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Ahimelech
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Ahimelech

The priest of Nob who gave the fleeing David the consecrated bread of the Presence and the sword of Goliath, believing he was on the king's business. Doeg the Edomite witnessed it and reported to Saul, who summoned the priests and accused them of conspiracy. Ahimelech's defence — that David was the king's own trusted son-in-law and that he had enquired of God for him many times before — was ignored, and Saul ordered the massacre of eighty-five priests and the whole town. Only his son Abiathar escaped.

Role: Priest of Nob
Lived: c. 11th century BC
Belonged to: Priests, Tribe of Levi
Tribe/lineage: Levi

What we know — and how we know it

Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1 Ancient writers — non-biblical testimony · 1 Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Family & lineage
ScholarlyThe priestly line is reversed between texts: 1 Samuel names Abiathar as son of Ahimelech, while 2 Samuel 8:17 and 1 Chronicles 18:16 give "Ahimelech son of Abiathar." This is widely treated by textual scholars as an ancient scribal transposition of the two names.
Text-critical discussion in standard Samuel commentaries (e.g. McCarter, Anchor Bible).
Tribe & people
BibleOf the tribe of Levi.
1 Samuel 21:6
Death & legacy
Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 6.254-261. Scan by NYPL — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons) Ancient writersJosephus recounts Saul's massacre of Ahimelech and the priests of Nob for aiding David, carried out by Doeg after the other guards refused.
Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 6.254-261.
Name & titles
ScholarlyAhimelech ('Ăḥîmelek) means "my brother is king," combining 'aḥî ("my brother") with melek ("king"), a well-attested royal/kinship name pattern across the Semitic languages.
Standard Hebrew onomastic analysis (BDB, HALOT).

Where in scripture

1 Samuel

So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before Yahweh, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

1 Samuel 21:6 — Gives David the holy bread

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

1 Samuel 21:6

In art