2. Father of Hoshea, the prince of the tribe of Ephraim in David’s time.—1 Chron. 27:16, 20, 22.

3. A Levite, one of the ten commissioners appointed by King Hezekiah to bring in the contributions to Jehovah’s house.—2 Chron. 31:12, 13.

AZBUK

(Azʹbuk) [strong devastation].

Father of prince Nehemiah, who lived at the same time, but is not the same individual, as the governor and Bible writer.—Neh. 3:16.

AZEKAH

(A·zeʹkah) [perhaps hoed ground].

A city in the Shephelah region, guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah. Libnah, about five miles (8 kilometers) to the W on the Plains of Philistia, dominated the entrance to the valley. The site is identified as Tell ez-Zakariyeh.

The first mention of the city occurs at Joshua 10:5-11 with regard to the combined attack of five Canaanite kings against Gibeon. Joshua and his army, coming to the relief of Gibeon, chased the Canaanitish armies “as far as Azekah and Makkedah,” a distance of over twenty miles (32 kilometers). The city was thereafter assigned to the tribe of Judah.—Josh. 15:20, 35.

During the reign of King Saul (1117-1077 B.C.E.) the Philistines massed their forces between Socoh and Azekah, putting forth Goliath as their champion. When the Israelites arrived, the two armies faced each other across the Valley of Elah until David’s surprise victory over Goliath put the Philistines to flight.—1 Sam. 17:1-53.

At the division of the nation following Solomon’s death (997 B.C.E.), King Rehoboam of Judah fortified Azekah along with Lachish and other strategic cities. (2 Chron. 11:5-10) Excavations made at Tell ez-Zakariyeh reveal the remains of walls and towers and evidence of a fortified citadel at the location’s highest point.

When Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian troops overran the kingdom of Judah (609-607 B.C.E.), Azekah and Lachish were the last two fortified cities to fall before the overthrow of Jerusalem itself. (Jer. 34:6, 7) Apparent confirmation of this was revealed by the discovery of the inscribed ostraca called the “Lachish Letters,” one of them containing the following message, evidently directed by a military outpost to the military commander at Lachish, which reads in part: “. . . we are watching for the signal-stations of Lachish, according to all the signs which my lord gives, because we do not see Azekah.” If, as seems to be the case, this letter was written at the time of the Babylonian attack it would indicate that Azekah had already fallen so that no signals were being received from that fortress.

Following the seventy-year period of desolation of the land, Azekah was one of the cities resettled by the returning Jewish exiles.—Neh. 11:25, 30.

AZEL

(Aʹzel).

1. A descendant of Saul through Jonathan; he had six sons.—1 Chron. 8:37, 38; 9:43, 44.

2. A place mentioned in Zechariah 14:5 as the point to which the valley would reach as a result of the prophesied cleavage of the Mount of Olives. It must, therefore, refer to a site near Jerusalem and there may be an echoing of the name in that of the Wadi Yasul, which is an afflux to the Kidron valley from the Mount of Olives.

AZGAD

(Azʹgad) [Gad is mighty].

The head of a paternal house, some of whose members returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:12; Neh. 7:17), and some with Ezra in 468 B.C.E. (Ezra 8:12) It was probably one of his descendants who attested to the “trustworthy arrangement” negotiated by Nehemiah.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 15.

AZIEL

See JAAZIEL.

AZIZA

(A·ziʹza) [strong, the strong one].

One of those who, at Ezra’s urging, dismissed their foreign wives and sons.—Ezra 10:27, 44.

AZMAVETH

(Azʹma·veth) [death is strong].

1. One of David’s valiant men who was a Barhumite (Baharumite). (2 Sam. 23:31; 1 Chron. 11:33) Possibly the same as No. 2 below.

2. The father of Jeziel and Pelet of the tribe of Benjamin, who were among the mighty men that joined David’s forces at Ziklag. (1 Chron. 12:1-3) Possibly the same as No. 1 above.

3. A son of Adiel who, in the days of King David, was in charge of the king’s treasures.—1 Chron. 27:25.

4. A descendant of, and sixth in line from, Saul through Jonathan.—1 Chron. 8:33-36; 9:39-42.

5. A town situated within the territory of Benjamin, also called Beth-azmaveth. Exiles from there were among those returning after the exile. (Ezra 2:1, 24; Neh. 7:28) At the inauguration of the wall of restored Jerusalem, the town provided some of the singers for the occasion. (Neh. 12:29) It is identified with modern Hizmeh, about five miles (8 kilometers) N-NE of Jerusalem, between Geba and Anathoth.

AZMON

(Azʹmon) [strong].

A place forming part of the southern boundary of the Promised Land, between Hazar-addar and the Torrent Valley of Egypt. (Num. 34:3-5; Josh. 15:1-4) A suggested location is that of ʽAin el-Qoseimeh, NW of Kadesh-barnea. There is a small spring at this location.

AZNOTH-TABOR

(Azʹnoth-taʹbor) [the ears (i.e., slopes or peaks) of Tabor].

A town or location on the southern boundary of the territory of Naphtali. (Josh. 19:34) Umm Jebeil, a short distance N of Mount Tabor, is suggested as the possible location.

AZOR

(Aʹzor) [help].

A postexilic ancestor of Jesus’ foster father Joseph.—Matt. 1:13, 14, 16.

AZRIEL

(Azʹri·el) [my help is God].

1. Father of prince Jerimoth, tribe of Naphtali, in David’s time.—1 Chron. 27:19, 22.

2. A household head of the half tribe of Manasseh E of the Jordan, one of the “valiant, mighty fellows” whose descendants were taken captive by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser due to worshiping false gods.—1 Chron. 5:23-26.

3. Father of Seraiah, who was one of the three sent to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah.—Jer. 36:26.

AZRIKAM

(Az·riʹkam) [my help has arisen].

1. One of Azel’s six sons, a descendant of King Saul through Jonathan of the tribe of Benjamin.—1 Chron. 8:38; 9:44.

2. The “leader of the household” of wicked King Ahaz of Judah. He was killed by the Ephraimite Zichri when King Pekah of Israel battled Judah.—2 Chron. 28:6, 7.

3. A Levite of the Merari family whose descendant Shemaiah lived in Jerusalem after the return from captivity.—1 Chron. 9:2, 14; Neh. 11:15.

4. The third-listed son of Neariah and a descendant of David through Zerubbabel.—1 Chron. 3:23.

AZUBAH

(A·zuʹbah) [forsaken].

1. One of the wives of Caleb the son of Hezron.—1 Chron. 2:18, 19; see JERIOTH.

2. Daughter of Shilhi and mother of King Jehoshaphat son of Asa.—1 Ki. 22:41, 42; 2 Chron. 20:31, 32.

AZZAN

(Azʹzan) [strong].

Father of Paltiel, whom Jehovah chose to represent the tribe of Issachar at the division of the Promised Land.—Num. 34:26, 29.

AZZUR

(Azʹzur) [help, helpful].

1. Father of the false prophet Hananiah from Gibeon.—Jer. 28:1.

2. Father of Jaazaniah, who was one of the