כָּסִפְיָא
Casiphja, a place in Babylon
Definition
Casiphja (כָּסִפְיָא) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in Babylon, mentioned only once in the Old Testament. It was a place where Ezra, during the return from exile, found Levites and temple servants to accompany him to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:17). The name likely derives from the Hebrew word for 'silver' (כֶּסֶף), suggesting a possible association with wealth, commerce, or perhaps even a treasury or silver-working district. As a geographical marker, it signifies a Jewish community in the Babylonian diaspora that maintained religious personnel and identity.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only in Ezra 8:17, within the narrative of the Jewish return from exile. The context is administrative and religious: Ezra sends messengers to 'Casiphja, the place' to recruit Levites for temple service in Jerusalem. Its usage is singular and specific, denoting a known Jewish settlement in Babylon that housed Levitical families.
Etymology
The name כָּסִפְיָא (Kâçiphyâʼ) is likely derived from the Hebrew root כֶּסֶף (keseph, H3701), meaning 'silver.' It is probably a locative name meaning 'silvery place' or 'place of silver,' formed with the יָא (yâʼ) ending common in Aramaic-influenced names of the exilic period. This suggests the location may have been known for silver trade, mining, or a treasury.
Semantic Range
While the place name itself is not theologically loaded, its mention highlights God's providence in preserving Levitical lines and worship structures even in exile. The community at Casiphja represents the faithful remnant in Babylon, ready to return and reestablish temple worship, underscoring themes of restoration and continuity in God's plan.
As a Babylonian location with a Hebrew-derived name, Casiphja reflects the Jewish diaspora's integration and distinct identity during the exile. The presence of Levites there indicates that religious roles and knowledge were maintained in foreign lands, which was crucial for the post-exilic restoration of worship in Jerusalem.
No direct synonyms as a proper noun. Related conceptually to other exilic locations like Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:15) or the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1), which were also sites of Jewish settlement in Babylon.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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