Tarpelites
Mention in the Book of Ezra
The Tarpelites appear in a single biblical passage, Ezra 4:9, as part of a lengthy list of peoples who joined in writing a letter of complaint to the Persian king Artaxerxes. The letter protested the Jewish effort to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple after the return from Babylonian exile. The list includes officials and various ethnic groups who had been settled in Samaria and the surrounding region, all of whom opposed the reconstruction project.
The Letter to Artaxerxes
The complaint letter described in Ezra 4:8-16 was written by Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe, along with representatives of several displaced peoples. The Tarpelites are named alongside the Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Erechites, Babylonians, Susanchites, Dehavites, and Elamites (Ezra 4:9). The letter warned the Persian king that Jerusalem had a history of rebellion and that allowing its walls and temple to be rebuilt would threaten Persian control of the region. The strategy succeeded temporarily, and the building project was halted until the reign of Darius (Ezra 4:24).
Theories About Their Identity
The identity of the Tarpelites has been the subject of considerable scholarly discussion. One prominent theory, advanced by the Assyriologist Rawlinson, connected them to the Tuplai, a people mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions who correspond to the Greek Tibarenoi, a tribe from the coast of Pontus along the Black Sea. Another suggestion placed them at Tripolis in northern Phoenicia. A more recent textual theory proposes that the word should be emended to read "tablet-writers," derived from the Assyrian term for scribes. If this emendation is correct, the Tarpelites would not be an ethnic group at all but rather a class of officials.
The Assyrian Deportation Policy
The presence of so many diverse peoples in Samaria reflects the Assyrian imperial practice of population transfer. When Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, they deported much of the Israelite population and resettled peoples from other conquered territories in their place (2 Kings 17:24). This deliberate mixing of populations was designed to prevent rebellion by severing peoples from their homelands and traditional loyalties. The groups listed in Ezra 4:9 represent the descendants of these resettled populations, now several generations removed from their original homelands.
Opposition to God's Purposes
The broader narrative of Ezra 4 shows how the resettled peoples in Samaria became persistent opponents of the Jewish restoration. Their opposition took both diplomatic and intimidation-based forms. Despite these setbacks, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to resume building, and the temple was eventually completed in 516 BC under the authorization of King Darius (Ezra 6:14-15).
Biblical Context
The Tarpelites are mentioned only in Ezra 4:9, as part of a list of peoples who wrote to the Persian king opposing the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The passage falls within the larger narrative of Ezra 4, which describes various attempts to halt the Jewish restoration efforts after the return from Babylonian exile.
Theological Significance
The Tarpelites illustrate the theme of opposition to God's restorative work. Throughout Ezra and Nehemiah, foreign groups and hostile neighbors attempt to thwart God's plan to reestablish his people in their land. Despite these obstacles, God's purposes prevail, demonstrating his sovereignty over both imperial politics and local resistance.
Historical Background
The Assyrian policy of population transfer, documented extensively in Assyrian royal inscriptions, explains the presence of diverse peoples in the former territory of northern Israel. Cuneiform records from Sargon II and his successors describe the deportation and resettlement of conquered populations. The peoples listed in Ezra 4:9 likely represent communities transplanted to Samaria during the late eighth and seventh centuries BC.