MISHNA: There were ten categories of lineage, with varying restrictions on marriage, among the Jews who ascended from Babylonia to Eretz Yisrael with Ezra before the building of the Second Temple. They are as follows: Priests; Levites; Israelites; priests disqualified due to flawed lineage [ḥalalim]; converts, and emancipated slaves; mamzerim; Gibeonites, i.e., the descendants of the Gibeonites who converted in the time of Joshua; children of unknown paternity [shetuki]; and foundlings. עֲשָׂרָה יוּחֲסִים עָלוּ מִבָּבֶל כָּהֲנֵי לְוִיֵּי יִשְׂרְאֵלִי חֲלָלֵי גֵּירֵי וַחֲרוֹרֵי מַמְזֵירֵי נְתִינֵי שְׁתוּקֵי וַאֲסוּפֵי
The mishna proceeds to detail their halakhot: With regard to priests, Levites, and Israelites, it is permitted for men and women in these categories to marry one another. With regard to Levites who are not priests, Israelites, ḥalalim, converts, and emancipated slaves, it is permitted for men and women in these categories to marry one another. כָּהֲנֵי לְוִיֵּי וְיִשְׂרְאֵלֵי מוּתָּרִין לָבֹא זֶה בָּזֶה לְוִיֵּי יִשְׂרְאֵלֵי חֲלָלֵי גֵּירֵי וַחֲרוֹרִי מוּתָּרִין לָבֹא זֶה בָּזֶה
With regard to converts, and emancipated slaves, mamzerim, and Gibeonites, children of unknown paternity [shetuki], and foundlings, it is permitted for all of the men and women in these categories to marry one another. And these are the last two categories: A shetuki is any person who knows the identity of his mother but does not know the identity of his father. A foundling is anyone who was collected from the marketplace and doesn’t know the identity of his parents, neither that of his father nor that of his mother. These two categories are people whose status is uncertain; they may be mamzerim. Abba Shaul would call a shetuki by the label of beduki. גִּירֵי וַחֲרוֹרֵי מַמְזֵירֵי וּנְתִינֵי שְׁתוּקֵי וַאֲסוּפֵי כּוּלָּם מוּתָּרִין לָבֹא זֶה בָּזֶה וְאֵלּוּ הֵם שְׁתוּקִי כֹּל שֶׁהוּא מַכִּיר אֶת אִמּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מַכִּיר אֶת אָבִיו אֲסוּפִי כֹּל שֶׁנֶּאֱסָף מִן הַשּׁוּק וְאֵינוֹ מַכִּיר לֹא אֶת אָבִיו וְלֹא אִמּוֹ אַבָּא שָׁאוּל הָיָה קוֹרֵא לַשְּׁתוּקִי בְּדוּקִי
GEMARA: The mishna teaches: There were ten categories of lineage among the Jews who ascended from Babylonia. The Gemara asks: Why does the tanna specifically teach the phrase: Ascended from Babylonia? Why was it important for the tanna to specify their place of origin? Let him teach that they went to Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara answers: He teaches us a matter in passing, as it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “And you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord, your God, shall choose” (Deuteronomy 17:8). This teaches that the Temple is higher than all of Eretz Yisrael, which is why the verse speaks of ascending from the cities of Eretz Yisrael to the Temple. And it teaches that Eretz Yisrael is higher than all of the lands. גְּמָ' עֲשָׂרָה יוּחֲסִין עָלוּ מִבָּבֶל מַאי אִירְיָא דְּתָנֵי עָלוּ מִבָּבֶל נִיתְנֵי הָלְכוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִילְּתָא אַגַּב אוֹרְחֵיהּ קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן כִּדְתַנְיָא וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ גָּבוֹהַּ מִכׇּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל גְּבוֹהָה מִכׇּל הָאֲרָצוֹת
The Gemara asks: Granted, the Temple is higher than all of Eretz Yisrael. This is derived from that which is written: בִּשְׁלָמָא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ גָּבוֹהַּ מִכׇּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב