8. An Issacharite, father of Baasha, king of Israel (1 Kind's xv, 27, 33; xxi, 2; 2 Kings ix, 9), B.C. ante. 950.
9. One of the chief Israelites who" subscribed the sacred covenant drawn up by Nehemiah (Neh. x, 26) B.C. cir. 110.
Ahi'kam (Heb. Achikam', E^nx, brother of support, i. e. Helper; Sept. 'A\iK-a/t), the second named of the four eminent persons sent by King Josiah to inquire of the prophetess Huldah concerning the prop- er course to be pursued in relation to the acknowl- edged violations of the newly-discovered book of the law c_' Kings xxii, 12 M : '-' Chron. xxxiv, 20), B.C. 623. He afterward protected the prophet Jeremiah from the persecuting fury of Jehoiakim (Jer. xxvi, 21 1, EM '. oi>7 : ami other members of his family were equally humane (Jer. xxxix, 1-1). He was the son of Shaphan, the royal secretary, and father of Geda- liah, the viceroy of Judaja after the capture of Jeru-
salem bv the Babvlonians (2 Kings xxv, 22; Jer. xl, 5-16 ; xli, 1-18 ; xliii, 6).
Ahi'lud (Heb. Achilud' ', "t^nx, perh. brother of the Lydian; Sept. 'AxCKovi, but 'hxikovS in 1 Kings iv, 12), the father of Jehoshaphat, chronicler under David and Solomon (2 Sam. viii, 16; xx, 24; 1 Kings iv, 3 ; 1 Chron. xviii, 15), and also of Baana, one of Solomon's purveyors (1 Kings iv, 12), B.C. ante 1014.
Ahim'aaz (Heb. Achima ats, "(""^riX, brother of anger, i. e. irascible; Sept. 'Ayijudac), the name of three men.
1. The father of Ahinoam, wife of King Saul (1 Sam. xiv, 50), B.C. ante 1093.
2. The son and successor of Zadok (1 Chron. vi, 8, 53) in the high-priesthood (B.C. cir. 972-956), in which he was succeeded by his son Azariah (1 Chron. vi, 9). See High-priest. During the revolt of Ab- salom, David having refused to allow the ark of God to be taken from Jerusalem when he fled thence, the high-priests Zadok and Abiathar necessarily remain- ed in attendance upon it ; but their sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, concealed themselves outside the city, to be in readiness to bear off to David any important information respecting the movements and designs of Absalom which they might receive from within. See Absalom. Accordingly, Hushai having communi- cated to the priests the result of the council of war, in which his own advice was preferred to that of Ahitho- phel (q. v.), the)- instantly sent a girl (probably to avoid suspicion) to direct Ahimaaz and Jonathan to speed away with the intelligence. The transaction, however, was witnessed and betrayed by a lad, and the messengers were so hotly pursued that the}- took refuge in a dry well, over which the woman of the house placed a covering, and spread thereon parched corn. She told the pursuers that the messengers had passed on in haste ; and when all was safe, she re- leased them, on which they made their way to David (2 Sam. xv, 24-37; xvii, 15-21). B.C. cir" 1023. As may be inferred from his being chosen for this serv- ice, Ahimaaz was swift of foot. See Runner. Of this we have a notable example soon after, when, on the defeat and death of Absalom, he prevailed on Joab to allow him to carry the tidings to David. Another messenger, Cushi, had previously been despatched, but Ahimaaz outstripped him, and first came in with the news. He was known afar off by the manner of his running, and the king said, "He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings ;" and this favorable character is justified by the delicacy with which he waived that part of his intelligence concerning the death of Absalom, which he knew would greatly dis- tress so fond a father as David (2 Sam. xviii, 19-33). — Kitto, s. v. See David.
3. Solomon's purveyor in Naphtali, who married Basmath, Solomon's daughter (1 Kings iv, 15), B.C. post 1014.
Ahi'man (Heb. Achiman , "jB^rlSj!, in pause "■^nN, brother of a gift, i. e. liberal; Sept. 'A\ifiav, but in 1 Chron. ix, 17, Alfidv v. r. Aifiav), the name of two men.
1. One of the three famous giants of the race of Anak, who dwelt at Hebron when the first Hebrew spies explored the land (Num. xiii, 22), B.C. 1657; and who (or their descendants, Keil, Comment, in loc.) were afterward expelled by Caleb (Josh, xv, 14), B.C. 1612, and themselves eventually slain by the Juda- ites (Judg. i, 10), B.C. cir. 1593."
2. One of the Levitical Temple wardens after the exile (1 Chron. ix, 17), B.C. cir. 51.6.
Ahim'elech (Heb. Achime'lek, Tj^inx, brother [i. e. friend^ of the king; Sept. Ayi/uAfY, but 'Afiipi- \(\ in Psa. lii, title ; Josephus 'Axifik\i\og), tne name of two men.
AHIMOTH
121
AHITIIOPIIEL
1. The twelfth high-priest of the Jews, B.C. cir. 1085-1060, son of Aliitub (q. v.), and father of Abi- athar (q. v.) ; apparently called also Ahiah (q. v.). See High-priest. (On the difficulties involved in these names see Kuindl, Comment, ad Marc, ii, 20 ; Korb, in the Krit. Journ. d. Theol. iv, 295 sq. ; Fritzsche, Comment, in Marc. p. 72 sq. ; Hitzig, Begriff d. Krit. p. 1-16 ; Ewald, hr. Gesch. ii. 596 ; Engstrcim, Be Ahimeleche et Abjathare, Lund. 1741; Wolf, Cur. i, 439 sq.) He was a descendant of the line of Itha- mar through Eli (1 Chron. xxiv, 2-6; comp. Jo- sephus, Ant. v, 11, 5; viii, 1, 3). When David fled from Saul (B.C. 1062), he went to Nob, a city of the priests in Benjamin, where the tabernacle then was, and, by representinLC himself as on pressing business from the king, he obtained from Ahimelech, who had no other, some of the sacred bread which had been re- moved from the presence-table (see Osiander, Be Ba- vide panes propositions aecipiente, Tub. 1751). He was also furnished with the sword which he had himself taken from Goliath, and which had been laid up as a tropin' in the tabernacle (1 Sam. xxi, 1-9). These circumstances were witnessed by Doeg, an Edomite in the service of Saul, and were so reported by him to the jealous king as to appear acts of connivance at, and support to, David's imagined disloyal designs. Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and the other priests then at Nob, and laid this treasonable offence to their charge ; but they declared their ignorance of any hos- tile designs on the part of David toward Saul or his kingdom. This, however, availed them not, for the king commanded his guard to slay them. Their re- fusal to fall upon persons invested with so sacred a character might have brought even Saul to reason; but he repeated the order to Doeg himself, and was too readily obeyed by that malignant person, who, with the men under his orders, not only slew the priests then present, eighty-six in number, but march- ed to Nob, and put to the sword even' living creature it contained (1 Sam. xxii ; Psa. lii, title). The only priest that escaped was Abiathar. Ahimelech's son, who fled to David, and afterward became high-priest (1 Sam. xxiii, 6 ; xxx, 7). See Abiathar. Some have supposed from Mark ii, 26, that there was another Ahimelech, a son of Abiathar, and grandson of the preceding, and that he officiated as one of the two high- priests in the time of David (2 Sam. viii, 17 ; 1 Chron. xxiv, 3, 6, 31) ; but the two may be identified by read- ing in these passages, "Abiathar the son of Ahime- lech," instead of the reverse. In 1 Chron. xviii, 16, he is called Abimelech (q. v.). lie is probably the same as the Ahiah who officiated for Saul (1 Sam. xiv, 3, 18). — Kitto, s. v. See Ahijah.