Editing Abiathar

{{Short description|Biblical character}}
{{For|the legendary Jewish priest and convert to Christianity|Abiathar and Sidonia}}
{{Redirect|Eviatar|people with the name|Abiathar (name)}}
{{missing|whether or not scholars believe Abiathar was a historical person vs. fictional|date=December 2023}}
[[File:Cathédrale Notre-Dame - Portail ouest, Abiathar, Reine de Saba - Reims - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00030041.jpg|thumb|220px|Statue of Abiathar (next to the [[Queen of Sheba]]) at [[Reims Cathedral]].]]
'''Abiathar''' ({{Langx|he|אֶבְיָתָר}} ''ʾEḇyāṯār'', "father (of) abundance"/"abundant father"),<ref>A Concise Hebrew-English Dictionary, M.H. Segal, Devir, Tel-Aviv, 1962</ref> in the [[Hebrew Bible]], is a son of [[Ahimelech]] or Ahijah, [[Kohen Gadol|High Priest]] at [[Nob, Israel|Nob]],{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} the fourth in descent from [[Eli (Bible)|Eli]]<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|23:6|KJV}}</ref> and the last of Eli's House to be a High Priest.

==Bible account==
[[1 Samuel]] and [[2 Samuel]] mention Abiathar several times.

According to these books, Abiathar was the only one of the priests to escape from [[Saul]]'s (reigned c. 1020–1000 BCE) massacre in [[Nob, Israel|Nob]], when his father and the priests of Nob were slain on the command of Saul. He fled to [[David]] (reigned c. 1003–970 BCE) at [[Keilah]], taking with him the [[ephod]] and other priestly regalia.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|22:20|KJV}} f., {{bibleref2-nb|1 Samuel|23:6, 9|KJV}}</ref> In rabbinical literature that links the later extermination of David's male descendants with that of the priests of Nob, the survival of David's descendant [[Jehoash of Judah|Joash]] is connected to that of Abiathar.<ref>Sanh. 95b</ref><ref name=je>[https://archive.today/20071113024537/http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view_page.jsp?artid=265&letter=A&pid=0 ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' p.56]</ref>

The Biblical account says Abiathar joined David, who was then in the cave of [[Adullam]].<ref>{{bibleref2|1 Samuel|22:20–23|KJV}}; {{bibleverse-nb|1 Samuel|23:6|KJV}}</ref> He remained with David, and became priest of the party of which he was the leader.<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|30:7|KJV}}</ref> He was of great service to David, especially at the time of the rebellion of [[Absalom]].<ref>{{bibleref2|2 Samuel|15:24, 29, 35, 20:25|KJV}}</ref> When David ascended the throne of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]], Abiathar was appointed High Priest<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|15:11|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|1 Kings|2:26|KJV}}</ref> and the "king's counselor".<ref>{{bibleref2|1 Chronicles|27:33–34|KJV}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Zadok]], of the house of Eleazar, had been made High Priest.  Another version says he was Co-Pontiff with Zadok during King David.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} These appointments continued in force until the end of David's reign. In 1 Kings 4:4,<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Kings|4:4|KJV}}</ref> Zadok and Abiathar are found acting together as priests under Solomon.

The text goes on to say that Abiathar was deposed (the sole historical instance of the deposition of a high priest) and banished to his home at [[Anathoth]] by [[Solomon]],<ref>{{bibleref2|1 Kings|1:22, 26|KJV}}</ref> because he took part in the attempt to raise [[Adonijah]] to the throne instead of Solomon.<ref>{{bibleref2|1 Kings|1:7, 19, 25|KJV}}</ref> The priesthood thus passed from the house of Ithamar<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|2:30–36|KJV}}; {{bibleref2|1 Kings|1:19; 2:26, 27|KJV}}</ref> to the house of Eleazar.

==In rabbinic literature==
The rescue of the chief priest Abiathar, in the massacre of the priests of Nob ordered by Saul, was fortunate for the house of David; for if he had lost his life, David's descendants would through divine retaliation have been entirely wiped out of existence at the hands of Athaliah.<ref>Sanhedrin 95b</ref> It was David's acts that had really brought about the death of the priests, and to make amends he appointed Abiathar high priest. Abiathar retained the office until he was deserted by the Holy Spirit, without which the high priest could not successfully consult the [[Urim and Thummim]].<ref name=je/> When David, on his flight from Absalom, recognized this loss in Abiathar, he felt compelled to put Zadok in his place.<ref>See [[Seder Olam Rabbah]] 14; Yoma 73b; Sotah 48b; Berachot 4a (Rashi); Sanhedrin 21a. Compare also Ginzberg, "Haggada bei den Kirchenvätern," i., on II Sam. xv. 24, 25.</ref> Abiathar's removal from the Priesthood fulfilled that other part of the curse on the House of Eli—that the Priesthood would pass out of the House of Eli.

==Confusion of the name==
In 2 Samuel 8:17<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|8:17|KJV}}</ref> ''Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar'' is suggested to be read, with the Syriac, for ''Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech.''<ref name=Chisholm>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Abiathar|volume=1|page=62}}</ref>

A similar confusion occurs in [[Gospel of Mark]]:<ref>{{bibleverse-nb|Mark|2:26|KJV}}</ref><ref name=Chisholm/><ref name=EB/> in reporting Jesus' words, [[Mark the Evangelist|the evangelist]] used the name Abiathar when we might expect to see Jesus mention his father [[Ahimelech]].<ref name=EB/> Suggestions made to resolve the difficulty — e.g. that father and son each bore the same double name, or that Abiathar officiated during his father's lifetime and in his father's stead—have been supported by some scholars, but have not been fully accepted.<ref name=EB>"Abiathar", ''[[Encyclopedia Biblica]]''</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|isra}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Ahimelech]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of High Priests of Israel|High Priest of Israel]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Zadok]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{High Priests of Judaism}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:11th-century BCE high priests of Israel]]
[[Category:10th-century BCE high priests of Israel]]
[[Category:People from the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)]]
[[Category:Family of Eli (biblical figure)]]