JONATHAN (HEB. JĒHŌNĀTHĀN AND JŌNĀTHĀN; VULGATE I. AND IONATHAS). - Name of various personages of Israel in the Old Testament.
1. Levite, descendant of Moses (Judg. 18:30); he dwelt as a gēr ("guest") in the tribe of Judah. He passed into Ephraim into the service of the household sanctuary of Micah, where he consulted the ephod; then he willingly followed the 600 Danites who, going to settle at Laish-Dan, stole the objects of the sanctuary from Micah (Judg. 17-19).
2. Son of Saul; faithful and dear friend of David (v.), who wept for his untimely death on the field of Gilboa (II Sam. 14; 18:1; 19:1-8; 20-21:1; 23:15-18; 31:2; I Sam. 1:17-27).
3. Valiant nephew of David (ibid. 21:21; I Chron. 20:7). 4. Uncle and expert counselor of David (I Chron. 27:32). 5. Son of the high priest Abiathar; he brought to the fugitive David news about the rebel Absalom (II Sam. 15:27 ff., 35 ff.; 17:15-21; I Kings 1:42-49). 6. One of David's mighty men (II Sam. 23:32; I Chron. 11:34). 7. Administrator of David's property outside Jerusalem (I Chron. 27:23). 8. Levite in the time of Jehoshaphat (II Chron. 17:8). 9. Scribe under King Zedekiah; Jeremiah was imprisoned in his house (Jer. 37:15-20; 38:26). In Jer. 40:8 there is a J. as military leader, probably due to a copyist's error; he is missing in II Kings 25:23, in the Greek and in the Targum. 10. Jew of the stock of Jerahmeel (I Chron. 2:32 ff.). 11. Head of a family among those returning from Babylon (Ezra 8:6). 12. Companion of Ezra (Ezra 10:15). 13. High priest, between Joiada and Jeddah (Neh. 12:11). Flavius Josephus names only 'Ιωάννης between the two (Antiq. Iud., XI, 7, 2); and many correct J. to Jēhānān.
After the discoveries at Elephantine, many critics hold that Jābānān is to be inserted into the text, as the father of J. 14-15. Two heads of a priestly stock (Neh. 12:14, 18). 16. Priest in the time of Nehemiah (II Macc. 1:23), whom many identify with the high priest of no. 13. 17. Levite of the stock of Asaph (Neh. 12:35).
18. The youngest of the Maccabean brothers, called Apphus (I Macc. 2:5); he took command after the death of Judas (161-143 B.C.). He continued the guerrilla warfare against Bacchides, finally obtaining a peace pact. With great shrewdness he drew every advantage from the struggle between Alexander and Demetrius Soter. He defeated Apollonius, general of Demetrius Nicator, the son of the former; but when the latter obtained the throne, he succeeded in winning his favor. He renewed the alliance with the Romans. He was then on the side of the young Antiochus VI supported by the general Tryphon, obtaining from him investiture as high priest. But Tryphon, who aspired to the throne, took him prisoner by treachery and killed him (I Macc. 9:23-13:23). Another J. was sent by Simon Maccabeus to occupy Joppa (ibid. 13:11); he may be the same warrior who distinguished himself at Hazor (ibid. 11:70), or a brother of his.
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Francesco Spadafora