Accos
The Name and Its Forms
Accos is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Hakkoz, which appears in the Old Testament priestly lists. The name means "the thorn" in Hebrew. In 1 Maccabees 8:17, Accos is identified as the grandfather of Eupolemus, one of the envoys whom Judas Maccabeus sent to Rome. In the canonical Old Testament, Hakkoz appears as a priest during the reign of King David (1 Chronicles 24:10).
Hakkoz in David's Priestly Organization
During David's extensive organization of temple worship, the priests were divided into twenty-four courses or divisions, each responsible for serving at the sanctuary during designated periods. Hakkoz (Accos) was assigned the seventh lot in this division (1 Chronicles 24:10). This system of rotating priestly service continued to function for centuries and was still in operation during the New Testament period, as seen in the service of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, who belonged to the division of Abijah (Luke 1:5, 8).
The Family After the Exile
The descendants of Hakkoz appear again in the post-exilic period, though under difficult circumstances. When the exiles returned from Babylon, certain priestly families could not prove their genealogical credentials. The sons of Hakkoz were among those whose records could not be found, and they were therefore excluded from the priesthood as unclean until a priest could consult the Urim and Thummim to determine their status (Ezra 2:61-63; Nehemiah 7:63-65).
However, the family apparently reestablished its credentials, because a descendant named Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, was later entrusted with receiving the temple silver and gold brought from Babylon (Ezra 8:33) and participated in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:4, 21).
Eupolemus and the Roman Alliance
The most historically significant descendant of Accos was Eupolemus, his grandson, who lived during the Maccabean period. In 161 BC, after the stunning military victories of Judas Maccabeus against the Seleucid Empire, Judas sought to secure an alliance with Rome as a counterbalance to Seleucid power. He chose Eupolemus son of John, son of Accos, along with Jason son of Eleazar, to travel to Rome and negotiate a "league of amity and confederacy" (1 Maccabees 8:17-22).
The mission was successful, and the Roman Senate agreed to a treaty recognizing Judean independence and warning the Seleucids against further aggression. This was a remarkable diplomatic achievement for a small nation recently freed from foreign domination.
A Family Across the Centuries
The family of Accos/Hakkoz spans an extraordinary range of biblical history, from the Davidic monarchy through the exile and restoration to the Maccabean period. Their story encompasses priestly service, genealogical crisis, restoration, and international diplomacy, illustrating how a single family could play diverse roles in God's unfolding purposes across many generations.
Biblical Context
Accos (Hakkoz) appears in 1 Chronicles 24:10 as a priestly division head under David, in Ezra 2:61 among families with disputed genealogies, in Ezra 8:33 and Nehemiah 3:4 through descendant Meremoth, and in 1 Maccabees 8:17 as the grandfather of the diplomat Eupolemus. The family threads through multiple eras of Israel's history.
Theological Significance
The family of Accos demonstrates God's faithfulness across generations. Despite the genealogical crisis after the exile, the family was restored to service. Their trajectory from temple priests to international diplomats shows how God uses families in diverse ways across different historical moments. The priestly heritage of Eupolemus also lent spiritual credibility to the Maccabean diplomatic mission.
Historical Background
The division of priests into twenty-four courses dates to David's reign (c. 1000 BC). The Maccabean embassy to Rome in 161 BC was one of the earliest diplomatic contacts between the Jewish people and the Roman Republic. Eupolemus may be the same person as the Hellenistic Jewish historian who wrote a history of the Jewish kings. The Roman-Jewish treaty is preserved in 1 Maccabees 8:23-32.