Achish

Achish - Probably meaning "angry," (see below for other theories of its origin and meaning), and perhaps only a general title of royalty applicable to the Philistine kings. Name of two kings of Gath (which is identified by most scholars as Tell es-Safi).

(1.) The king with whom David sought refuge when he fled from Saul (1 Sam. 21:10-15). He is called Abimelech (meaning "father of the king") in the superscription of Ps. 34. It was probably this same king, or his son with the same name, to whom David a second time repaired at the head of a band of 600 warriors. The king assigned David to Ziklag, whence he carried on war against the surrounding tribes (1 Sam. 27:5-12). Achish had great confidence in the valour and fidelity of David (1 Sam. 28:1,2), but at the instigation of his courtiers did not permit him to go up to battle along with the Philistine hosts (1 Sam. 29:2-11). David remained with Achish a year and four months.

(2.) Another king of Gath, probably grandson of the foregoing, to whom the two servants of Shimei fled. This led Shimei to go to Gath in pursuit of them, and the consequence was that Solomon put him to death (1 Kings 2:39-46).

In the 7th century BCE Royal inscription from Tel Miqne-Ekron the name Achish appears along with four other names of the local kings of Ekron. A similar name (IKAUSU) appears as a king of Ekron in 7th century BCE Assyrian inscriptions. This apparently refers to the same king of Ekron.

This appears to indicate that either the name Achish was a common name for Philistine kings, used both at Gath and Ekron, or, as Naveh has suggested, that the editor of the biblical text used a known name of a Philistine king from the end of the Iron Age (Achish of Ekron) as the name of a king(s) of Gath in narratives relating to earlier periods.

Achish and Anchises

• There seems to be a linguistic similarity with the name Anchises (Αγχίσης) in ancient Greek mythology and history:

The myth of "Afrodite And Anchises" says in the beginning that "Zeus, they say, made entrance to sweet desire in Afrodite's soul for Anchises, who then grazed oxen on the peaks of Ide and was alike the gods in beauty." Mount Ide (Ίδη) or Pselorites (Ψηλορείτης) is located in Crete. According to one theory the origin of the Philistines is from Crete. This theory can be supported from the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible or "Old Testament.") Additional support comes from linguistic similarities with the oldest name of the city of Gaza - Minoah (Ancient king Minos in Crete) and other technical attributes about metal working, noting that Crete was a copper exporting country. Anchises, from his liaison with Afrodite, became the father of Aeneas (Αινείας). The son carried the father on his shoulders after the fall of Troy.

Many similarities between Mycenaean or Proto-Greek and Philistine civilizations are noted, strengthening the theory of cultural, linguistic and geographical relations of these peoples.

Achish the Achaean

• A common interpretation of the name Achish is to explain the name as being similar to the Greek "Akhayus", meaning the "Achean", indicating the Aegean/Greek origin of the Philistines.

A gift of the Sun God

• Another possibility, proposed by R. Corney and Peter van der Veen is that Achish or Akish is a hypocoristicon or abbreviated form of Aki-Shimige, "Shimige has given," Shimige being the Hurrian sun-god. Thus (according to David M. Rohl), the name corresponds to the Indo-European name Shuwardata, "the Sun has given," the king of Gath in the Amarna Letters.

A similar name in the Book of Mormon

• Akish is a minor character in the Book of Mormon. His name is an alternative transliteration, and the correct pronunciation, of Achish.

Achish in Israeli popular culture

• The King of Gath is the subject of a modern Israeli popular riddle: Beveiti ko lo naim, kol male meshuga'im. ("In my house it's so unpleasant, all full of crazy men.") This rhyming couplet refers comically to the king's complaint in I Samuel 21:15 that his palace is overrun with madmen. David was feigning madness to escape from Gath, where his situation was turning precarious.

Achish in film

• Achish king of Gath appears in the movie King David (film), (1985), starring Richard Gere. The film inexplicably turns the Biblical story upside down, and shows David pretending to be insane in order to gain admittance to the presence of King Achish, rather than to flee from him.

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