Immer

Immer was one of five named Babylonian settlements — together with Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, and Addon — from which Jewish exiles attempted to return to Judah under Zerubbabel but could not produce the genealogical records proving descent from the priestly tribe of Aaron (Ezra 2:59, Nehemiah 7:61). Three priestly families came up specifically from Immer: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite. Without verified pedigrees they were excluded from the priesthood "as unclean" until a priest with Urim and Thummim could rule on their status. The exact location of Immer is unknown but lay in the Babylonian heartland near Cherub and Addon. The name Immer also appears as the name of a priestly family-head still serving in Jerusalem in the post-exile period (Nehemiah 11:13, 1 Chronicles 9:12) — possibly survivors of the same family who did manage to verify their lineage.