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.

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