the Fourth Week of Advent
Click here to learn more!
Bible Encyclopedias
Apharsites
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Chald. Apharsaye', אֲפִרְסָיֵא; Sept. Ἀφαρσαῖοι ), the name of a tribe removed along with the Apharsachites (q.v.) to Samaria by the king of Assyria, and forming one of the opponents of the Jews after the captivity (Ezra 4:9). Hiller (Onomnast.) regards them as the Parrhasii, a tribe of Eastern Media, and Gesenius (Thes. Heb. p. 143) thinks they are the Persians, to whose name theirs certainly bears a much greater affinity, especially in the prolonged form of the latter found in Daniel 6:29 (Chald. Parsaya', פִּרְסָיָא ). The presence of the proper name of the Persians in Ezra 1:1; Ezra 4:3, must throw some doubt. upon Gesenius' conjecture; but it is very possible that the local name of the tribe may have undergone alteration, while the official and general name was correctly given.
These files are public domain.
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Apharsites'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/a/apharsites.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
