Elisheva
Encyclopedia
Elisheva or Elisheba was the wife of Aaron
"the priest" (Heb. HaKohen), the forefather of the Kohanim, the Jewish priests, in the Bible
. She is a daughter of Amminadab
, and a sister of Nahshon
, from the Tribe of Judah
. According to later Jewish tradition, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs
in Tiberias. The character of the wife of Aaron (Harun
in Arabic) is also mentioned in the Qur'an, albeit unnamed. She is known as Alishahda in Islamic tradition.
In Hebrew, Eli means "my God". Sheva can mean either "oath" or "sustenance". ("Sheva" also means seven in Hebrew.) The name Elisheva means "my God has sworn". According to some interpretations, Elisheva was the same as Puah
, one of the righteous midwives mentioned in Exodus 1. Those who hold this interpretation believe that her position as ancestress of the priestly caste was a reward for saving the Hebrew children.
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
"the priest" (Heb. HaKohen), the forefather of the Kohanim, the Jewish priests, in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. She is a daughter of Amminadab
Amminadab
-People:* Amminadab , son of Ram * Izhar, who was also known as Amminadab* Amminadab , either of two kings of Ammon in the mid-seventh century BCE* Amminadab Lévinas, the son of Emmanuel Lévinas...
, and a sister of Nahshon
Nahshon
Nahshon or Naḥshon ben ʿAmminadabh was, according to the Book of Exodus, the son of Amminadab; descendant in the fifth generation of Judah, brother-in-law of Aaron and an important figure in the Hebrew's Passage of the Red Sea which according to the Jewish Midrash he initiated by walking in head...
, from the Tribe of Judah
Tribe of Judah
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
. According to later Jewish tradition, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs
Tomb of the Matriarchs
The Tomb of The Matriarchs, , in Tiberias, Israel, is the traditional burial place of several Biblical women:*Zilpah, handmaid of Leah.*Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel.*Jochebed, mother of Moses.*Zipporah, wife of Moses....
in Tiberias. The character of the wife of Aaron (Harun
Harun
-Given name:* Haroon , a Pakistani pop singer* Haroon Rashid Aswat, a British terrorist* Harun Erdenay, Turkish basketball player* Haroun Kabadi, Chadian politician* Harun Karadeniz, Turkish activist* Haroon Khan, British boxer...
in Arabic) is also mentioned in the Qur'an, albeit unnamed. She is known as Alishahda in Islamic tradition.
In Hebrew, Eli means "my God". Sheva can mean either "oath" or "sustenance". ("Sheva" also means seven in Hebrew.) The name Elisheva means "my God has sworn". According to some interpretations, Elisheva was the same as Puah
Puah
Puah is a name given to two persons in the Bible:* One of the two midwives who feared God, and helped prevent the genocide of Hebrew male children by the Egyptians, according to Exodus 1:15-21. Her colleague was Shiphrah....
, one of the righteous midwives mentioned in Exodus 1. Those who hold this interpretation believe that her position as ancestress of the priestly caste was a reward for saving the Hebrew children.