Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AHIKAR, AHIQAR

(Gk. Achiacharos)

A legendary sage and advisor at the Assyrian court, perhaps modeled on a historical figure. Books ascribed to or about Ahiqar were very widespread in Mediterranean antiquity. The earliest extant version of such a book comes from Aramaic papyri dated ca. 420 b.c.e., although its composition is generally dated a century or two earlier.

The text is in two parts. The first tells the story of Ahiqar, a respected sage and counselor who, childless in old age, adopts his nephew Nadin as his son and successor at court. Nadin, however, plots Ahiqar’s disgrace and death by forging documents that make him appear guilty of treason. The plot, however, ultimately fails and recoils on Nadin’s head.

The second part consists of sayings ascribed to Ahiqar that bear a general similarity to the Wisdom literature of the OT, especially the book of Proverbs (e.g., Ahiqar 7:96: “My son, do not curse the day until you have seen the night”). One bit of spare-the-rod-spoil-the-child advice is close enough to Prov. 23:13-14 to foster speculation that the two may have had a common source.

While this text was found at the Jewish colony of Elephantine, the Ahiqar who appears in the text is an Assyrian in nationality and religion. However, as the story circulated in Jewish and (later) Christian circles, references to “the gods” were replaced with references to “God” or “the Lord,” and Ahiqar was given a Jewish pedigree. On the basis of such a version, the book of Tobit brought Ahiqar into Tobit’s family as his nephew, the son of Hanael (Tob. 1:21). The connection serves to locate Tobit more plausibly in the court affairs of Assyria, and Ahiqar’s nephew (referred to as Nadab) provides a contrast to the filial behavior of Tobias and Sarah (Tob. 11:18).

Will Soll

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

AHIKAR, AHIQAR

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)