Ezra 2:8
“The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty-five.”
What does Ezra 2:8 mean?
This short verse is part of a longer list documenting who returned from exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem around 538 BC. The "children of Zattu" likely refers to descendants of a family or clan by that name, and the number 945 tells us how many of them made the difficult journey home. These weren't just statistics, but real people reclaiming their lives and faith after decades away from their land. Lists like this one mattered deeply to the community because they established who belonged, who had survived, and who could participate in restoring their temple and city.