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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #307 - אַחְמְתָא
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
Achmetha = “Ecbatana”
1) capital of Media, captured by Cyrus in 550 BC and then summer residence of Persian kings
- Book
- Word
proper name, of a location Ecbatana, Ezra 6:2; capital of Media, captured by Cyrus ( B.C. 550), and then summer residence of Persian kings; modern 
„amadân, Spieg244 Margoliouth Hast. DB ACHMETHA, especially Brugsch Reise n. Persien (1862), i. 360-392 (Old Median Agmatana Dl Calwer Bib. Lex.; Old Persian Hangamata§na (= place of assembling) Spieg l.c., Babylonian Agam(a)tanu Beh60, Bez p. 26, etc.; Ἀγβάτανα Herod i. 98; ᵐ5 Ἐκβατανα 2Mace Ezra 9:3 +; MeyGeschichte. d. Alt. i. § 485 Streck l.c. 367 f.
אַחְמְתָא Ezra 6:2 [Achmetha], Ecbatana. [“The ancient orthography of this name is traced by Lassen (Ind. Biblioth. iii. 36), in the Sansc. açuàdhana, i.e. ἱπποστασία; the Sansc. ç passing over sometimes into a guttural, and sometimes into s. The corresponding modern name is Ispahan.” Ges. corr.-In Manuale]. The metropolis of Ancient Media, and the summer residence of the kings of Persia; situated in the same place where afterwards was, and still is Hamedan (همدان), the Parthian metropolis, which name has itself sprung from a softer pronunciation of the ancient word. The accounts given by travellers respecting the remains of this city have been collected by Hoeck (Veteris Mediæ et Persiæ Monumenta, page 144-155). If the word be Phœnicio-Shemitic, it means undoubtedly the same as חֲמָת (from the root חמה), and denotes citadel, fortress; if it be Persic, it is i.q. ابادان a cultivated place, and full of inhabitants. The former explanation, however, is preferable. [But see Ges. corr. above.]
