Elephantine Letter (Request about the Rebuilding of the Elephantine Temple)
407 BCE
Image

Engage with this Source
Related Guide
Letters and Communication from the Biblical World
Ancient Israelite messengers carried oral and written communications between people for both personal and official purposes.
Related Guide
Letters from Elephantine
The cache of letters from the Persian-period Jewish garrison at Elephantine are a remarkable witness to social and religious life in the early diaspora.
You may also like
Legumes and Barley
Greetings, Islah.
Now, I shall dispatch legumes tomorrow. Meet the boat tomorrow on Sabbath. Lest, if they get lost, by the life of YHH, I swear that I will take your life. Do not rely on Meshullemeth…
Dispatch of Food
[Greetings, PN,] from [PN].
[No]w, I [sen]t to you, saying: “Do not dispatch to me bread without it being sealed.”
Lo, all the jars are impure. Behold, the bread which [you]
dispatch[ed] to me…
Aid for Two Benefactors
To my lords Jedaniah, Uriah and the priests of YHW the God, Mattan son of Jashobiah and Berechiah son of, . . . from your servant Mauziah.
May the God of Heaven seek after the welfare of my lords…
Imprisonment of Jewish Leaders
[To my brother PN, your brother Islah.
It is well for me here]. May the gods seek after your welfare at all times. And now, . . . PN son of PN went to Syene and did/made . . . .
Behold, these are the…

Request about the Rebuilding of the Elephantine Temple
To our lord Bagavahya governor of Judah, your servants Jedaniah and his colleagues the priests who are in Elephantine the fortress.
May the God of Heaven seek after the welfare of our lord abundantly…
Dream Report
Now, lo, I saw a dream and since then I am very feverish. May Iahmoliah attend to my welfare.
Now, if you wish, do not sell them. Let the children eat them. Lo, there do not remain any cucumbers.
Tran…