Contradiction with Genesis 12:1
This verse mentions God instructing Abram to leave his country, which contradicts Ezra 8:20, where temple servants are gathered for a specific purpose, settled in service rather than leaving.
Genesis 12:1: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 18:1
This verse states that the Levites shall have no inheritance in Israel; however, Ezra 8:20 includes mentions of temple servants, suggesting a specific role and inheritance.
Deuteronomy 18:1: The priests the Levites, [and] all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.
Contradiction with Numbers 18:24
The Levites receive tithes for their inheritance, which contradicts the temple servants in Ezra 8:20, highlighting a difference in roles and support systems.
Numbers 18:24: But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer [as] an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Paradox #1
Ezra 8:20 mentions the Nethinim, a group of temple servants. A possible contradiction is the uncertainty about their precise origin and role, as they are not mentioned in earlier biblical texts like the Torah, raising questions about when and how they became an established group within the temple service.