Akkad” down to the time of Babylon’s fall in 539 B.C.E. On the Cyrus Cylinder, Babylon’s conqueror takes over the title of “King of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad.”

The Akkadians appear to have surpassed the Sumerians in fine sculpture work and intricate seal-cutting. The name “Akkadian” today is used to describe the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian cuneiform writing.

ACCEPTABLE TIME

At 2 Corinthians 6:2 the apostle Paul quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah 49:8, which says: “This is what Jehovah has said: ‘In an acceptable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I kept safeguarding you that I might give you as a covenant for the people, to rehabilitate the land, to bring about the repossessing of the desolated hereditary possessions.”

In its original setting this statement was evidently made to Isaiah as representing or personifying the nation of Israel. (Isa. 49:3) It was clearly a restoration prophecy and, hence, had its first fulfillment at the time of the liberation of Israel from Babylon when the call went to the Israelite prisoners to “Come out!” They thereafter returned to their homeland and rehabilitated the desolated land.—Isa. 49:9.

However, the words “that I might give you as a covenant for the people” in verse 8 of this chapter and the preceding statement in verse 6 that this “servant” of Jehovah would be given as a “light of the nations, that [God’s] salvation may come to be to the extremity of the earth,” definitely mark the prophecy as Messianic and as therefore applying to Christ Jesus as God’s “servant.” (Compare Isaiah 42:1-4, 6, 7 with Matthew 12:18-21.) Since the “acceptable time” was a time when Jehovah would ‘answer’ and ‘help’ his servant, it must apply to Jesus’ earthly life when he “offered up supplications and also petitions to the one who was able to save him out of death, with strong outcries and tears, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear.” (Heb. 5:7-9; compare John 12:27, 28; 17:1-5; Luke 22:41-44; 23:46.) It was, therefore, a “day of salvation” for God’s own Son, during which period of opportunity he demonstrated perfection of integrity and, as a result, “became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him.”—Heb. 5:9.

Additionally, Paul’s quotation from this prophecy indicates a still further application to those Christians whom Paul urges “not to accept the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose,” and to whom he says (after quoting Isaiah 49:8): “Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:1, 2) Such Christians had become the spiritual “Israel of God” from Pentecost forward (Gal. 6:16), but there was a need for them to prove worthy of God’s undeserved kindness, so that the “acceptable time” might indeed prove to be a “day of salvation” for them.

The fact that the prophecy in its original application was one of restoration would likewise indicate an application to a time of release from spiritual captivity and of restoration to full favor with God.—Compare Psalm 69:13-18.

To natural Jews who failed to appreciate the favorableness of the time and the opportunity that was theirs for entry into ‘spiritual Israel,’ Paul announced that he was turning to the non-Jewish nations, and quoted Isaiah 49:6 in support, saying: “In fact, Jehovah has laid commandment upon us in these words, ‘I have appointed you as a light of nations, for you to be a salvation to the extremity of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47) Since “time” and “day” are terms indicating temporariness, they imply urgency and the need to use wisely an opportune period or season of favor before its end comes bringing the withdrawal of divine mercy and offer of salvation.—Rom. 13:11-13; 1 Thess. 5:6-11; Eph. 5:15-20.

ACCIDENT, ACCIDENTAL

Unforeseen occurrences resulting from ignorance, carelessness or unavoidable events causing loss or injury are commonly called accidents. Jacob feared that unforeseen circumstances might overtake his beloved son Benjamin if allowed to go to Egypt with his brothers. (Gen. 42:4, 38) The Philistines returned the ark of Jehovah to prove whether the plague of piles they suffered really was from Jehovah, or just “an accident.” (1 Sam. 6:9) Solomon recognized that anyone may become a victim of unforeseen occurrences.—Eccl. 9:11.

The Scriptures draw a sharp distinction between committing sins in ignorance, and doing so willfully with full knowledge. (Acts 17:30; Rom. 4:15; 5:13; Eph. 4:18) The Mosaic law made a difference between an accident that proved fatal and one that was not. (Ex. 21:22-25) It also distinguished between killing intentionally and unintentionally. For deliberate murder, capital punishment was mandatory; for those guilty of accidental homicide, cities of refuge were set up. (Num. 35:11-25, 31; see CITIES OF REFUGE.) The law applied equally to native Israelite and alien resident, and instructions for the necessary sacrifices to atone for accidental or unintentional sins were provided.—Lev. 4:1-35; 5:14-19; Num. 15:22-29.

ACCO

(Acʹco) [sultriness, hot sand].

A seaport city located at the northern point of the yawning crescent-shaped bay of Acco (or Acre), which is formed by the cape of Mount Carmel jutting out into the Mediterranean Sea about eight miles (13 kilometers) to the S. Situated about thirty miles (48.3 kilometers) S of Tyre, Acco was the most important seaport on the harbor-shy Palestinian coast until Herod the Great ran seawalls out from the shore to produce an artificial port at Caesarea. Acco was inferior to the Phoenician ports to the N and provided but poor shelter from the sea winds. However, it was strategically located close to the approach to the rich Plain of Esdraelon, and several commercial trade routes connected the port with Galilee, the valley of the Jordan, and other points to the E. Timber, artistic commodities and grain were exported through Acco.

Acco pertained to the territorial division assigned to Asher in the Promised Land, but Asher failed to drive out the Canaanites who were then living there.