Topical Bible: Israel: Number of, After the Captivity

◄ Israel: Number of, After the Captivity ►

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After the Babylonian captivity, the return of the Israelites to their homeland marked a significant period of restoration and rebuilding. The number of Israelites who returned is documented in several biblical passages, primarily in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These records provide insight into the demographics and organization of the post-exilic community.

Return Under Zerubbabel

The first major return of the exiles was led by Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David, and Jeshua the high priest. This return is detailed in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, which provide lists of the families and their numbers. According to Ezra 2:64-65 , "The whole assembly numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers." This total includes men, women, and children, indicating a substantial community returning to Jerusalem and Judah to rebuild the temple and reestablish their society.

Subsequent Returns

Additional groups returned under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra 8 records the return led by Ezra, a scribe and priest, who brought with him a smaller group of about 1,500 men, along with their families. This return focused on religious reform and the teaching of the Law.

Nehemiah, who served as the governor of Judah, led another group back to Jerusalem. His efforts were primarily directed towards rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, as described in the book of Nehemiah. While specific numbers for Nehemiah's return are not detailed, his leadership was crucial in organizing the community and fortifying the city.

Census and Organization

The post-exilic community was organized according to families and tribal affiliations. The genealogical records were essential for reestablishing the priesthood and ensuring that only those of legitimate descent could serve in the temple. Nehemiah 7:5 notes, "Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy."

The importance of these records is further emphasized in Nehemiah 7:64-65 , where it is noted that some could not prove their ancestry: "These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim."

Challenges and Reforms

The returning exiles faced numerous challenges, including opposition from surrounding peoples, internal strife, and the need for economic stability. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to prioritize the rebuilding of the temple, while Ezra and Nehemiah implemented reforms to address issues such as intermarriage with foreign nations and the neglect of the Sabbath.

The number of Israelites after the captivity reflects not only a physical return to the land but also a spiritual renewal and commitment to the covenant with God. The meticulous records in Ezra and Nehemiah highlight the importance of identity and continuity for the Jewish people during this pivotal period in their history.

Nave's Topical Index

Ezra 2:64
The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and three score,
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Nehemiah 7:66,67
The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and three score,
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Library

Concerning Jeroboam King of Israel and Jonah the Prophet; and How ...
... He, after this, overthrew the Ammonites, and appointed that they ... thrown down by the
king of Israel, when he ... beasts for labor, and an immense number of cattle ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 concerning jeroboam king.htm

Doubtful Fragments on the Pentateuch.
... Therefore the whole number of venerable and honourable priests put in ... to the state
of the children of Israel; nor did there arise any priests after them. ...
/.../doubtful fragments on the pentateuch.htm

The Millennium in Relation to Israel.
... After which there was the furnace, again, the furnace of the ... the bounds of the people
according to the number of the children of Israel." Israel is here ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/4 the millennium in relation.htm

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... After this history was written (Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah ... the history on beyond the
Captivity, and gives ... David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

The Assyrian Captivity
... After two days will He revive us: in the third day He ... By far the greater number of
those who heard these ... at Bethel sent to the ruler in Israel, saying, "Amos ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 23 the assyrian captivity.htm

The Original Text and Its History.
... of lines in each column, and the number of words ... age of the Talmudists (between 200
and 500 after Christ), the ... of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xiv the original text.htm

Massillon -- the Small Number of the Elect
... Then wilt Thou alone reign over Israel, and over ... Think, without ceasing, that the
great number work their ... It is thus that, after distinguishing yourselves from ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/massillon the small number.htm

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
... prophets during the same period are only three in number. ... call of David to the throne
of Israel began a ... nor did its flow wholly cease till after the captivity. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xv formation and history.htm

Fragment xiii. 1. Up to the Time of the Olympiads There is no ...
... there are altogether 1020 years; which number both coincides ... first year of the exodus
of Israel under Moses ... Moses up to Cyrus, who reigned after the captivity ...
/.../africanus/the writings of julius africanus/fragment xiii 1 up to.htm

On the Psalms. I.
... the brass is struck, and not from beneath, after the manner of ... That the number fifty
is sacred, is manifest from the ... was a shadow in the land of Israel in the ...
/.../hippolytus/the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on the psalms i.htm