APHARSACHEI (Apharsachei, Apharsatachei, Apharsei). - Tribes imported by the Assyrians into Samaria at the time of the second colonization carried out by Esarhaddon or by his son Ashurbanipal.

The Aramaic name presents three forms: 1) afārsekāyē (Ezra 4:9); 2) afarsāyē (ibid. 5:6; 6:6); 3) afarsāthkāyē (ibid. 4:9). The 1st and 2nd names are for the most part held to be identical; the 1st has only the additional adjectival ending kāyē. They are commonly understood as either a people or a category of low-ranking officials (cf. the cuneiform luparāh, Old Iranian aparasaraka). The 3rd name is identified by some (L. Meyer) with the preceding ones, in one or the other meaning, and by others is distinguished from them.

Together with the other inhabitants of Samaria, the A. opposed the reconstruction of the city and of the Temple of Jerusalem, begun by the Jews returning from Babylon (Ezra 4-6).

Bibliography

BIBL.: E. Pannier, s. v. in DB, I, coll. 722-76.

Francesco Spadafora

@incollection{ec1_afarsachei_apharsachei_apharsa, author = {Spadafora, Francesco}, title = {Afarsachei (Apharsachei, apharsatachei, apharsei)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {363}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/afarsachei-apharsachei-apharsatachei-apharsei} }

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Apharsachei (Apharsachei, Apharsatachei, Apharsei)

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