The number of donkeys that the returning Israelites brought with them from the Babylonian exile
The number 6720 appears in Ezra 2:67 as the exact count of donkeys that the returning exiles brought with them when they returned to Judah after the Babylonian captivity. A corresponding figure is found in Nehemiah 7:68, although this verse has a complex textual history. The verses are part of a detailed census recording people, servants, singers, and pack animals—an enumeration that underscores God's faithful fulfillment of the promise of restoration. The large number of donkeys testifies that the returning exiles carried significant resources, which were necessary for rebuilding the temple and the community in Jerusalem. Donkeys were indispensable as beasts of burden in the rugged landscape of Judah and played a central role in the daily operations of an agricultural society. In ancient Israel, the donkey was an important symbol of wealth and status. Unlike the horse, which was often associated with war and foreign empires, the donkey was a beast of peace, linked to daily life and trade (cf. Gen 49:11; Zech 9:9). The censuses in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 are nearly identical but contain some discrepancies. Nehemiah 7:68 is missing in several Hebrew manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, and the verse has been reconstructed in some Bible editions from Greek translations and other textual witnesses. The fact that the number of donkeys (6720) remains consistent wherever the verse appears suggests a reliable transmission of this information. The return from Babylon (around 538 BCE) under Cyrus's decree marks a turning point in Jewish history. The detailed recording of possessions and animals reflects an administrative practice known from Persian sources, where precise accounting was required during population movements.*