נחמיה, פרק י׳, פסוק כ״ח

Sealing a national covenant required the formal commitment of the era's most prominent figures. The agreement was finalized with the signatures of the generation's leaders, who were likely the heads of the major families or their most distinguished descendants.

The arrangement of those who signed reflected a clear and deliberate hierarchy. The supreme governor placed his name first, followed by the most respected priests and Levites, and finally the leaders of the general public. Despite this structured order of authority, the act of signing was a deeply shared effort. They participated together, driven by the understanding that they functioned as a single, united body rather than a collection of individuals.

This specific gathering of leaders carries a broader historical significance. An approach views this exact list of signers as the foundational membership of the supreme court, the governing body that would later be known as the Great Assembly [ביאור שטיינזלץ].