Nehemiah 12, Choirs on the Walls

The walls of Jerusalem have been rebuilt, the people have celebrated the Feast of Booths and the people have moved back into the city and surrounding regions. After the interlude of chapters 9 to 11, this chapter returns us to the walls of Jerusalem and the dedication that occurs at the completion of those walls.

Nehemiah 12: 1-7, Priests who return
These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

We have a list of priests who returned to Jerusalem.... In that list is Zerubbabel, who was a descendant of David and an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1: 12, Luke 3: 27.)

Nehemiah 12: 8-11, Levites

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services. Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.
 

... and now a list of Levites....  Some of these priests (says Yamauchi) are high priests mentioned by Flavius Josephus (Expositor's Bible Commentary, volume 4, p. 580.) See this Wikipedia list of high priests.

Nehemiah 12: 12-21, Priestly families

In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah;
    of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan;
    of Malluch's, Jonathan; of Shecaniah's, [30] Joseph;
    of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's, [31] Helkai;
    of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam;
    of Abijah's, Zicri; of Miniamin's and of Moadiah's, Piltai;
    of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan;
    of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi;
    of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber;
    of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel.

Always careful with genealogies and record-keeping, Nehemiah lists the heads of priestly families.

Nehemiah 12: 22-26, Levites from the days of Darius

The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book o the annals.

And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 

They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
 

Records of family heads go back to a previous Babylonian ruler, Darius. 

Here we have Nehemiah explicitly described as governor of Judea while Ezra is list as priest and scribe.

Nehemiah 12: 27-29, Worship and singing

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.

The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem--from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
 

Musicians are brought in.

Nehemiah 12: 30-37, Two choirs give thanks

When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.

I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, and his associates--Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani--with musical instruments [prescribed by] David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

In the worship, there is an emphasis on music and singing.  Leaders are on the tops of the walls and one choir is directed to be above the house of David and move on to the Water Gate.  Yamauchi claims that this procession moves around the city in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed from above the city.)

Nehemiah 12: 38-42, Second choir

The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people--past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, as well as the priests--Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets--and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.
 

A second choir goes in the opposite direction (clockwise, as viewed from above.) Both choirs are parts of thanksgiving for the new city and temple and new covenant society.

I repeat a link from the blog post on Nehemiah 3. Martin Young has attempted to recreate the ancient walls and gates of Nehemiah's Jerusalem. A map from that site was posted with my post on Nehemiah 3. Another site on the dedication of the walls is here at biblemapper.com. A drawing from that second online webpage is below.

Nehemiah 12: 43-47, Rejoicing

And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.

 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.
  

For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

The people are united in rejoicing at the return of their ancient country and its capital city and central temple.