Ahimelech in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
a-him'-e-lek ('achimelekh, "brother of a king," or, "my
brother is king," or, "king is brother"):
(1) The father of David's high priest Abiathar: son of
Ahitub, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli (1 Sam 21:1,2,8;
22:9-20; 23:6; 30:7). Ahijah the son of Ahitub (1 Sam
14:3,18) was either the same person under another name, or
was Ahimelech's father or brother. See AHIJAH, 3. Ahimelech
is an interesting person, especially because he stands for
whatever information we have concerning the priestly office
in Israel during the period between Eli and David. Whether
the Deuteronomic law for a central sanctuary originated with
Moses or not, its provisions were very imperfectly carried
out during the times of the Judges. This was particularly
the case after the capture of the ark by the Philistines,
and the deaths of Eli and his sons. From that time to the
middle of the reign of David the ark was in the custody of
the men of Kiriath-jearim "in the hill," or "in Gibeah" (1
Sam 7:1; 2 Sam 6:2,3). As a general proposition Israel
"sought not unto it" (1 Ch 13:3), though there is nothing to
forbid the idea that it may, on occasion, have been brought
out from its seclusion (1 Sam 14:18). Before and after the
accession of Saul some of the functions of the national
sanctuary were transacted, of course very incompletely, at
Gilgal (1 Sam 10:8; 11:14,15; 13:7 ff; 15:12,21,33). Whether
there was a priesthood, with Ahitub the grandson of Eli as
high priest, is a matter on which we have no information;
but we may remind ourselves that the common assumption that
such men as Samuel and Saul performed priestly offices is
nothing but an assumption...
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