Page "Abiathar" Paragraph 1

When his father was slain with the priests of Nob, he escaped, and bearing with him the ephod, he joined David, who was then in the cave of Adullam ( 1 Sam.

22: 20-23 ; 23: 6 ).

He remained with David, and became priest of the party of which he was the leader ( 1 Sam.

30: 7 ).

Ahimelech great-grandson of Eli ; slain by Doeg the Edomite-fulfilling part of the curse on the House of Eli that none of his male descendants would live to old age.

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia on David descendant Jehoash of Judah: In Rabbinical Literature: As the extermination of the male descendants of David was a divine retribution for the extermination of the priests because of David ( comp.

I Sam.

22: 17-21 ), Joash escaped death because in the latter case one priest, Abiathar, survived ( Sanh.

95b )