Sophereth

Sophereth is a servant of Solomon whose descendants are listed among those who returned from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem. The name appears once in each of the parallel registers of returnees in Ezra and Nehemiah.

In the Returnee Lists

Within the catalog of "Solomon's slaves" — a guild whose descendants traveled back with the temple servants — Sophereth's family is enumerated alongside the families of Sotai and Peruda/Perida. Ezra's list spells the name with the article-prefix: "The sons of Solomon's slaves: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda" (Ezr 2:55). The Nehemiah parallel gives the bare form: "The sons of Solomon's slaves: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida" (Ne 7:57). The two registers cover the same group; Sophereth appears in both as a household head whose line persisted through the exile and was counted at the return.