AFARSACHEI (Apharsachei, Apharsatachei, Apharsei). - Tribes brought by the Assyrians into Samaria at the time of the second colonization carried out by Esarhaddon or by his son Ashurbanipal.
The Aramaic name occurs in three forms: 1) afārsekāyē (Esd. 4, 9); 2) afarsāyē (ibid. 5, 6; 6, 6); 3) afarsāthkāyē (ibid. 4, 9). The first and second names are generally regarded as identical; the first merely has the additional adjectival ending kāyē. They are commonly understood either as denoting a people or a class of low-ranking officials (cf. the cuneiform luparāh, Old Iranian aparasaraka). The third name is identified by some (L. Meyer) with the preceding ones, in either meaning, and distinguished from them by others.
Together with the other inhabitants of Samaria, the A. opposed the rebuilding of the city and Temple of Jerusalem, begun by the Jews returning from Babylon (Esd. 4-6).