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.
Lave'i 'i tu'a mei he Tohi TapuTohi nima5th 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.
- Na'e 'ilo'i
- Elephantine island, Aswan, Egypt, 1893 — Purchased and excavated from the 1890s onward
- 'Oku tauhi 'i
- Ägyptisches Museum, Berlin; Brooklyn Museum; and others
- Lea
- Aramaic
- Na'e a'u mai fēfē kiate kitautolu
- Na'e keli hake, pe 'oku kei tu'u 'i he potu na'e langa ai.
Ko e me'a 'oku ne fakahā
The letters show Sanballat as an ageing governor whose sons act for him, which fits a date somewhat after Nehemiah rather than during him.
Founga hono ngāue'aki 'e he kau hisitōlia
A major primary archive for Persian-period Judaism, studied for its own sake in the history of religion.
'I he Folofola
Fekau'aki mo
Ngaahi ma'u'anga fakamatala
- Porten, The Elephantine Papyri in English (1996)
'Oku 'i he lea faka-Pilitānia 'a e ngaahi fakamatala ko 'eni he taimi ni. 'E muimui mai 'a e liliu.