The number of Benjamites living in Jerusalem after the return from exile (1 Chron. 9:9)
The number 956 appears in 1 Chronicles 9:9, where it states that 956 men from the tribe of Benjamin were settled in Jerusalem after returning from the Babylonian exile. These men are described as heads of their ancestral houses and represented a significant portion of the rebuilding community. The context in 1 Chronicles 9 is an overview of those who first returned to their properties and cities, with special emphasis on the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, as well as the Levites and priests. The number highlights the role of the tribe of Benjamin in the renewed settlement of the holy city after the exile. 1 Chronicles 9 is considered one of the most important genealogical texts in the Old Testament, as it documents who first returned from the Babylonian exile and restored the Jewish community in Jerusalem. The tribe of Benjamin had a special connection to Jerusalem, since the city lay on the border between Judah and Benjamin. After the kingdom was divided, Benjamin remained loyal to the kingdom of Judah and the temple in Jerusalem. The parallel passage in Nehemiah 11:7–8 gives a slightly different number for the Benjamites in Jerusalem, reflecting differences in time period or counting criteria between the two sources.*