Immer
Immer is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Mesopotamia in modern-day Iraq. Known today as Babylon. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Immer appears in Scripture as a place in Babylonia from which certain families returned to Judah after the exile, though they could not prove their Israelite ancestry. In Ezra 2:59 and the parallel passage in Nehemiah 7:61, Immer is listed alongside Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, and Addan as locations in Mesopotamia where exiled Jews had settled during the Babylonian captivity. The families from these places who returned under Zerubbabel numbered 652 men, but they were unable to establish their genealogical connection to Israel. This created a significant problem, particularly for those claiming priestly descent, as the integrity of the priesthood required verified lineage. Some of these returnees from Immer were told to wait until a priest could consult the Urim and Thummim to determine their status (Ezra 2:63). The mention of Immer illustrates the social disruption caused by the exile, where communities were scattered across Babylonia and over generations lost documentation of their tribal and family connections. It also reflects the post-exilic community's concern for maintaining covenantal identity.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Immer's precise location within Mesopotamia remains unidentified. The city was one of several Babylonian settlements where Jewish exiles were resettled following the deportations of 597 and 586 BC. Cuneiform tablets from the Murashu archive (fifth century BC) discovered at Nippur document Jewish names and business activities in Babylonia, providing evidence of the exile communities referenced in Ezra and Nehemiah. The Al-Yahudu tablets, published in recent decades, directly reference a settlement called "the city of Judah" in Babylonia, offering unprecedented insight into exilic life. While Immer itself has not been located, these broader archaeological discoveries confirm the historical reality of Jewish communities living in identifiable settlements throughout Mesopotamia during and after the exile period.
Verse Appearances (2)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →