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The "maximalist" understanding of the Bible regards this and of the Concubine Timna , a Horite and sister of Lotan . Amalek, for whatever reason, has become eponymous for the '''Amalekites'''. Gen. 36:16 refers to him as the "chief of Amalek." Thus even within a literalist perspective of the Bible, his name can be understood to be a title derived from that of the clan or territory over which he ruled. An extra-Biblical tradition recorded by Nachmanides relates that the Amalekites were descended from a man named Amalek after whom Esau's grandson was later named. Such an eponymous ancestor of the Amalekites is also mentioned in Arab traditions. The name is sometimes interpreted as "dweller in the valley" {Link without Title} {Link without Title} , but most specialists regard the origin to be unknown (M. Weippert, Semitische Nomaden des zweiten Jahrtausends. ''Biblica'' vol. 55, 1974, 265-280, 427-433). AMALEKITES Some interpret Gen. 14:7 (which refers to the "land of the Amalekites"), to mean that the Amalekites existed as early as the time of Abraham, in the region that would later become the , citing traditional Arab history relates that the Amalekites did indeed exist at this early period having originated in the region of Mecca before the time of Abraham. Proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis of biblical criticism conjecture that Genesis 14 is an isolated source apart from the proposed four main sources (J,E,P, and D) (Friedman, ''The Biblie with Sources Revealed''), and consider the mention of Amalekites in this chapter as simply a contradiction between sources. In the defeated them utterly, but earned the wrath of God by sparing some for use as slaves, and failing to burn their treasures (1 Sam.). Saul also hesitated to kill Agag, at which point Samuel executed the Amalekite king himself. ALLIES OF THE AMALEKITES In the books of 1 Samuel and Judges, the tribe of Kenites are associated with the Amalekites, sometimes their allies, sometimes allied with the tribes of Israel. The Amalek people are invariably enemies of Israel. Saul's successful expedition against the unidentified "city of Amalek," in the plain (1 Sam. 15) resulted in the capture of the Amalekite king, Agag (the only Amalekite name that has been preserved). GENOCIDE OF THE AMALEKITES As the ''Jewish Encyclopedia'' put it, "David waged a sacred war of extermination against the Amalekites," who subsequently disappeared from history. Long after, in the time of Hezekiah , five hundred Simeonites annihilated the last remnant "of the Amalekites that had escaped" on Mount Seir, and settled in their place (1 Chr. 4:42-43). The Biblical relationship between the Hebrew and Amalekite tribes was that the Hebrew tribes hated the Amalekites, primarily due to banditry committed by the Amalekites. :"''Go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.''" (1 Sam. 15:3). The Jews' manner of dealing with them was extreme, as they could be shown no mercy. Women, children and animals were slain, and no slaves or gold could be taken from them. Rather all were killed, and their valuables were burned. In fact in the account, King Saul lost his divine favour on account that he failed to be sufficiently thorough in the destruction. :"''He betook himself to slay the women and the children, and thought he did not act therein either barbarously or inhumanly; first, because they were enemies whom he thus treated, and, in the next place, because it was done by the command of God, whom it was dangerous not to obey''" ( Flavius Josephus , ''Antiquites Judicae'', Book VI, Chapter 7). Maimonides explains, however, that the commandment of killing out the nation of Amalek requires the Jewish people to peacefully request of them to accept upon themselves the Noachide Laws and pay a tax to the Jewish kingdom. Only if they refuse is the commandment applicable. See Wipe Out Amalek for a current rabbinical teaching on the matter. SYMBOLISM OF THE AMALEKITES In Jewish tradition, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews. For example, Haman , from the Book Of Esther , is called the Agagite, which is interpreted as being a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag . The term has been used metaphorically to refer to enemies of Judaism throughout history, including the Nazis , and controversially, by some to refer to the Arabs . Rejection of God The concept has long been used by explains the third mitzvah: : ''From man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, so that the name of Amalek not be mentioned even with reference to an animal by saying "This animal belonged to Amalek".'' KINGS OF THE AMALEKITES Esau Agag (1 Sam. 15:8) LISTING OF AMALEK/AMALEKITE REFERENCES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT '''Genesis' 14:7; 36:12, 16 Exodus 17:8-11, 13-14, 16 Numbers 13:29; 14:25, 43, 45; 24:20; 25:19 Deuteronomy 25:17 Judges 3:13; 5:14; 6:3, 33; 7:12; 10:12; 12:15 1 Samuel 14:48;15:2-8, 15, 18, 20, 32; 27:8; 28:18; 30:1, 13, 18 2 Samuel 1:1, 8, 13; 8:12 1 Chronicles 1:36; 4:43; 18:11 Psalms 83:7 EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES ''The Punishment of Amalek in Jewish Tradition: Coping with the Moral Problem'', Avi Sagi, Harvard Theological Review Vol.87, No.3 (1994) p.323-46. |
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