וְאֵת֩ כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י הַחַ֜יִל שִׁבְעַ֣ת אֲלָפִ֗ים וְהֶחָרָ֤שׁ וְהַמַּסְגֵּר֙ אֶ֔לֶף הַכֹּ֕ל גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים עֹשֵׂ֣י מִלְחָמָ֑ה וַיְבִיאֵ֧ם מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל גּוֹלָ֖ה בָּבֶֽלָה׃
And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths a thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin
It is written: to the outstanding Elders in the diaspora. The Holy One, praise to Him, said: The Elders of the diaspora are very dear to me. But more beloved by Me is a small group in the Land of Israel than a great Synhedrion outside the Land. It is written: The craftsmen and the smiths one thousand, and you say so? Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥelbo and the rabbis. Rebbi Berekhiah said, one thousand craftsmen and one thousand smiths. But the rabbis say, together one thousand. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi [Ḥelbo said]218Added from the consensus of the parallel texts, missing here., these are the Fellows; but the rabbis say, these are the councilmen.