MAACHA. - Biblical name of nine figures, of both sexes, from the first of whom a branch of the Arameans (v.) took its name. The principal ones are:
1. M., son of Nahor, brother of Abraham (Gen. 22:24), from whom descends a branch of the Arameans, which settled between Hermon and the mountains of Bashan east of the Jordan and formed the kingdom of M. or Maachathi. This region was assigned by Joshua to the tribe of Manasseh, but in fact the Maachathites could not be uprooted. In the time of David the King of M. formed an alliance with other Aramean kings against Israel, but was defeated by Joab near Medaba in the tribe of Reuben (II Sam. 10:6, 8; I Chron. 19:6 ff.).
2. M., consort of Rehoboam king of Judah and mother of Abijah (I Kings 15:2; II Chron. 11:20-22), called the "daughter" of Absalom: she was in reality his granddaughter, since Absalom had only one daughter (II Sam. 14:27) named Tamar (her father, according to II Chron. 13:2, was called Uriel, of Gibeah: the name of M. is altered to Michaiah).
She abused the influence she held first over her husband and then over her son Abijah to promote idolatry, setting up in the temple an image (mihfeeth "abomination," Vulg. Priapus) to 'Asherah. King Asa, successor of Abijah, broke and burned that idol, and in order to be freer in his religious reform he removed M., the principal promoter of idolatrous worship, from her rank of gēbhrāh or queen mother (I Kings 15:11-13).
Gaetano Stano