Heber - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, p. 815

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

HEBER. - A name of the Old Testament, corresponding to two Hebrew forms: 'Ebher and Hebher.

1. 'Ebher. Grandson of Arphazad, son of Sem, progenitor of Abramo hā-'ibhrī (Gen. 14, 13): Gen. 10, 21. 24 ff.; 11, 14-17; I Par. 1, 18 ff. 25. Also the head of a priestly family, in the time of Ioskim (Neh. 13, 20); one of the tribe of Gad (I Par. 5, 13. 5-6); two of the tribe of Beniamin (I Par. 8, 12. 22). The same name was given ('ebher, “beyond”) to the region on this side of the Euphrates, subject to Assur: Num. 24, 24 (incorrectly Greek and Vulgate = Hebraei).

2. Hebher. An Israelite of the tribe of Aser and head of the Heberites (Gen. 46, 17; Num. 26, 45; I Par. 7, 31 ff.); the Kenite (Vulgate, Haber), husband of Iael (v. Judc. 4, 11. 17. 21; 5, 24); one of the descendants of Giuda (I Par. 4. 18); a Benjaminite (I Par. 8, 17).

BIBL.: A. Clamer, Les Nombres (La Ste Bible, ed. L. Pirot, 2), Paris 1940, pp. 404, 415; F. Zorell, Lexicon Hebraicum, Rome 1940 ff., pp. 221, 569; A. Vaccari, La S. Bibbia, L. Florence 1947, pp. 83, 97, 407. Francesco Spadafora

ARCHAEOLOGY. - The patriarch 'Ebher was depicted in the series of medallions painted in S. Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome (1123–44), accompanied by the inscription (viii(ii) H. q(uā)drī(n)g(entis) sexagī(nta) III annis.

BIBL.: G. Biasiotti-S. Pesarini, Pitture del XII sec. scoperte nella basilica di S. Croce in Gerusalemme a Roma, in Studi romani, 1 (1913), p. 253. Enrico Josi