Telem טֶ֫לֶם
Temple servant who married a foreign wife
Who is Telem in the Bible?
Telem was a temple servant mentioned in Ezra 10:24 who married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile. When Ezra led the returned exiles in a religious reformation, Telem was among those temple servants who agreed to divorce their foreign wives in order to maintain the ritual and ethnic purity of the Jewish community. His inclusion in this list demonstrates the commitment of temple workers to religious observance, even at great personal cost, and reflects the stringent measures the post-exilic community took to preserve their identity after returning from captivity.
Biography
Telem is mentioned in Ezr.10.24 as one of the temple servants who had married foreign wives during the Babylonian exile. Under Ezra's leadership, the returned exiles agreed to divorce their foreign wives to maintain the purity of the Jewish community. Telem is listed among those who complied with this decision.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:24
"From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | טֶ֫לֶם |
Telem (1)
said to send messengers to David at Thelam (Thailam); this would seem to be the same place and also to be identical with the Telaim and Telam of Saul (see TELAIM). It is probably the same as the Talmia of the Talmud (Neubauer, Geog. du Talmud, 121). The site has not been recovered.