Ahava

AHAVA, a river of Babylonia, or rather Ezra vii. 15.of Assyria, where Ezra gathered those Captives into a body, whom he brought with him into Judæa. We are of opinion, that the river Ahava is that which ran along the Adiabene, where the river Diava, or Adiava, is known to be, upon which Ptolemy places the City of Abane or Aavane. This is probably the Country called in the books of 2 Kings xvii. 24. xviii. 34. xix. 13. Ch. xvii. 31.Kings, Ava, from whence the Kings of Assyria translated the people called Avites into Palestine; where likewise in their room they settled some of the captive Israelites. Ezra intending to pick up as many Israelites as he could, to carry back with him to Judæa, made a halt in the country of Ava, or Ahava, from whence he sent emissaries into the Caspian mountains, to invite such Jews as were there to be found, to come and join him. The history of Izates King of the Adiabenians, and his mother Ezra viii. 17.Helena, who became converts to Judaism some years after the death of Jesus Christ, is an argument to persuade us, that there were still at that time many Jews in that country.

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