Abiathar

ABIATHAR, the Son of Ahimelech, and the tenth High Priest among the 2 Sam. viii. 17. 1 Chron. xviii. 16.Jews. He is sometimes called Ahimelech or Abimelech. When Saul sent his Emissaries to Nob, in order to destroy all the Priests there, Abiathar, who at that time was young, was preserved from this 1 Sam. xxii. 11, & seq.Slaughter, and retired to David in the Wilderness. There he continued in the Quality of High Priest, while Saul, out of Aversion to Ahimelech, who, as he thought, had betray’d his Interests, transferr’d the Dignity of High Priest from Ithamar’s Family into that of Eleazar, by conferring 1 Chr. vi. 53.this Office upon Zadock. Thus there were at the same time two High Priests in Israel; Abiathar in David’s, and Zadock in Saul’s Party. In this State Things continued from the Death of Ahimelech, until the Reign of Solomon; when Ahimelech being attached to the Party of Adonijah, was deprived by Solomon of his Priesthood in the Year 2989, and the Race of Zadok alone performed the Functions of this Ministry, during the Reign of Solomon, exclusive of the Family of Ithamar, according to the Prediction which had been made to Eli the 1 Sam. xi. 30, 31, & seq. & iii. 11,12,&c. Ex. xiii. 4. אביב A-bib.High Priest.

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