31:10; see SABBATH YEAR.) As to a release of prisoners, it may be noted that during the reign of Xerxes the Great, believed to be the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther, a number of revolts occurred. An inscription from Persepolis attributed to Xerxes states: “After I became king, there were some among these countries . . . which revolted but I crushed these countries . . . and I put them again into their former political status.” Political prisoners doubtless resulted from such suppression of uprisings, and the festive time of Esther’s being made queen may have been the occasion for Ahasuerus to efface the charges against such ones and grant them an amnesty or release. (Compare Matthew 27:15.) The precise nature of the amnesty, however, remains undetermined.

AMNON

(Amʹnon) [faithful].

1. David’s firstborn son by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, born at Hebron. (2 Sam. 3:2; 1 Chron. 3:1) Amnon developed a passionate desire for lovely Tamar, Absalom’s sister, to the point of lovesickness. Following the advice of his cousin Jehonadab, Amnon feigned illness and induced King David to send Tamar to Amnon’s private quarters to prepare “bread of consolation” in his presence. He then used the opportunity forcibly to violate his half sister, despite her pleading and reasoning with him. His case illustrates how extremely selfish erotic love can be, for, having satisfied his desire, Amnon then had Tamar put out into the street as someone repugnant to him, someone whose very presence doubtless made him feel unclean.—2 Sam. 13:1-19.

Tamar’s full brother, Absalom, nursed a hatred of Amnon for this act and two years later at a sheepshearing festival Absalom had his servants murder Amnon when he was “in a merry mood with wine.” (2 Sam. 13:20-29) Since Amnon, as David’s eldest son, was heir apparent to the throne, his death may also have been viewed as desirable by Absalom to better thereby his possibilities of gaining the kingship. With this event the prophecy made by Nathan following David’s own misconduct with the wife of Uriah began to undergo fulfillment.—2 Sam. 12:10; see ABSALOM.

2. The first in the list of four sons of Shimon, of the tribe of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:1, 20.

AMOK

(Aʹmok) [deep, inscrutable].

A principal priest who returned with Zerubbabel from captivity in Babylon. (Neh. 12:1, 7) His family was represented by his son Eber in the time of Joiakim.—Neh. 12:12, 20.

AMON

(Aʹmon) [master workman or builder].

1. A chief of the city of Samaria when Ahab, king of Israel, was ruling. (940-919 B.C.E.) The prophet Micaiah was put in his care while Ahab warred against Ramoth-gilead.—1 Ki. 22:10, 26; 2 Chron. 18:25.

2. A king of Judah and son of wicked King Manasseh. He began to rule at the age of twenty-two years (661 B.C.E.) and followed the idolatrous course of his father’s earlier years. The bad conditions described at Zephaniah 1:4; 3:2-4 doubtless were developing at this time. After two years on the throne he was murdered by his own servants (659 B.C.E.). The “people of the land [ʽam ha-ʼaʹrets]” put the conspirators to death, placed his son Josiah on the throne, and buried Amon in “the garden of Uzza.” (2 Ki. 21:19-26; 2 Chron. 33:20-25) The genealogy of Jesus bears his name.—Matt. 1:10.

3. The family head of certain returned exiles included among the “sons of the servants of Solomon.” (Neh. 7:57-59) He is referred to as “Ami” in Ezra 2:57.

4. A local god of Thebes or No-Amon who rose to the position of “king of the gods” under the name Amon-Ra and whose high priest became head of all the Egyptian priesthoods. The Egyptian name of this god apparently means “the hidden one.” Amon is generally represented as a man wearing a crown surmounted by two tall parallel plumes. Like many of the other Egyptian deities, he is frequently shown holding the crux ansata, the “sign of life.” Amon, his wife Mut and Khonsu (his son by her) made up the Theban triad.

In addition to many gifts, a large part of Egypt’s spoils of war found its way into the treasury of Amon (Amon-Ra) the “king of the gods.” The priests devoted to the service of this deity, therefore, became very powerful and wealthy. Since they benefited from Egypt’s warfare, it may very well be that they encouraged it. This is suggested by the English archaeologist E. A. Wallis Budge in his work The Gods of the Egyptians, Vol. II, p. 12: “There is reason to think that many of the great Egyptian raids in Syria and Nubia were made as much for the purpose of supplying funds for the maintenance of the temples, and services, and priests of Amen-Ra as for the glory and prestige of Egypt. The slavish homage which the Thothmes kings, and the Amen-heteps, and the Ramessids paid to Amen-Ra, and their lavish gifts to his sanctuaries suggest that it was his priests who were, in reality, the makers of war and peace.” According to ancient Egyptian records, in the time of Ramses III the estate and revenue of Amon were second only to those of Pharaoh himself.

In time the high priests of Amon, whose office had become hereditary, exercised even greater power than the pharaohs. One of them, Hrihor, succeeded the last of the Ramses to the throne. Concerning the extent to which governmental affairs were determined by the oracle of Amon during the rule of Hrihor; James H. Breasted, in A History of the Ancient Egyptians, pp. 357, 358, writes: “Whatever the High Priest wished legally to effect could be sanctioned by special oracle of the god [Amon] at any time, and by prearrangement the cultus image before which the High Priest made known his desires invariably responded favourably by violent nodding of the head, or even by speech. All wills and property conveyances of members of the High Priest’s family were oracles of Amon, and civil documents thus became divine decrees. Banished political exiles were recalled by oracle of the god, criminal cases were tried before him, and by his decision the convicted were put to death. Priestly jugglery, ruling if necessary in utter disregard of law and justice, thus enabled the High