Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/210

164 — Achan

THE JEWISH E>X'YCLOPEI)IA

Achish

There may be some con-

Christians, for sarcophagi.

nection in

of expiation for siicrilcpious theft appears somewliat Imrsh anil inlniniaiii-, partiiularly su if we under-

name between Aceldama and D'OT DSN

Traditional Site ok ackldama

in

(From R photograph by

(I

Sam.

2i»'.,

xvii. 1).

which

Until H. iv. (on

is ii.

translated in Yer. Sanh. 3)

ii.

9,

Midr. Sam.

x..

ii.

by

NnpoiD bpn. BiiiuofiRAPHT: Sepp, Jfrtixalem

U7t<1 iln« HeiUae Laii'l, I. Eiicu- Bihl. s.v.: t'. Srliick, in Pal. Explnr. h^tml yiKirt. StalementA^i. pp. 3Si-289; H. Melander, in Zeil. Dcut!'Ch. Falitxt. Vcr. xvli. 2.5-35. ..r ,,

^C:

ACHAN

(in I Chron. ii. 7. Achar, probably from Aclicir, tli<- valley mentioned in Josh. vii. 2). Biblical Data: The son of Canni. son of Zabdi, son of Zerali. of the tribe of .Tnilah. who committed Siurih'ge durins the capture of the city of .Jericho

by the people of

Isnii'l in taking a iiortion of the devoted to the Lord. Since the war was a holy war (see B. and Hkhkm), he involved the whole nation in guilt, and caused its defeat in

spoil

thirty-six men of Israel the wratli of the Lord kindled against the people, the twelve tribes were assembled according to their clans and houseliolds, and the Siicred lot was cast in order to discover the

the battle of Ai, in

were

killed.

To

which

assiia.ce

guilty family that had come under the ban. Achan was singled out. and confessed that he had stolen silver and gold and a costly Babylonian mantle, and had ludden them in his tent. The stolen tilings were inmiediately sent for and laid before the Lord, and Achan and his family, his cattle, his asses, his slieep, and all his belongings were brought to the valley afterward called the "Valley of Achor" Trouble "). Joshua said to him there '• 'hy ClIDJ? irnst thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee tliis day." Achan and all that belonged to him were stoned to death and. with the whole of his possessions, burned, and "a great heap of stones" was raised over the ashes (Josh. vii. 24-26). This mode

164

the Vallev or

Hi.v.nom.

Boofila.)

stand the words, "And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones" (Josh. vii. 2.')). to refer not only to Achan, Ids goods, and his lieasts, Imt also to "his sons and daughters" mentioned in the ])receding verse (see W. Robertson Smith, "Ueligion of the Semites," 2d ed., p. 162).

In Rabbinical Literature getes, Haslii, (Jersdiiidis.

the stoning

(Jiish. vii.

2."))



The

.Jewish exe-

and

others, maintain that was intheled only on the

and that llie suns and daughters were bnmght This seems there merely to witness and be warned. to be the opinion also of the rabbis in the Talmud (see I{ashi on Sanh. 44(. although they say that the wife and the children were accessories to the crime, in so far as they knew of it and kejit silent. According to another and apparently much older rabbinical tradition. Achan's crime had many aggravating features, lie had seen in Jeri(ho an idol endowed with magic powers, with a tongue of gold, the costly mantle spread upon it, the silver presents before it. By taking this idol he caused the death, Ix'fore the city of Ai, of thirty-six righteous men of Israel, members of the high court. When Joshua, through the twelve precious stones of the high priest's breastplate, learned who was the culprit, he resorted to the severest measures of imni.shment, inbeasts,

flictingdcatli by stoning and by tire both on liim and his children, in sjute of Dent. .xiv. 16; for these had known of the crime and had not at once told They thus brought the chiefs of the hidden idol.

death upon more than half the members of the high court (see Pirke R. El. xxxviii. Tan., Wa-yesheb, Another view expressed by the ed. 1863, p. 43). rabbis is that Achan committed incest, or violated