Orphans, Elders or Gold in the Temple's Chamber of Treasures?

I Chronicles.26.14

What is that secret chamber guarded by mysterious lineage of gatekeepers? The most kept secret chamber has a name that has kept scholars and translators up at night, gold diggers searching for hidden maps so that they can dig up the secret treasures of the temple and scholars curious to find out who are these outsiders entrusted with the insider storage space of the sacred?

Today’s chapter continues to outline the plans for the future temple, written generations in the future to justify the priestly procedure that with time will prove too grandiose, corrupt and out of touch with the people to persist. But not yet - the authors of Chronicles, writing around the 3-2 centuries BCE paint a picture of opulence and carefully planned blueprints designed by David and perfected by his son Solomon. Included in the long lists of roles and rules are the gatekeepers of the sacred sanctuary, appointed according to divisions and units that take turn at the thresholds for both safety sake and for ceremonial optics. Interesting to note that the majority of the gatekeeping Levites are from the House of Korach - famous for its rebellion against the meritocracy of Moses and Aaaron at the expense of the other Levites who are demoted - Korach and sons not only did not die as a result of that revolt but ended up with key-holder positions in the system. This may be saying something about the theological evolution of thought that does not blame sons for the sins of their fathers or it may be the reality of who’s who in the Second Temple landscape including territorial disputes and echoes of earlier power games.

There are more mysteries in this chapter, hidden within lists of who guards what. And it seems that there were a lot of guards at the many doorways of the fortified house of faith. The 24 watches were divided by lottery into families that took turns at 21 or more sensitive spots throughout the compound.

Among the listed locations that required watchmen —such as the Chamber of Lambs, where sacrificial animals were inspected for blemishes, or the Curtain Chamber, where the Temple curtains were woven—there is an enigmatic verse that has left many translators troubled. Both the name of the location is obscure and the family in charge of it does not seem to be according to the usual ranks. What is this outlier?

לְעֹבֵ֥ד אֱדֹ֖ם נֶ֑גְבָּה וּלְבָנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ית הָאֲסֻפִּֽים׃

For Obed-edom, the south gate and for his sons, the vestibule.

I Chronicles.26.14

Obed Edom is a mysterious figure. Both in Samuel and Chronicles he is remembered as the local man of Gath who ended up storing the Ark of the Covenant during its long journey to Jerusalem. His name means ‘the worshipper’ or ‘the slave’ of Edom - the kingdom to the east of the river, and yet he is entrusted with the holiest object of the Judaic nation and later on becomes the custodian of its most cherished possessions in the temple, along with his 64 sons all named. How did this outsider end up being the watchman of the insider top shelf secrets?

Scholars have long noted the uncertainties and contradictions surrounding “Obed-Edom the Gittite,” which most interpret to mean he was originally a Philistine—a non-Israelite. But Chronicles describe Obed-Edom as a Levite. This Levite identity is widely considered to be the Chronicler’s reinterpretation of the character, suggesting that this shift reflects a deliberate transformation of a Philistine figure into a Levitical one to validate David’s earlier choices - which may have included bringing these allies into his inner circle. In contrast, more conservative interpretations argue that “Gittite” simply refers to someone from the town of Gath, not necessarily a Philistine by ethnicity. Gath is listed in Joshua 21:24 as one of the Levitical cities originally assigned to the Kohathites, the same Levitical lineage to which Obed-Edom is later connected. Obed’s story may be one of eventual integration/assimilation of gentiles into the Judean society or the saga of a specific allegiance that with time offered rewards and covered positions.

We may not know what Obed’s story really nor what he was doing guarding both the ark - and later this mysterious chamber of secrets.

The Hebrew words “Asufim” might mean ‘the collection’ and refers to goods, but it may also mean other things entirely.

This chamber must have been of particular importance, as two Levites were stationed there according to the biblical text—and in one Talmudic version, four Levites, in pairs.

But what exactly were they guarding? What is this “House of Asuppim”?

The Italian Radak, writing in 12th century CE Italy, suggests that the term is a scribal error for “Beit Ha-Sipim,” possibly referring to the king’s runners, meaning it was a place where royal messengers or guards were stationed. Other commentators claim that they just don’t know.

Bible translators have been split—some openly admit they don’t know what “Beit Ha-Asuppim” means, while others offer conflicting guesses. In the Greek Septuagint, the word ἐσεφίν preserves the original term phonetically, Perhaps the translators assumed the house was named after a person called Asuppim.

The original King James Version keeps the Hebrew name: “the House of Asuppim.” But the New Revised Version translates it as “the storehouse”—a place where collected items are kept. Martin Luther’s German Bible takes a completely different turn: “bei dem Vorratshause,” implying a “House of Provisions” or a meeting place for elders (“Gather unto me the elders”). The Latin Vulgate echoes this with “erat seniorum concilium”—the council of elders.

Based on this reading a later commentary suggested that it was the house of orphans - where the children of priestly families with no living parents were raised. A temple orphanage?

This is a fascinating case of a word surviving while its meaning has been lost. The translators made valiant efforts to guess its significance, but none could agree on a compelling answer. Whether the treasures kept in this mysterious room in the south side of the temple were of monetary value, housed the future priests or served as the meeting place for the elders -- they were well guarded by a family whose line of duty extended over time to be the protectors of the sacred secrets.

A few more chapters are left with detailed lists of the temple upkeep, bureaucracy, payroll, lines of duty and hidden stories between the lines.

We will keep searching for treasures there that will help us understand this legacy, its agenda, what the authors wanted us to know and what even the most diligent doorkeepers could not prevent us from seeking out - the truths that lie deep within this ancient history and what treasures we still guard behind closed doors of secret chambers.

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