Nehemiah 5 Footnotes

5:15 There is no consensus on the political status of Judah prior to Nehemiah’s appointment as governor of the region. Some argue that Judah was under the administration of governors based in Samaria prior to Nehemiah’s appointment. However, both Sheshbazzar (Ezr 5:14) and Zerubbabel (Hg 1:1,14) are referred to as governors of this region. Additionally, N. Avigad, Bullae and Seals from a Post-Exilic Judean Archive, has identified inscriptions excavated in the region that point strongly to the likelihood that there were governors over the region known as “Yehud” (Judah) prior to Nehemiah’s governorship. The archaeological support for the existence of other governors of Judah also helps to offset the possibility that Nehemiah was criticizing Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel in this passage. He could easily be referring to other governors of Judah.