Ahimelech - brother of the king, the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar (1\nSam. 22:20-23). He descended from Eli in the line of Ithamar. In\n1 Chr. 18:16 he is called Abimelech, and is probably the same as\nAhiah (1 Sam. 14:3, 18). He was the twelfth high priest, and\nofficiated at Nob, where he was visited by David (to whom and\nhis companions he gave five loaves of the showbread) when he\nfled from Saul (1 Sam. 21:1-9). He was summoned into Saul's\npresence, and accused, on the information of Doeg the Edomite,\nof disloyalty because of his kindness to David; whereupon the\nking commanded that he, with the other priests who stood beside\nhim (86 in all), should be put to death. This sentence was\ncarried into execution by Doeg in the most cruel manner (1 Sam.\n22:9-23). Possibly Abiathar had a son also called Ahimelech, or\nthe two names, as some think, may have been accidentally\ntransposed in 2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chr. 18:16, marg.; 24:3, 6, 31. From Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
