Azae'lus ( A£«(/Aor), one of the Israelites, "sons of Maani," who is said to have divorced his < untile wife after the exile (1 Esdr. ix, 34) ; but the name is apparently an erroneous repetition for the Esril just preceding* it (Azareel of Ezra x, 41). See Azael.
A'zal (Hcb. AtsaV, hsU, prob. the same as Azel, in pause; Sept. Affo^Xv.r. 'laoui"), apparently a place near Jerusalem on the east, mentioned only in Zech. xiv, 5, as the limit to which the "ravine'' or cleft (SOS) of the Mount of Olives will extend when "Je- hovah shall go forth to fight." Henderson (Comment. in loc.) regards it as the proper name of a place close to one of the gates on the east side of Jerusalem, to which the cleft or valley was to extend westward, so as at once to admit those who should flee from the en- emy ; but this seems too strict a literalism for so figu, rative a prophecy. Fi'irst (lleb. Worterb. s. v.) inclines to identify it with the Beth-ezel of Mic. i, 11. Perhaps the conjecture of Gesenius (Thes. Hcb p. 144) is the most easy of adoption, that the term is simply an ap- pellative for b^N, q. d. at the side, i. e. foot of the mountain, sc. Olivet. The supposition of Schwarz (Palest, p. 135) that it is the present village Azaria, or Bethany (according to him, the Huzal of the Talmud, Megillah, v, 6), evidently proceeds from his Jewish prejudices against the account respecting Lazarus in the Gospels. Sec Erogl-.
Azali'ah (Heb. in the prolonged form Atsalya'hu, WlpXK, reserved by Jehovah ; Sept. 'EvotXiac, v. r. 'ECeXfac; in Chron. 'Etrekia v. r. SAi'a), the son of Meshullam (2 Kings xxii, 3), and father of the scribe Shaphan, which last was sent with others by Josiah to repair the Temple (2 Chron. xxxiv, 8). B.C. ante 623.
Azani'all (Heb. Azamyah', FP3JK, heard by Jeho- vah; Sept. 'AZavia), the father of Jesb.ua, which lat- ter was one of the Levites that subscribed the sacred covenant after the exile (Neh. x, 9). B.C. ante 410.
Aza'phion CAaoairipubS), given in 1 Esdr. v, 33, as the first named of the family heads of the "sons of Solomon's servants" that returned from Babylon; ap- parently meaning the Sophereth (q. v.) of the genu- ine text (Ezra ii, 55), where the Heb has the article, rVns'Srt, has-Sophereth.
Az'ara ('Affapd), one of the heads of the "temple servants," said to have returned from the exile (1 Esdr. v, 31) ; but the genuine text (Ezra ii, 49) has no such name at all.
Azar'ael (Neh. xii, C6). See Azareel.
AZAUEEL
574
AZARIAS
Aza'reel (Deb. Azarel', P&ntN, helped by God), the name of five men.
1. (Sept '0£pi//\ v. r. K\n)\.) One of theBenjamite slingers and archers that repaired to David at Ziklag (1 Chron. xii, 6). B.C. 1054.
2. (Sept. i:-!<//,.\ v. r. \\<Tf,u)\.) The head of the eleventh division of the musicians in the Temple, con- sisting of himself and eleven others of his family (1 Chron. xxv, 18 ; called Uzziel in ver. 4). B.C. 1014.
3. i Sept. iCnu/A v. r. AJ>fi>i//A.) Son of Jeroham, and viceroy over the tribe of Dan under David and Solomon 1 1 Chron. xxvii, 22). B.C. 1014.
4. (Sept. 'Kl';in'/\.) An Israelite, one of the descend- ants of Bani, who renounced the Gentile wife whom he had married on the return from Babylon (Ezra x, 41). B.C. 459.
5. (Sept. 'EapiTjX v. r. 'Eaiou'iX, Ol'u'/X.) Son of Ahasai and father of Amashai, which last was one of the chiefs of the 128 mighty men of the priests who served at the Temple under the supervision of Zabdiel, on the restoration from Babylon (Neh. xi, 13). B.C. cir. 440. He is probably the same with one of the first company of priests who were appointed with Ezra to make the circuit of the newly completed walls with trumpets in their hands (Neh. xii, 30, where the name is Anglicized "Azarael"). B.C. 446.
Azari'ah (Heb. Azaryah', ili'ntS, helped b.v Je- hovah, answering to the German name Gotthe'f, also in the prolonged form .4 zaryahu, lii^'lTS, * Kings iv, 2, 5: 2 Kings xv, 6, 8 ; 2 Chron. xvVl; xxi, 2; xxii, G; xxiii, 1; xxvi, 17, 20; xxviii, 12; xxix, 12; xxxi, 10, 13; Sept. 'A^apiag and 'Autpia), a very common name among the Hebrews, and hence borne by a con- siderable number of persons mentioned in Scripture, especially in the families of the priests of the line of Eleazar, whose name has precisely the same mean- ing as Azariak. It is nearly identical and is often confounded with Ezra, as well as with Zerahiah and Serai.ih. See also Azarias.
1. Apparently the only son of Ethan, the grandson of Judah (1 Chron. ii, 8)." B.C. 1856.
2. A son of Jehu and father of Helez, of the tribe of Judah (1 Chron. ii, 38, 39). B.C. post 1046.
3. A person named as son of the high-priett Zadok, and an officer in the cabinet of Solomon (1 Kings iv, 2 |. !!.('. cir. 1000. He is perhaps the same, however, with Xo 0 below.
4. A son of Nathan and captain of King Solomon's guards (1 Kings iv, 5). B.C. cir. 1000.
5. A prophet who met King Asa on his return from a great victory over the Cushite king Zerah (2 Chron. xv. 1, where he is called the son of Oded, but Oded simply in ver. H). See Asa. B.C. 939. He power- fully stirred up the spirit of Asa, and of the people of Judah and Benjamin, in a brief but pithy prophecy, which has been preserved, to put away all idolatrous worship, and to restore the altar of the one true God before tie' porch of the Temple. Great numbers of Israelites from Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Simeon, and all Israel, joined in the national reformation, to the great strengthening of the kingdom ; and a season of rest and great prosperity ensued. — Smith, s. v.