In the rolls of the families that first returned to Judah from Babylon, Nehemiah lists “the men of the other Nebo” (v33) and “the sons of the other Elam” (v34).
The weird part is that there is no first Nebo or first Elam in Nehemiah.
Now, there’s a nearly identical list in Ezra 2 that sheds a little bit of light, but raises its own question.
Ezra 2:7 refers to “the sons of Elam” and numbers them 1,254. Then Ezra 2:31 refers to “the sons of the other Elam” and numbers them… 1,254.
Ezra 2 refers to only one Nebo and counts merely, “the sons of Nebo” (v29).
First, what happened? How many Elams were there? How many Nebos? Did the two Elams really have the same number of enrolled descendants? What happened to the first Elam and the first Nebo between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7?
Second, how would it feel to be the family of “the other Nebo”—especially when the first Nebo is nowhere to be found?
