Bottom photo by Hassan Bushnaq (CC BY-SA 3.0) Wikimedia Commons . Sanballat letter photo, c1907 {{PD}} Wikimedia Commons . Geshem bowl photo from the Brooklyn Museum (CC BY 3.0).

Post 23 – Remarkably, archeology may corroborate the existence of all 3 enemies mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 6:1. The first 2 pieces may be seen at the Brooklyn Museum, which Robin and I enjoyed doing in October. The “Elephantine Papyri” (Top left) mentions “Sanballat the governor of Samaria”. Interestingly, the historian Josephus confirms that he was made governor of Samaria. Also at the same Museum, a silver bowl (Top right) inscribed with the name “Geshem king of Qedar. This is probably (although not certainly) “Geshem the Arabian” as Qedar (Kedar) was a northern Arabian kingdom mentioned several times in the Bible. Finally, Tobiah the Ammonite. Near the city of Amman (Ammon) Jordan, are the ruins of an impressive family crypt (Bottom). It was built by the wealthy Tobiad family, descendants of Tobiah the Ammonite. A nearby burial cave is marked with a single name, “Tobiah”. #weeklybiblereadingarcheology #biblereadingarcheology #biblereadingarchaeology