The Eight Second Temple Clans in the Schedule of the Wood Offering, Purported Descendants of Families mentioned in Late Biblical Books (Mishnah, Ta'anit 4:5)
A series, of two parts, on connections between names mentioned in the late Biblical books, and the names in two separate Mishnahs: Ta'anit 4:5 and Shekalim 5:1.
Illustration from Dall-e. Description: “A historically accurate scene from ancient Israel, depicting the wood offering ceremony by priests and the people on the ninth day of a month. The setting is the Second Temple period in Jerusalem. Priests in traditional garb are seen carrying bundles of wood towards the Temple. The people, dressed in period-appropriate clothing, are also participating, some carrying wood, while others observe the ritual. The Temple is in the background, showcasing its grand architecture with stone walls and steps leading up to it, typical of the period. The atmosphere is reverent and busy, with a clear focus on the religious significance of the event.”
Outline
The Wood Offering (korban etzim - קרבן עצים)
The Dates
Historical Background
Jewish Clans
B’nei David (#2 - דוד)
B’nei Araḥ (#1 - ארח)
B’nei Par’osh (#3 - פרעש), B’nei Pahath-moab (#7 - פחת מואב), B’nei Zattu (#6a)
B’nei Jonadab son of Rechab (#4)
The “genealogical scroll in Jerusalem” (Talmud Yerushalmi)
B’nei Sena’a (#5)
B’nei Adin (#8 - עדין)
B’nei Gonve eli; kotz’ei ketziot (#6b - גונבי עלי; קוצעי קציעות)
Appendix #1 - Nehemiah 10 - list of signers - 79 names
Appendix #2 - Nehemiah 7 - list of people of the province who came up from Babylonia
Appendix #3 - Names and genealogies in the Late Biblical Books (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Divrei HaYamim)
In this piece, I’d like to discuss an interesting connection between names mentioned in the late Biblical books, and the names in this Mishnah.
The Mishnah (Ta'anit 4:5)
Mishnah_Ta'anit.4.5, I added bolding to the names:
זמן עצי כהנים והעם, תשעה:
באחד בניסן, בני ארח בן יהודה.
בעשרים בתמוז, בני דוד בן יהודה.
בחמשה באב, בני פרעש בן יהודה.
בשבעה בו, בני יונדב בן רכב.
בעשרה בו, בני סנאה בן בנימין.
בחמשה עשר בו, בני זתוא בן יהודה, ועמהם כהנים ולוים וכל מי שטעה בשבטו, ובני גונבי עלי בני קוצעי קציעות.
בעשרים בו, בני פחת מואב בן יהודה.
בעשרים באלול, בני עדין בן יהודה.
באחד בטבת שבו בני פרעש שניה. באחד בטבת לא היה בו מעמד, שהיה בו הלל וקרבן מוסף וקרבן עצים:
The mishna details the times for the wood offering of priests and the people. These were private holidays specific to certain families, on which their members would volunteer a wood offering for the altar. There were nine such days and families:
On the first of Nisan, the descendants of Araḥ ben Yehuda;
on the twentieth of Tammuz, the descendants of David ben Yehuda;
on the fifth of Av, the descendants of Parosh ben Yehuda;
on the seventh of Av, the descendants of Jonadab ben Rechab;
on the tenth of Av, the descendants of Sena’a ben Binyamin;
on the fifteenth of Av, the descendants of Zattu ben Yehuda. And included with this group of Zattu ben Yehuda’s descendants were other priests; and Levites; and anyone who erred with regard to his tribe, i.e., Israelites who did not know which tribe they were from, and the descendants of those who deceived the authorities with a pestle; and the descendants of those who packed dried figs. These last groups and their descriptions are explained in the Gemara.
The mishna resumes its list. On the twentieth of Av, the descendants of Paḥat Moav ben Yehuda;
on the twentieth of Elul, the descendants of Adin ben Yehuda;
on the first of Tevet, the descendants of Parosh returned to bring wood for a second time; likewise on the first of Tevet, there was no non-priestly watch, as it is Hanukkah, on which hallel is recited, and it is the New Moon, on which an additional offering is sacrificed, and there was also a wood offering.
The Wood Offering (korban etzim - קרבן עצים)
Hebrew Wikipedia, “Wood Offering Day” (יום קורבן עצים), my translation:
"Wood Offering Day is a day when wood was donated to the Wood Chamber (lishkat etzim - לשכת עצים), from which wood was taken for the altar. The Mishnah lists nine dates scattered throughout the year (but most of them in the month of Av) on which each family brought the wood. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Wood Offering festival is close to Rosh Hashanah and lasts six consecutive days. In the Megillat Ta'anit, the 15th of Av appears as the Wood Offering Day for all the people."
The Dates
As mentioned earlier, most of the dates are in the month of Av [~July–August] (#3-7, meaning five out of nine). #2 is at the end of the previous month (Tammuz [~June–July]), and #8 is at the end of the following month (Elul [~August–September]). So fully seven out of nine are within a two month period, at the end of summer and beginning of spring. This fits with the traditions in Megillat Ta’anit and the Dead Sea Scrolls, mentioned earlier, that situate the date in Av or Ellul.
Safrai in their commentary write that the first line of the Mishnah in good manuscripts has an added beit on tisha:
"זמן עצי כהנים והעם בתשעה"
And should be translated and explained as referring to the date, meaning 9 Av, and not to the number of groups:
“[The] time of the wood [offering] of the priests and the people [is] on the ninth [of Av]."
Historical Background
Safrai in their commentary to this Mishnah write (Mishnat_Eretz_Yisrael_on_Mishnah_Taanit.4.5.23, near footnote 292, my translation, and I added hyperlink):
"All the families, except for the gonve eli and kotz’ei ketziot (גונבי עלי וקוצעי קציעות - E.B see later), are families mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and they are from the tribes of Judah or Benjamin. This fact indicates that this arrangement dates back to the early days of the Temple period. Had the order of those bringing the offerings been established in later periods, it is likely that families from the Galilee would have been mentioned as well [...]
The list in the Mishnah is one of the earliest documents preserved in rabbinic literature (sifrut Hazal - ספרות חז”ל). There is no reason to doubt its antiquity, and as mentioned, it dates back to the days of the Return to Zion (shivat Tzion - שיבת ציון). It seems that the practice of bringing wood began at the beginning of the Second Temple period, during the Return to Zion or shortly thereafter. It is assumed that over the course of the Temple period, changes occurred in this practice, families were added, and perhaps some were also dropped from the list, but the Mishnah preserves the original list. The term 'Pasha of Moab' is an administrative term from the Persian period only. It is also possible to learn from it about the Jewish settlement in the districts (pahvot - פחוות) of Moab already at the beginning of the Second Temple period, as well as about remnants of tribal organization, a structure that eroded during the Second Temple period."
Alternatively, I think it’s likely that the names are mythical, and based on names listed in Nehemia. I think that it’s more reasonable to assume that the Mishnah is documenting the late Second Temple period, as usual, and that the people who claimed to be descendants, 500+ years later, were not actually descendants. Similar to the nesi’im and exilarchs, who claimed to be from the House of David, after a 500+ years gap.
Jewish tribes and clans
It’s clear that “sons of Yehuda” simply means that they were from the tribe of Yehuda. Meaning, it’s not a patronym or name of an ancestor. Same is true for “Sena’a, son of Binyamin” (#5). See Nehemiah.11.4; 7:
ובירושל͏ם ישבו מבני יהודה ומבני בנימן. מבני יהודה [...] ואלה בני בנימן [...]"
“And in Jerusalem some of the Judahites (mi-b’nei Yehuda) and some of the Benjaminites (mi-b’nei Binyamin) lived. Of the Judahites: [...] These are the Benjaminites: [...]”
So we have families (or clans) of:
ארח
דוד
פרעש
יונדב בן רכב
סנאה
זתוא [...] גונבי עלי [...] קוצעי קציעות
פחת מואב
עדין
On the formula of of “b’nei X” for a family or clan, compare Banu (Arabic) - Wikipedia:
Banu (بنو) is Arabic for "the children of" or "descendants of" and appears before the name of a tribal progenitor. The English counterpart would be "House of", for example the House of Saud. Another example of the usage is the Bani Quraish, the tribe from which Muhammad came, for which a Quranic Surah is also named [...] For example, "Bani Kaab" literally means the sons of Kaab: the house of Kaab.
Other formats used for clans in rabbinic Hebrew is “house [of]” (beit - בית) and “men of” (anshei - אנשי).1
So a better translation of the Mishnah would be, to use #1 and #5 as examples:
On the first of Nisan, the Judean clan of Araḥ [...]
on the tenth of Av, the Benjaminite clan of Sena’a
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity [...] Clans preceded more centralized forms of community organization and government [...]2
In Nehemiah 7 (Appendix #2, at the end of this piece), first 17 clans based on a personal name are listed (#13-30), and then clans based on a place name (#31-43). Of the 17 clans based on a personal name (#13-30), 5 are listed in our Mishnah:
B’nei Arah
B’nei Par’osh
B’nei Zattu
B’nei Pahat Moav
B’nei Adin
B’nei Sana’a is listed among clans based on a place name (#31-43).
B’nei David (#2 - דוד)
Safrai in their commentary comments on ‘B’nei David’ (near footnote 276, my translation, I also split into additional paragraphs for readability):
"A family or families from the tribe of Judah that traced their lineage to David.
The name David as a personal name was not in use during the Second Temple period and for many generations afterwards, just as personal names of the patriarchs, such as Abraham, Moses, and Aaron, were not used. Therefore, it is assumed that the reference is to a family or families that traced their lineage to King David.
In Jewish literature of the Second Temple period and the Talmudic era, we do not find a family that traced its lineage to David, except for the family of Hillel and the family of the Exilarch in Babylon. However, we do find an inscription on a luxurious ossuary (geluskema - גלוסקמא) from a Second Temple period burial cave found at Giv'at HaMivtar in northern Jerusalem, which reads: 'Belonging to the house of David' (shel bei david - של בי דוד), and this must be interpreted as 'belonging to the house of David' (שייך לבית דוד). In this ossuary were buried the bones of the family members mentioned in the Mishnah."
B’nei Araḥ (#1 - ארח)
The name Araḥ (ארח) is first mentioned in late biblical books, four times. Three of them are “sons of”, as here in the Mishnah.
See my Appendix - Nehemiah 7, where they’re # 15.
B’nei Par’osh (#3 - פרעש), B’nei Pahath-moab (#7 - פחת מואב), B’nei Zattu (#6a -זתוא)
Nehemiah.10.15, with numberings added:
ראשי העם: פרעש, פחת מואב, עילם, זתוא [...]
“The heads of the people: Parosh (#3), Pahath-moab (#7), Elam, Zattu (#6) [...]
See my Appendix - Nehemiah 10, where they’re #38-39; 41; Nehemiah 7 - #13; 16; 18.
Safrai commentary on Mishnah writes:
“Its meaning in the Bible is ‘the sons of someone who was formerly a governor (paha - פחה) in Moab’, when it was subject to Judah.”
Safrai in their commentary comments on ‘B’nei Par’osh’ (near footnote 276, my translation):
"This is the family that heads the list of the returnees with the exiles of Zion who went up with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:3; Nehemiah 7:8), and their number of people is among the largest, 2,172, led by Zechariah ben Par’osh (זכריה בן פרעש). Pedaiah ben Par’osh (פדיה בן פרעש) participated in the repair of the Jerusalem wall (Nehemiah 3:25). The name Par’osh appears at the head of the signatories of the covenant as leader of the people (Nehemiah 10:14)."
B’nei Jonadab son of Rechab (#4 - יונדב בן־רכב)
Hebrew Wikipedia, on "Sons of Rechav" (b’nei Rechav - בני רכב = Rechabites)
"The sons of Rechab (also called: Rechabites) are a family and sect, descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab. The Rechabites are mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah as living in Judah and known for their ascetic lifestyle, which they lived according to the command of their ancestor. The biblical sources about the origin and fate of the Rechabites are scarce and unclear. Some believe that the sons of Rechab were priests, and according to others, they were converts from the Kenite tribe, descendants of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law.
The mystery regarding their fate after the biblical period and their uniqueness as a group that lived a life of asceticism in the desert, sparked rumors and legends that were preserved in early and later Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions."
לכן, כה אמר יהוה צבאות אלהי ישראל:
לא־יכרת איש ליונדב בן־רכב עמד לפני כל־הימים
“assuredly, thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel:
There shall never cease to be someone from the line of Jonadab son of Rechab standing before Me.”
The “genealogical scroll in Jerusalem” (Talmud Yerushalmi Taanit Chapter 4, 2:13)
The Talmud Yerushalmi in the sugya on this Mishnah states that “Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥalaphta from the sons of Yonadav ben Rekhav”, in the following fascinating passage (Jerusalem_Talmud_Taanit.4.2.13, I split into lines, added numbering, and revised the punctuation):
אמר רבי לוי: מגילת יוחסין מצאו בירושלם, וכתוב בה:
הלל מן דדוד.
בן יצף מן דאסף.
בן ציצית הכסת מן דאבנר.
בן קוביסין מן דאחאב.
בן כלבא שבוע מן דכלב.
רבי יניי מן דעלי
מן יהודה מן ציפורין.
רבי חייה רבה מבני שפטיה בן אבוטל.
רבי יוסי בירבי חלפתא מבני יונדב בן רכב.
רבי נחמיה מן נחמיה התרשתא.
Rebbi Levi said, they found a genealogical scroll in Jerusalem and in it was written:
1. Hillel from David (דוד)
2. Ben Yaṣaf from Asaph (אסף)
3. Ben Ṣiṣit Hakkeset from Abner (אבנר)
4. Ben Qubisin from Ahab (אחאב)
5. Ben Kalba Savua` from Kaleb (כלב) (E.B. ed. Guggenheimer footnote: “These three families are mentioned as the richest of Jerusalem before the first revolt.”)
6. Rebbi Yannai from Eli (עלי)
7. Men Yehudah from Sepphoris (ציפורין) (E.B. ed. Guggenheimer footnote: “In Gen[esis] rabba: The family Yehu”)
8. the Elder Rebbi Ḥiyya from the sons of Shephatya ben Abutal (שפטיה בן אבוטל)
9. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥalaphta from the sons of Yonadav ben Rekhav (יונדב בן רכב)
10. Rebbi Neḥemiah from Nehemiah the governor (נחמיה התרשתא)
The list in this “genealogical scroll” (megillat yohasin - מגילת יוחסין) connects 1st and 2nd century figures important in the Talmudic sphere with major Biblical figures from 500-1000 years earlier.
B’nei Sena’a (#5 - סנאה)
“Sons of Sena’a” (בני סנאה) is mentioned 5 times in the later Biblical books (Ezra, Nehemiah, Divrei HaYamim). For example:
ואת שער הדגים בנו בני הסנאה, המה קרוהו ויעמידו דלתתיו מנעוליו ובריחיו
The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they roofed it and set up its doors, locks, and bars.
Two people from that family are mentioned elsewhere, in two separate verses - someone named Yehuda, and someone named Salu:
ויואל בן־זכרי פקיד עליהם, ויהודה בן־הסנואה על־העיר משנה
Joel son of Zichri was the official in charge of them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was the second-in-command of the city.
ומן־בני בנימן: סלוא בן־משלם בן־הודויה בן־הסנאה
Of the Benjaminites: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Hodaviah son of Hassenuah,
See my Appendix - Nehemiah 7, where they’re # 43. From the context of that list in Nehemiah 7, it’s clear that Sena’a is a toponym (=place name), not a personal name. As all the other items in that part of the list are groups stemming from a certain city (starting from # 30 - Gibeon, and then using the term anshei - אנשי, for a number of places). Unlike the other names, which are personal names.
Safrai in their commentary comments on ‘B’nei Sena’a’ (near footnote 279, my translation):
"A prominent and large family from the tribe of Benjamin, mentioned in the list of returnees in Ezra 2:35 with the [family with the] largest number of people, 3,630. In the list in Nehemiah 7:38, they are counted as 3,930. They are among the builders of the Jerusalem wall (Nehemiah 3:3) and among those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:9; 1 Chronicles 9:7). The name Sena’a (סנאה) from the tribe of Benjamin is also connected with the settlement north of Jericho, which Eusebius in his time knew by the name of Migdal Sena’a (מגדל סנאה)."
B’nei Adin (#8 - עדין)
First mentioned in late biblical books, four times. Three of four are “sons of Adin”, as here in the Mishnah.
See my Appendix - the list of signers in Nehemiah 10, where this name is #46.
B’nei Gonve eli; kotz’ei ketziot (#6b - גונבי עלי; קוצעי קציעות)
In the Talmud (Taanit.28a.10), these figures are associated with a goup known as “Sons of Salmai of Netofa” (בני סלמי הנטופתי):
תנא: הן הן בני סלמאי הנתופתי.
A Sage taught: This was something that was performed in a similar manner by the descendants of Salmai of Netophat.
Interestingly, the town of Netofa (נטופה), which is rarely mentioned in the Talmud (one instance is Mishnah_Sheviit.9.5 - “valley of Bet Netopha”- בקעת בית נטופה) , is mentioned four times in the Bible, twice in the late Biblical books. Twice it is in a toponymic surname, used for two of the thirty of warriors of David, see II_Samuel.23.28-29:
מהרי הנטפתי
חלב בן־בענה הנטפתי
“Maharai the Netophathite,
Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite”
As a place name on its own, it is only found in late biblical books. See Nehemiah.7.26, cited in Appendix #2, in # 31:
אנשי בית לחם ונטפה
However, there may be more than one place called Netofa. See Netophah - Wikipedia (in Judea) and Beit Netofa Valley - Wikipedia (in Galil).
Safrai commentary on this Mishnah writes (Mishnat_Eretz_Yisrael_on_Mishnah_Taanit.4.5.16, near footnote 287), after citing the Talmudic explanation, my translation:
"According to the plain meaning of [the Mishnah], they are names of [a certain kind of] craftsmen. However, while it is clear to us who the kotzei ketziot (קוצעי קציעות) are (E.B they are harvesters of figs, see קצע - ויקימילון), it is unclear what the occupation of the gonvei eli is. Before this Baraita, there was another name in the Mishnah, as after the section we brought it says: 'What does he say about the sons of Salmai of Netofa (בני סלמאי הנטופתי)?', and it repeats a similar story to the previous one. It is likely that B’nei Salmai are identical with the 'B’nei Shalmai' (בני שלמי) mentioned in Ezra (2:46) and Nehemiah (7:48), and as they are also mentioned in the Baraita of Megillat Ta'anit (ibid.)."
A point against the Safrai's’ theory that B’nei Salmai are identical with the 'B’nei Shalmai' mentioned in Ezra (2:46) and Nehemiah (7:48), is that B’nei Shalmai mentioned there are listed among the clans of the Netinim (=Gibeonites), who are separate under-class, both in the late Biblical books, and in the Mishnah (in Kiddushin). (This fascinating topic is for a different time. For now, see the overviews at Hebrew Wikipedia: “גבעונים“ and “בני עבדי שלמה“.)
Appendix #1 - Nehemiah 10 - list of signers - 79 names
For an overview of this event (the signing), see the Hebrew Wikipedia entry “Pledge of Nehemiah”:
Nehemiah 10:2-30 (the verses are mostly split up so that there are three names in each verse; the splitting into verses is much later and is irrelevant for our purposes; the punctuation is mine as well):
ובכל־זאת אנחנו כרתים אמנה וכתבים ועל החתום שרינו לוינו כהנינו
ועל החתומים:
נחמיה התרשתא בן־חכליה וצדקיה
שריה
עזריה[1]
ירמיה
פשחור
אמריה
מלכיה[2]
חטוש
שבניה
מלוך
חרם
מרמות
עבדיה
דניאל
גנתון
ברוך
משלם [3]
אביה
מימן
מעזיה
בלגי
שמעיה. אלה הכהנים.
והלוים: וישוע[4] בן־אזניה
בנוי מבני חנדד
קדמיאל
ואחיהם: שבניה
הודיה [5]
קליטא
פלאיה
חנן[6]
מיכא
רחוב
חשביה
זכור
שרביה
שבניה
הודיה בני בנינו[7] {ס}
ראשי העם: פרעש
פחת מואב
עילם
זתוא בני בני [8]
עזגד
בבי [9]
אדניה
בגוי
עדין
אטר
חזקיה
עזור [10]
הודיה
חשם
בצי
חריף
ענתות
(נובי) [ניבי]
מגפיעש
משלם
חזיר
משיזבאל
צדוק
ידוע
פלטיה
חנן
עניה
הושע
חנניה
חשוב
הלוחש
פלחא
שובק
רחום
חשבנה
מעשיה
ואחיה
חנן
ענן[11]
מלוך
חרם
בענה
ושאר העם: הכהנים, הלוים - השוערים המשררים, הנתינים, וכל־הנבדל מעמי הארצות אל־תורת האלהים, נשיהם, בניהם, ובנתיהם, כל יודע מבין [...]
Appendix #2 - Nehemiah 7 - list of people of the province who came up from Babylonia
אלה בני המדינה העלים משבי הגולה אשר הגלה נבוכדנצר מלך בבל, וישובו לירושל͏ם וליהודה איש לעירו, הבאים עם:
מספר אנשי עם ישראל:
(ע.ב.: הנוסחה היא: "בני X: [מספר]")
בני פרעש: אלפים מאה ושבעים ושנים
בני שפטיה:[14] שלש מאות שבעים ושנים
בני ארח: שש מאות חמשים ושנים
בני פחת מואב, לבני ישוע ויואב: אלפים ושמנה מאות שמנה עשר
בני עילם: אלף מאתים חמשים וארבעה
בני זתוא: שמנה מאות ארבעים וחמשה
בני זכי:[15] שבע מאות וששים
בני בנוי: שש מאות ארבעים ושמנה
בני בבי: שש מאות עשרים ושמנה
בני עזגד: אלפים שלש מאות עשרים ושנים
בני אדניקם: שש מאות ששים ושבעה
בני בגוי: אלפים ששים ושבעה
בני עדין: שש מאות חמשים וחמשה
בני אטר, לחזקיה: תשעים ושמנה
בני חשם: שלש מאות עשרים ושמנה
בני בצי: שלש מאות עשרים וארבעה
בני חריף: מאה שנים עשר
בני גבעון: תשעים וחמשה
(ע.ב.: הנוסחה היא: "אנשי X: [מספר])
אנשי בית לחם ונטפה: מאה שמנים ושמנה
אנשי ענתות: מאה עשרים ושמנה
אנשי בית עזמות: ארבעים ושנים
אנשי קרית יערים, כפירה, ובארות שבע: מאות ארבעים ושלשה
אנשי הרמה, וגבע: שש מאות עשרים ואחד
אנשי מכמס: מאה ועשרים ושנים
אנשי בית אל, והעי: מאה עשרים ושלשה
אנשי נבו אחר: חמשים ושנים
(ע.ב.: הנוסחה היא: "בני X: [מספר])
בני עילם אחר: אלף מאתים חמשים וארבעה
בני חרם: שלש מאות ועשרים
בני ירחו: שלש מאות ארבעים וחמשה
בני לד, חדיד, ואנו: שבע מאות ועשרים ואחד
בני סנאה: שלשת אלפים תשע מאות ושלשים
הכהנים: בני ידעיה לבית ישוע: תשע מאות שבעים ושלשה
44.1. בני אמר: אלף חמשים ושנים
44.2. בני פשחור: אלף מאתים ארבעים ושבעה
44.3. בני חרם: אלף שבעה עשר
הלוים: בני ישוע, לקדמיאל, לבני להודוה: שבעים וארבעה
המשררים: בני אסף: מאה ארבעים ושמנה
השערים:
47.1. בני שלם
47.2. בני אטר
47.3. בני טלמן
47.4. בני עקוב
47.5. בני חטיטא
47.6. בני שבי: מאה שלשים ושמנה
הנתינים:
48.1. בני צחא
48.2. בני חשפא
48.3. בני טבעות
48.4. בני קירס
48.5. בני סיעא
48.6. בני פדון
48.7. בני לבנה
48.8. בני חגבא
48.9. בני שלמי
48.10. בני חנן
48.11. בני גדל
48.12. בני גחר
48.13. בני ראיה
48.14. בני רצין
48.15. בני נקודא
48.16. בני גזם
48.17. בני עזא
48.18. בני פסח
48.19. בני בסי
48.20. בני מעונים
48.21. בני (נפושסים) [נפישסים]
48.22. בני בקבוק
48.23. בני חקופא
48.24. בני חרחור
48.25. בני בצלית
48.26. בני מחידא
48.27. בני חרשא
48.28. בני ברקוס
48.29. בני סיסרא
48.30. בני תמח
48.31. בני נציח
48.32. בני חטיפא
48.33. בני עבדי שלמה
48.34. בני סוטי
48.35. בני ספרת
48.36. בני פרידא
48.37. בני יעלא
48.38. בני דרקון
48.39. בני גדל
48.40. בני שפטיה
48.41. בני חטיל
48.42. בני פכרת הצביים
48.43. בני אמון
48.44. כל הנתינים ובני עבדי שלמה: שלש מאות תשעים ושנים
ואלה העולים מ:
49.1. תל מלח
49.2. תל חרשא
49.3. כרוב
49.4. אדון
49.5. ואמר
ולא יכלו להגיד בית־אבתם וזרעם, אם מישראל הם:
50.1. בני דליה
50.2. בני טוביה
50.3. בני נקודא: שש מאות וארבעים ושנים
ומן־הכהנים:
51.1. בני חביה
51.2. בני הקוץ
51.3. בני ברזלי, אשר לקח מבנות ברזלי הגלעדי אשה, ויקרא על־שמם. אלה בקשו כתבם המתיחשים ולא נמצא ויגאלו מן־הכהנה. ויאמר התרשתא להם, אשר לא־יאכלו מקדש הקדשים, עד עמד הכהן לאורים ותמים.
כל־הקהל כאחד: ארבע רבוא אלפים שלש־מאות וששים
מלבד:
53.1. עבדיהם
53.2. ואמהתיהם: אלה שבעת אלפים שלש מאות שלשים ושבעה
ולהם:
54.1. משררים
54.2. ומשררות: מאתים וארבעים וחמשה
54.3. גמלים: ארבע מאות שלשים וחמשה
54.4. חמרים: ששת אלפים שבע מאות ועשרים
ומקצת ראשי האבות נתנו למלאכה. התרשתא נתן:
55.1. לאוצר זהב, דרכמנים: אלף
55.2. מזרקות: חמשים
55.3. כתנות כהנים: שלשים וחמש מאות
ומראשי האבות נתנו לאוצר המלאכה:
56.1. זהב, דרכמונים: שתי רבות
56.2. וכסף: מנים אלפים ומאתים
ואשר נתנו שארית העם:
57.1. זהב, דרכמנים: שתי רבוא
57.2. וכסף: מנים אלפים
57.3. וכתנת כהנים: ששים ושבעה
וישבו:
58.1. הכהנים
58.2. והלוים
58.3. והשוערים
58.4. והמשררים
58.5. ומן־העם
58.6. והנתינים
58.7. וכל־ישראל בעריהם
Appendix #3 - Names and genealogies in the Late Biblical Books (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Divrei HaYamim)
Neriah Klein writes in his recent Hebrew dissertation on genealogy in Divrei Hayamim, pp. 1-2 (my translation, I also split into additional paragraphs for readability, and added some hyperlinks):
(נריה קליין, רשימות היחס של בני יהודה בספר דברי הימים (דה"א ב 3 - ד 23): ניתוח ספרותי, חיבור לשם קבלת התואר "דוקטור לפילוסופיה", המחלקה לתנ"ך, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, טבת התשע"ט)
The Book of Chronicles has traditionally received little attention among readers and scholars, presumably due to its abundance of dry and seemingly boring details, and seeming lack of importance. Moreover, the book opens with a lengthy section called the genealogical lists (Chronicles 1-9), which threatens to deter any reader with nine chapters full of genealogical, historical, and geographical details - most of which have no parallels in the Bible or outside it.
However, in recent decades, there has been an increasing interest in the Persian period and the books of the Second Temple in the research literature, and as part of this trend, the study of the Book of Chronicles has enjoyed a renewed flourishing.
Several key developments in the study of Chronicles have contributed to this, foremost among them the separation of the book of Chronicles from the book of Ezra-Nehemiah. In the nineteenth century, [Leopold] Zunz suggested that these two books constitute the two parts of a single work, and his view prevailed for about a hundred and fifty years.
The research of [Sarah] Japhet and [Hugh] Williamson in the second half of the twentieth century challenged this view, pointing out linguistic, stylistic, and ideological differences between the books, indicating different authors. This perceptual change opened the door to the analysis of the book of Chronicles as a literary work in its own right, with many significant implications. This approach is now widely held in research, and it is also the starting assumption of the current study.
And ibid., in footnotes (f.1-2):
For example, Radak in his introduction to his commentary on the book states:
"Because this book is the story of Chronicles, they did not used to teach it, and I have not seen anyone among the commentators who exerted themselves in its interpretation."
In his introduction to his commentary on the book of Samuel, Rabbi Isaac Abarbanel admits regarding the book of Chronicles:
"I confess my sins today, for I have not read it in my days, nor have I delved into its matters from my youth until now."
This is especially true for the modern reader (E.B not only the modern reader), who is as far from the discussed periods as east is from west, and for whom the recognition of the lineage of the many anonymous characters appearing in the genealogical lists of Chronicles contributes little to understanding the period or the book.
Sparks writes: "It's so boring. It's just names," he succinctly phrased it, quoting his friend's words after trying to read Chronicles 1-5.
Appendix #4 - Some Family Names in Talmudic literature
בן עזריה
בן הורקנוס / הרכינס
בן משולם
בר אלישיב
בן זכאי / זכיי
בר נחמני
בת בלגה
בת בייתוס
[1] השוו התנא "אלעזר בן עזריה"
[2] השוו האמורא "רב מלכיו"
[3] The name Meshulam appears twice in this list.
[4] The Levites Yeshua and Kadmiel are also mentioned later in the list, and again twice in Nehemiah.9.4-5. The subsequently named Shevania and Hodaya are also mentioned twice there. Hashbania (חשבניה) there is likely the same as Hashavya (חשביה) here.
[5] The name Hodaya appears three times in this list.
[6] The name Hanan appears three times in this. Hanan is later a relatively popular name among rabbinic sages.
[7] Unclear
[8] Unclear
[9] This may be identical with the rabbinic name ביבי. See my discussion in the main piece.
[10] Interestingly, this name is the Arabic equivalent of the name Ezra.
[11] There are a few later Babylonian amoraim with the name Anan. It is also an Arabic name.
[12] תשוו התנא: "רבי אליעזר בן עזריה"
[13] תשוו התנא: "רבי שמואל בר נחמני"
[14] תשוו האמורא: "רבי שפטיה", המצטט מרבי יוחנן.
[15] תשוו התנא: "רבי יוחנן בן זכאי"
On all of these, see my paper ‘Abba’, at my Academia.edu page, in their respective sections.
As an aside, on the tribes/clans in the Bible, see Twelve Tribes of Israel - Wikipedia > “Theories of origin”:
Paul Davidson argued [...] most of the tribal names are "not personal names, but the names of ethnic groups, geographical regions, and local deities. E.g. Benjamin, meaning "son of the south" (the location of its territory relative to Samaria), or Asher, a Phoenician territory whose name may be an allusion to the goddess Asherah."
Historian Immanuel Lewy [...] mentions "the Biblical habit of representing clans as persons. In the Bible, the twelve tribes of Israel are sons of a man called Jacob or Israel, as Edom or Esau is the brother of Jacob, and Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of Abraham. Elam and Ashur, names of two ancient nations, are sons of a man called Shem. Sidon, a Phoenician town, is the first-born of Canaan; the lands of Egypt and Abyssinia are the sons of Ham. This kind of mythological geography is widely known among all ancient peoples. Archaeology has found that many of these personal names of ancestors originally were the names of clans, tribes, localities, or nations. […]