Person Old Testament
Ater
Ater was the head of a family of gatekeepers who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity (Ezr.2.42; Neh.7.45). Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Ezra 2:42.
Why it matters. Head of a family of gatekeepers who returned from exile
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Ater
Ater is mentioned in the lists of people who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, as recorded in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7. He was the head of a family of gatekeepers, also known as doorkeepers, who were responsible for guarding the entrances to the temple and maintaining order within its precincts. The gatekeepers played a crucial role in ensuring the security and sanctity of the temple. Ater's family, along with other gatekeepers, joined the group of exiles led by Zerubbabel in their return to Jerusalem, contributing to the restoration of temple worship and service.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.