Nehemiah was the royal cup-bearer at the palace of King Artaxerxes during the time when Judah was part of Persian Empire. His brother, Hanani, related to him the sorrowful situation Jerusalem was in and he fasted and prayed for the city. The king saw that he was sad and asked about it, and Nehemiah explained to him that Jerusalem was in bad condition and he asked the king to give him a leave of absence in order to restore Jerusalem as the governor of Judea. He arrived and began to survey the city at night, planning its restoration. He finished rebuilding the wall from the Sheep Gate (north), the Hanenael Tower (northwest corner), Fish GAte (west), the Furnaces Tower (southwest corner), Dung Gate (south), the East Gate and the gate below the Golden Gate (east) in 52 days. He remained the governor in Judea for thirteen years, reforming many things, despite opposition. When he was finished with this work, he returned to Persia to serve the king again, and Judea soon became corrupt again.