Legumes and Barley

Numerous letters and documents to and from Jews residing in Egypt, written in Aramaic on papyri and ostraca, have been found, most of which date to the fifth century BCE. They come from members of a Jewish military colony in the service of the Persian Empire, located on the island of Elephantine in the Nile River, in the far south of Egypt across from Aswan (ancient Syene), where there was a sister colony, ethnically more diverse, known as “the Syenian troop.” It is possible that the colony goes back several centuries to the time of the Assyrian Empire. Many of the letters are from a communal archive containing correspondence of Jedaniah (Yedaniah), a priest and leader of the community, and his colleagues, during the last quarter of the fifth century BCE. They deal with the social and religious life of the community. Other letters are between private individuals and speak about various personal matters.