Nehemiah 7:3-4

3I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.