Hobaiah was a priest who returned from the Babylonian exile to Jerusalem, but could not prove his priestly ancestry through the genealogical records. He was therefore excluded from priestly service until a priest could consult God using the Urim and Thummim.
Avaintapahtumat
Return from Exile
Hobaiah was among the priests who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem along with Zerubbabel and the other returning Jews.
61And among the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.
Due to lack of documentation of his priestly ancestry, Hobaiah was considered unclean and excluded from eating the most holy things until a priest could appear with the Urim and Thummim.
Hobaja is also mentioned in the book of Nehemiah in a similar list of priests who could not prove their lineage, confirming the account from the book of Ezra.
63And among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai — the one who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took his family name.
65The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest should arise to consult the Urim and Thummim.[^1]
[^1]: Urim and Thummim: sacred objects kept by the high priest and used to seek God's decision.