Ahlai
Daughter of Shelem from the Jerahmeelite branch of the tribe of Judah
Ahlai appears in two different contexts in 1 Chronicles. In the genealogy of the Jerahmeelite branch of the tribe of Judah, Ahlai is mentioned as the daughter of Sheshan (1 Chron 2:31). Since Sheshan had no sons, he gave his daughter to his Egyptian servant Jarha as a wife, and through this marriage the family line was continued via their son Attai (1 Chron 2:34–35). In the list of David’s mighty warriors, Zabad is also referred to as "son of Ahlai" (1 Chron 11:41). Whether these two occurrences of the name refer to the same person or to two different individuals remains an unresolved question. If it concerns one person, then "son of" in 1 Chron 11:41 must be understood in a broad sense as "descendant of," since according to the genealogy Zabad is several generations removed from Ahlai. Ahlai’s place in family history sheds light on inheritance practices of that time and shows how people of non-Israelite origin could be incorporated into Israel’s tribal community through marriage.
Famille
Événements clés
Mentioned in the genealogy of Judah
Ahlai is mentioned as the daughter of Shelem in the genealogy of the Jerahmeelite branch of the tribe of Judah. Since Shelem had no sons, he gave his daughter to his Egyptian servant Jarha as a wife so that his family line would continue. Their son was Attai.
Ancestor of Zabad, one of David's warriors
In the list of David's mighty men, Zabad is referred to as "son of Ahlai" (1 Chron 11:41). According to the genealogy in 1 Chron 2:36, Zabad is a later link in the family line after Attai and Nathan. It is debated whether this refers to the same Ahlai who was the daughter of Shelem or if these are two different people with the same name.