Donors to YHW and Other Deities, from Elephantine

400 BCE

On the 3rd of Phamenoth, year 5. This is (= these are) the names of the Jewish garrison who gave silver to YHW the God, each person silver, [2] shekels—

Meshull[em]eth daughter of Gemar[ia]h son of Mahseiah: silver, 2 shekels

Zaccur [son of Oshe]a son of Zaccur: silver, 2 shekels

Seraiah[ daught]er of Hoshea son of Harman: silver, 2 shekels

All (told) 2[+l] (= 3).

Hoshea[ son of Beth]elnuri: he, silver, 2 shekels, to [him]/for[himself].

Hosh[aiah son of Nathan] son of Hoshaiah son of Zephaniah: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself.

Nathan s[on of . . . ]h: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself.

[PN son of A]nani [ . . . ]mtl: silver, 2 shekels, to him/ for himself.

[Mahsa]h son of Jehota[l: silver], 2 shekels, to him/ for himself.

[PN] son of Neha[b son of Mah]sah: [silver], 2 [shekels], to him/for himself.

[Na]than son of Anani so[n of PN: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

[ . . . ]i [dau]ghter of Zebadia[h: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

[PN daught]er of [PN: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

[PN dau]ghter of Pelul[iah: silver, 2 shekels, to him/ for himself].

[PN] daughter of [PN: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

[PN] da[ughter of PN: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

[PN] daughter of [PN: silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself].

All the century of Siniddin[: 13].

The century of Nabuakab / Shallum son of Menahem: [silver, 2 shekels, to him/for himself . . . ] half. [ . . . ]

The silver which stood that day in the hand of Jedaniah son of Gemariah in the month of Phamenoth:

silver, 31 karsh, 8 shekels.

Herein: for YHW 12 karsh, 6 shekels;

for Eshembethel, 7 karsh;

for Anathbethel, silver, 12 karsh.

Micaiah son of Jehoishma: silver, 2 shekels

Oshea son of Nathan son of Hodaviah: silver, 2 shekels

Ahio son of Nathan son of Anani: silver, 2 shekels

Azaiah son of Hazzul: silver, 2 shekels

Jashobiah son of Berechiah: silver, 2 shekels

[PN son/daughter of . . . ia]h: silver, 2 shekels

Ci[lcel]iah daughter of Caiah: silver, 2 shekels

Translated by

Bezalel

Porten

Notes

[PN—indicates a personal name.

Karsh . . . shekels . . . hallurs—units of weight used as currency. The shekel was the basic unit; the karsh was ten shekels, and the hallur one-fortieth of a shekel. —Eds.]

Credits

Donors to YHW and Other Deities from Elephantine, in Bezalel Porten and Ada Yardeni, eds., Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt, trans. Bezalel Porten (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1999), C3.15, pp. 228, 234. Used with permission of Bezalel Porten.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 1.