's requirement and apply the outcome printed on the Prophet at that time (see Rulebook pages 25–26).
How do Walls and Gates score — do connections to other walls/gates give rewards?
When you build and score Walls/Gates you follow the scoring and reward rules for connected segments; connections can grant rewards or choices as described in the build and scoring steps for walls and gates (see Rulebook pages 17–19).
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.