AHALI-TAURAT – The name adopted by the Persian Jews of Hamadan, Demavend, Teheran, and other districts, in contra-distinction to Persian Jews of Indian origin, who are called "Israeli." They are not, however, remarkable for their knowledge of...
AHARAH – See Ahiram.
AḤARONIM – A technical term used in later rabbinical literature generally to indicate authorities who are contemporaries of the person quoting them or who belong to the generation immediately preceding him. It is especially applied to the...
AHASUERUS – Biblical Data: 1. Persian king, identical with Xerxes (486-465 B.C.). The Book of Esther deals only with one period of his reign. It tells us that he ruled over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces—"from India, even unto...
AHASUERUS, THE LEGEND OF – See Wandering Jew.
AHAVA – A river—possibly a canal or branch of the Euphrates—upon the banks of which Ezra halted his expedition on its march from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra, viii. 15-31), to fast and to humble themselves before the Lord. From the...
AḤAWA – See Achawa.
AHAZ – Biblical Data: Son of King Jotham. His reign is memorable as that in which Judah first became vassal to Assyria, and Assyrian (Babylonian) modes of worship were first introduced into the official worship at Jerusalem. The Hebrew...
AHAZIAH, King of Judah – Son and successor of Jehoram, and grandson of Jehoshaphat. His reign, like that of his namesake of Samaria, was very brief, lasting but a year (843-842 B.C.). Shortlyafter his accession he went to the help of Joram, king of...
AHAZIAH, King of Israel – Son and successor of Ahab, king of northern Israel. In his brief reign of less than two years (853-852 B.C.) he continued his father's military activity. He hoped also to increase the wealth of Israel by taking part, with...
AḤER – See Elisha ben Abuyah.
AHIAB – See Herod.
AHIAH – See Ahijah.
AHIAM – Son of Sharar the Hararite. He was one of the thirty mighty men of David (II Sam. xxiii. 33). In I Chron. xi. 35, he is called "the son of Sacar." G. B. L.
AḤIASAF – A Hebrew annual, published in Warsaw by the "Aḥiasaf" Publication Society. It was founded in 1893, and had immediate success, both literary and financial. Though an almanac in form, its chief merit rests upon the literary...
AHIEZER – 1. Son of Ammishaddai, chief of the tribe of Dan in the second year after the Exodus (Num. i. 12), who brought his offering to the dedication of the Tabernacle on the tenth day (Num. vii. 66-71). 2. Chief of the men who came to...
AHIJAH (THE PROPHET) – Biblical Data: A prophet from Shiloh, who foretold to Jeroboam that he would become king (I Kings, xi. 29). Later he prophesied the downfall of Jeroboam's house and of the kingdom of Israel (I Kings, xiv. 1-18). Beginning with...
AHIJAH, AHIAH, AHIJAHU – Etymology of the name uncertain. 1. Youngest son of Jerahmeel; or it is possible to take the name as that of his first wife; Atarah, the second, being given in the next verse (I Chron. ii. 25). 2. A Benjamite chief (I Chron....
AHIJAH – A leader among the Babylonian Jews of the second century, perhaps a resh galuta (exilarch). He was the chief ally of Hananiah, the nephew of Joshua ben Hananiah, in his endeavor to emancipate the Jews of Babylonia from the...
AHIKAM – Son of Shaphan, the scribe, and father of Gedaliah. He was sent by King Josiah to consult Huldah, the prophetess, about the book of the Law. Later, in the reign of Jehoiakim, he protected Jeremiah from the hands of the enraged...
AḤIḳAR – Hero of a wide-spread legend, and supposed author of a number of proverbs. His name has been variously distorted, but probably was originally or 'Aχιάκαρυς; compare , the name of a tosafist, which survives among Jews to-day; the...
AHIMAAZ – 1. Father of Ahinoam, wife of Saul (I Sam. xiv. 50). 2. Commissary-general of Solomon in Naphtali, who married Basmath, the daughter of Solomon (I Kings iv. 15). 3. Son of Zadok, who, with Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, brought...
AHIMAAZ BEN PALTIEL – Liturgical poet, and author of a family chronicle; born in Capua, Italy, 1017; died about 1060 in Oria. Very little is known about his life. He came of a family some of whose members are well known in Jewish literature as...
AHIMELECH – Biblical Data: 1. Son of Ahitub, grandson of Phinehas, and great-grandson of Eli. He was priest at Nob during David's halt in his flight from Saul (I Sam. xxi. 1-9). Owing to his friendship for David he was slain by Doeg the...
AHIN – See Ḥayyim.