The Elephantine papyri — Sanballat's sons, 407 BC
Nehemiah's opponent Sanballat, governor of Samaria, and a high priest named Johanan both appear in Egyptian Jewish correspondence dated to 407 BC.
Named outside the BibleManuscript5th century BC
The archive of a Jewish garrison in southern Egypt. One letter, asking for help to rebuild their temple, is addressed to Bagoas governor of Judah and notes that they had also written to "Delaiah and Shelemiah, the sons of Sanballat, governor of Samaria", and to Johanan the high priest.
We have also sent a letter to Delaiah and Shelemiah, the sons of Sanballat, governor of Samaria.
- Found
- Elephantine island, Aswan, Egypt, 1893 — Purchased and excavated from the 1890s onward
- Now held at
- Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin; Brooklyn Museum; and others
- Language
- Aramaic
- How it reached us
- Dug up, or still standing where it was built.
What it shows
The letters show Sanballat as an ageing governor whose sons act for him, which fits a date somewhat after Nehemiah rather than during him.
How historians use it
A major primary archive for Persian-period Judaism, studied for its own sake in the history of religion.
In Scripture
Connects to
Sources
- Porten, The Elephantine Papyri in English (1996)
These summaries are written in English for now. Translations follow.