Amariah (Hastings' Dictionary)

1. 2 Ch 19", high priest in the reign of Jehosha- phat, appointed by liim cliief justice ' in all matters of the Lord,' as Zebaduih, ' the ruler of the house of Judah,' was ' in all tin- king's matters.' (Is this a precedent for the joint rule in later times of Zenibhabel and Joshua ?) 2, 3. In a cenealogy in 1 Ch G'""-"""", Ezr 7'"', beganniiig with Aaron and ending with Jchozadak at the Captivity, which seems as much intended to be a list of the high priests as 1 Ch a'"" is of the kings of Judah, and which aiipcars to be the basis of .Josephus' very corrupt lists {AnL VIII. i. 3, x. viii. 6), the name A. occurs twice — (a) 1 Ch 6'-" grandfather of Zadok, and therefore a younger contemjiorary of Kli. Of this man we have no other record ; see AliiATHAR. (/9) 1 Ch 6", Ezr 7", 1 Es 8^, 2 Es 1' (Amarias in Apocr. ), son to the Azariah who is sail) to have ministered in Solomon's temple. If, as is iirolfible, this remark applies to the previous Azariah, then this Amariah may be the same as No. 1. I'ut great uncertainty iiangs over these lists. In Ezr 7''° six names are omitted, perhaps by homoioteleuton ; in the full list important names {e.g. Jehoiada, Zechariah, the Azariahs con- temjiorary with Uzziah and Hezekiah respectively, Urijah) are omitted ; the succession ' Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok' occurs twice; only three high priests are given between Amariah under Jeho^-ha- phat, and Hilkiah under Josiah. 4. A priest clan, lourth in the list of 22 in Neh 12 (v.^), who ' went up with Zerabbabel' 'in the days of Je.sluia,' and in the list of 21 (v."), 'in the days of Joiakim,' and tifth in the list of those who sealed to the covenant under Ncheniiah (Neh 10'). This clan is probably identical with that of ' Immer,' the sLxteenth course in David's time (1 Ch 24"), and one of the four families of priests mentioned in ' the book of the genealogy of them which came up at the first' (Ezr 2" Neh 7', Meruth 1 Es 5^, A 'Emm'?P<»'). ""J in the time of Ezra (Ezr 10^"); see Abijaii, No. 4. 9. 1 Ch 23" 24=", a Kuhalhite Levite in David's time. 6. 2 Ch 31", a Levite in Hezekiah's time, one of the six assistants to Kore, ' the porter at the east gate, who was over the freewill otlerings of God. 7. Ezr 10'-, a man ol Judah of the sons of Bani (1 Ch 9'), one of tliosr who ' had taken strange wives.' 8. Neh 11^, a man of Judah, ancestor to Athaiah, who was one of those ' that willingly otTered themselves to dwell in Jerus.' 9. Zejih 1', great-grandfather of the pro- phet, son to Hezekiah, perhaps the king. N. J. D. White. AMARIAS (A •A;uap(o!, B 'A/jkapOeias), 1 Es 8".— An ancestor of Ezra in the line of high priests, father of Ahitub. Called Amariah, Ezr 7'. AMASA {xpDX, 'burden' or 'burden bearer'). — 1. The son of Itlira an Ishmaelite, and of Abigail the sister of king David. The first mention of him is in connexion with the rebellion of Ab.saloni (2 S 17™), who made him leader of his army. Joab, at the head of the king's troops, completely routed him in the forest of Epiyaim (2 S 18°). David not only pardoned him, but gave him the command of the army in place of Joab (2 S 19"). When he came to lead tne royal forces against Sheba and his rebel host, he was treacherously slain by Joab at ' the great stone of (iibeon ' (2 S 20''-'»). 2. An Ejihraimite who opposed the bringing into Samaria of the Jewish prisoners, whom I'ekali, king of Israel, had taken in his campaign against Ahaz (2Ch28'2). R. M. Boyd. AMASAI CtjTjy,).— 1. A Koliathite, 1 Ch G^" the ep<mym of a family, 2 Ch 2y''''. 2. One of the priests who blew trumpets on the occasion of David's bringing the ark to Jerus., 1 Ch l.'>^. 3. One of David's officers at Ziklag, 1 Ch 12'", pos- sibly to be identified with Amasa, No. 1. J. A. Seldie. AMASHSAI ("P'y'M. perhaps a combination of the reading tcv, dkO.^AV Amashai, Neh 11". A priest of the family of Immer.