and Philistines, and Ahaz asked help of Tiglath- Pileser. King of Assj'ria ill. Kings xvi : 7. II. Chronicles xxviii : 10-22), who drove out the in- vaders, but took heavy toll from Ahaz, compel- ling him to appear at Damascus as a vassal. While there, Ahaz saw an altar, and ordered Uriah, the high priest, to build one like it. On this Ahaz made sacrifices; but he went further. He broke up the sacred vessels, closed th<" doors of the temple, sacrificed to Syrian deities, and caused his son to pass through the fire to Moloch (II. Chronicles x.wiii : .3,22-26). Isaiah (chap- ters ii-v) furnishes a sad picture of condi- tions prevailing in Judea in the days of Ahaz. frivolity, perversion of justice, avarice, oppression, besides infidelity toward Yahweh, be- ing among the charges brought by the prophet against the king and his court. His name ap- pears on the Assyrian monuments under the form Ya-u-ha-zi, from which the conclusion seems justified that the full name of the king was Jehoahaz ("Yaluveh has taken hold").
A'HAZI'AH (Heb. sustained by the Lord). The name of two kings mentioned in the Bible. ( 1 ) The son and successor of Ahab. and eighth king of Israel, whose reign mav be approxirately fixed at 853-852 B.C. He followed his father's example in his devotion to the Phcenician Baal. On his accession, the Moabites revolted, refusing
to pay tribute, and before he could make preparations to go against them, he fell from a window of his palace. He' sent messengers to the god Baal Zebub of Ekron to know the result of his injuries, but the messengers met Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh. on the way, who sent them
back with word that the king would sxirely die (II. Kings, chapter i). Upon his death Joram, his brother, came to the throne. (2) Son of Jchoram and of Ahab's daughter, Athaliah (II. Kings viii: 25-27), the sixth king of .Tudah. who is called Azariah (II. Chronicles xxii :0) and .lehoahaz (II. Chronicles xxi : 17). He took
part with his uncle, Jehoram, of Israel, in the latter's campaign against Hazael, King of Syiia, in which the two kings were defeated (II. Kings viii: 28-29: IT. Chronicles xxii: 5). Ahaziah was soon after slain by .Jehu (842 B.C.) (II. Kings ix : 27 : IT. Clnonicles xxii : 7-9), after a reign of only one year (II. Kings viii : 20; II. Chronicles .xxii : 2).
AHEAD'. See Bearing.
AHIMELECH, a-hlm'elek (Heb., brother of
tlie kingl. A .lewisli higli priest who. accord-
ing to I. Samuel xxii: 11, was the son of Ahitub.
Some scholars are of the opinion that he is iden-
tical with Ahijah, who is also spoken of as a
son of Ahitub (1. Samuel xiv : 3). JIelek."king."
being a title of Yahweh. it might be used inter-
changeably with Jah. but it seems more plausible
to assume that Ahijah and Ahimclecli were
brothers, and that Ahimelech succeeded Ahijah
in the oHice of high priest. When David, warned
by Jonathan, fled from Saul, Ahimelech. at Xob.
fed him with tlie shew-bread, gave him the sword
of Goliath, and assisted him to escape (I. Samvi-
el xxi : 1-10). For this offense Saul put .Ahim-
elech and his whole priestly household to death,
only one man. .biathar, escaping ( I. Samuel
xxi'i : 11-20).
AHITH'OPHEL (Heb.. brother of folly, i.e.,
foolish). . native of (iiloli in .Tudca : privy
coiinselor of David, and probably grandfaHier of
Bathshttba (II. Samuel xi:3;'xxiii 34). He
was trusted implicitly by David, as well as by
Absalom, whose revolt he joined (II. Samuel
xvi: 23; XV: 12). Hushar, "David's friend,"
also counseled Absalom, but with a view to help-
ing David (II. Samuel xvi : 10: xvii : 16), and
his counsel of delay prevailed over Ahithophcl's
plan of quick action ( Tl. Samuel xvii : 1-14).
Hereupon Ahithophel, in despair, went home, put
his household in order and hanged himself (II.
Sanuiel xvii : 23) .
AHLEFELDT, a'le-fglt, Ellsa Da^tdia Mar-
GAUETiiA, Cou.VTEss (1790-1855). A German
woman noted for her patriotism and her love of
letters. She was born in Denmark, and in ISIO
became the wife of JIajor von Liitzow, a German
officer, whom she accompanied on his campaigns.
She distinguished herself by her care of the
wounded on the battlefield. In 1824 she sepa-
rated from her husband, and lived for a time
with the author Immermann.
AHLFELD, iil'fcdt, Joha.xn Friedrich (1810-
1SS4). A Lutheran pulpit orator. He was born
at Mehringen, Anhalt; studied at the University
of Halle (1830-33); taught and preached in
various places till in 1847 he became pastor in •
Halle, whence in 1851 he went to the Nicolai- ,'
kirche in Leipzig. There, till his resignation in 5
1881, he wielded a great spiritual influence as •
a leading evangelical. He died in Leipzig. He ]
published several volumes of sermons. Consult
his Life (Halle, 1885).
AHLGREN, al'gren, Erx,st, pen name of Victouria Maria Be.xedictssox, iiie Bruzelius (1S50-188S). A Swedish author. She was born at Domme, near Trelleborg (Scania), and in 1871 married Christian Benedictsson,
postmaster of Hiirby. In conseriuence of illness and of great worry, she committed suicide at Copenhagen, whither she had gone in 1S88. Her collection of novels, entitled Fran f<kaiie (Stockholm, 1884), and the satirical narrative I'cnningar (Money, Stockholm, 1885; second
edition, 1889) soon made her name known favorably throughout Sweden, Ahere she was afterward regarded as the most distinguished among the younger woman writers. Her works are characterized by marked simplicity of style and a powerful and artistic description of life.
Among them niaj' be mentioned Fru Marianne (Stockholm, 1887; second edition. 1890); Folk-lif och Sma Berattcher (Stockholm, 1888); Ih'riiftchrr och Vflcast (Stockholm, 1888); Fomeos Julia, a drama (1888) ; Final, a drama
(in collaboration with A. LundgSrd, Stockholm,
1885).
AHLQUIST, -iKkvist, Aiorsx Engelbert (182C-S9). A Finnish philologist and poet, professor of Finnish literature at Helsingfors. He was distinguished for ethnographic investigations, especially of the dialects and races of the Ural-Altaic family. In 1847 he started a Finnish journal. He translated some of Schiller's works into Finnish, and wrote poems. His more important original works are: Tl'o(is7i Orammar (Helsingfors, 1885) ; An Attempt at a Moksha- .)[ordtrinian Grammar (St. Petersburg, 1861); Tlir SInirtnrr of the Finnish Language (1877).
AHLWARDT, iil'vlirt, Herma.vx (1840—). German politician an.l anti-Semitic agitator. He was born at Krien, Prussia, and al>oiit 1890 joined the anti-Semitic movement. He published a number of writings under the titles of Der
