[:en]SCRIPTURE: EZRA 2
“The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 737 menservants and maidservants’ and they also had 200 men and women singers. They had 736 horse, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys” (vs. 64-67)
THE LIST OF THE EXILES WHO RETURNED (vs. 1-70)
This chapter listed down the list of exiles who left the safety and luxury of Babylon and returned to their own land. It consisted of the leaders (vs. 1-2). certain families (vs. 3-19), the men in Bethlehem (vs. 20-5). the priests (vs. 36-390, the Levites (vs. 40-42), the temple servants (vs. 43-54), Solomon’s servants (vs. 55-58) and those with no family records. A total of 79,897 people were registered together with 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 672 donkeys. According to their ability, they gave offerings of 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of other people and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns. Most of the Jews had settled down in Babylon and had no desire to return to their promised land because they were already contented with the security and material gain there.
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