A friend of Avi-Melech (אֲבִימֶלֶךְ) of the Pelishtim, the king of Gerar (Genesis 26:26), in the Yitschak version of the famine legend. After battles over several wells, Yitschak went to Be'er-Sheva where he made his covenant with YHVH, built an altar, and dug another well (clearly identifying this version of YHVH with the mother-goddess, whose demesne always includes wells and water and underground holes in general). Avi-Melech then arrives to make a treaty with him, accompanied by Phiychol (פִיכֹל), his army chief, though the name actually means "spokesman", and Achuzat, said to be "one of his close friends". To swear such an oath would have needed an arbitrator, a witness and priest, and generally the tribal sheikh held the priestly function himself, so Phiychol and Achuzat would have provided the other two, and given Phiychol's position as army chief, we have to assume that he was the witness, and therefore Achuzat was there to serve as arbitrator.
The root word is Achaz (אחז), meaning "a possession", but invariably used in the sense of "seizing" or "taking possession by force" (cf Psalm 56:1; Judges 12:6 etc; but also note the use of the word ACHUZAT for those "possessions acquired under the Joshuaic conquest - Joshua 21:12 and 41, 22:4, 9, 19). This may well be perceived as ironic, given that Achuzat's presence here is as arbitrator in a dispute precisely about the seizing and rightful possession of a well. That Yitschak should accept his verdict tells us how similar - at the very least - their deities must have been. For the record, Achuzat found in Avi-Melech's favour, and Yitschak departed to dig the well of Be'er-Sheva instead.
A priest-king of Yehudah, contemporary of Yesha-Yahu (Isaiah), Hosheya (Hosea) and Michah (Micah), who reigned between 744 and 728 BCE, was named Achaz, and was notoriously a worshipper of idols. Two other priest-kings, the first of Yisra-El, the second of Yehudah, were named Achaz-Yah, the first - reigned 897-895 BCE - was the son of Achav (Ahab) and Iy-Zevel (Jezebel); the second - reigned 884 BCE - was the son of King Yehoram (Jehoram).
A priest-king of Yehudah, contemporary of Yesha-Yahu (Isaiah), Hosheya (Hosea) and Michah (Micah), who reigned between 744 and 728 BCE, was named Achaz, and was notoriously a worshipper of idols. Two other priest-kings, the first of Yisra-El, the second of Yehudah, were named Achaz-Yah, the first - reigned 897-895 BCE - was the son of Achav (Ahab) and Iy-Zevel (Jezebel); the second - reigned 884 BCE - was the son of King Yehoram (Jehoram).
Achzay ben Meshilemot is named (Nehemiah 11:13) as one of the tribe of Yehudah given permission to settle in Yeru-Shala'im after the return from exile (536 BCE); as per the link, most scholars believe the name was a corruption of Achza-Yah.
Achuzam is noted as a descendant of Yehudah in 1 Chronicles 4:6.
In modern Ivrit Achuz is used to mean "per cent", and Me'ah Achuz, "100%", is a slang expression meaning "everything is good".
Achuzam is noted as a descendant of Yehudah in 1 Chronicles 4:6.
In modern Ivrit Achuz is used to mean "per cent", and Me'ah Achuz, "100%", is a slang expression meaning "everything is good".
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