Kislev 1 – Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites…

Kislev 1, 5785; from sunset December 1, 2024, to sunset December 2, 2024

(The first day of the ninth month)

This is an image of the name Abiezer as seen in the Aleppo codex; written over one thousand years ago.

אֲבִיעֶזֶר

Though it’s kind of hard to read, the image above is the name Abiezer as it appears in the Aleppo Codex. The Aleppo Codex is the “Crown of Aleppo.” It is one of the oldest, most complete manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. It was written in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, around 920 CE. Throughout its long history it was kidnapped by the Crusaders, held for ransom, and finally returned to Jewish hands. Sometime after these events, it was transported to Aleppo, Syria, where it spent the next six hundred years at the synagogue located there. In 1947, rioters enraged by the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine burned down the synagogue. The Codex disappeared, then reemerged in 1958, when it was smuggled into Israel by a Syrian Jew and presented to the president of Israel. It was during this transition that parts of the Codex were lost. Today, the Codex is cared for by the Israel Museum. A few pages at a time are put on display in the Shrine of the Book where you can also see many of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Codex pages are rotated on a regular basis. The Aleppo Codex has been deemed a trusted document and is used as a measure for accuracy for other ancient manuscripts.

Captain for the Ninth Month

In 1 Chronicles 27 we find a listing of military commanders organized by King David. Each captain was responsible for guarding the kingdom for one month of the year. Today, Abiezer begins his watch.

And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:1

The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. – 1 Chronicles 27:12 (NKJ)

Many of David’s Mighty Men were given the honor of being the captain of one month every year. The book of 2 Samuel tells us that Abiezer was one of the thirty.

Also the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathoth. – 1 Chronicles 11:26-28

Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab’s brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; Helez from Pelon; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai from Hushah… – 2 Samuel 23:24-27

The name Abiezer is a combination of two Hebrew words. Abi comes from “av” meaning “father” and ezer comes from “azar” meaning “help or support.”

Abiezer = My Father Is Help or Father of Help

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