THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
While Nehemiah was engaged in determining the new inhabitants of the restored city, the seventh month approached rapidly, given that the completion of the wall occurred on the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, leaving just a few days until the new month began. The entirety of this seventh month, from the first through the twenty-second day, was dedicated to the festivals ordained by the law. Only after the observance of these sacred events did he return with the leaders and laypeople to establish who would dwell in the reconstructed city. It is noteworthy that the people exhibited a spirit of devotion and harmony, gathering in unity of faith and love at the temple of the Lord.
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They called upon their high priest to bring forth the sacred scrolls and to proclaim to them the commandments of the law, which they were to uphold, so that, with the city rebuilt, they could engage in righteous acts pleasing to God, ensuring that neglect of their faith would not lead to the city's downfall.
The city's completion in the sixth month necessitated that the people gather to hear the law in the seventh, as the Scriptures designate six days for labor and the seventh day for rest (See Exodus 24:18). Following our good works, the most delightful repose before the Lord is to refrain from servile work, meaning sins, and to commit ourselves to listening to and fulfilling His commandments diligently. Hence, the Feast of Trumpets was inaugurated at the start of the seventh month, intended to stir the thoughts of the people through the sounds of the trumpets, amidst their prayers and offerings, reminding them of God's law. Even now, the spiritual construction of the holy city should be accompanied by sacred readings and the call of trumpets, as the community, already participating in heavenly decrees, requires careful guidance in divine teachings to understand how they ought to live.
Nehemiah recounts that the congregation gathered in the square near the Water Gate, which likely refers to the entrance in the priests' courtyard encircling the temple, particularly on the east side where the bronze sea stood for the washing of hands and feet of those approaching the temple, alongside ten bronze basins for cleansing sacrifices, and the altar for burnt offerings. Here, Zacharias, son of Barachiah, met his martyrdom (See Matt. 23:35; cf. Luke 11:51 and 2 Chronicles 24:20-21). The congregation was not permitted to enter the courtyard gate, reserved for the priests and ministers of the Lord. Typically, the laypeople stood outside the entrance, especially in the eastern square, to hear the Word or to offer prayers. Thus, it was fitting for the crowd to assemble before the Water Gate, where it was essential for them to receive spiritual sustenance from the living waters of Scripture, imparted by their high priest.