אַחְמְתָא
𐤀𐤇𐤌𐤕𐤀
Achemeta
H307 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun designating the city known as Ecbatana, which served historically as a royal city in Media and later as a summer capital for the Persian Empire. Refers specifically to this geographic location in the context of the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
Ecbatana (royal city in Media/Persia), official center for Persian administration, city where Cyrus's decree was found
Root / Etymology
Of Persian origin (not native Hebrew), likely related to Old Persian Haŋgmatāna, meaning 'place of assembly' or 'gathering place.' The form in biblical Hebrew is a transliteration of the foreign placename, adapted to the Hebrew script as אַחְמְתָא.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears only in Ezra 6:2, serving to identify the precise location—here called Achmetha—where official records from the period of Cyrus the Great were discovered. This place is widely recognized in historical sources as Ecbatana, ancient capital of the Median Empire, later a principal residence for Persian royalty and a significant administrative center in the Achaemenid period. The name is not an Israelite or Judahite word, nor does it carry semantic content beyond its function as a place name. English Bible translations sometimes preserve the archaic spelling 'Achmetha' or render it as 'Ecbatana,' though the actual Hebrew form is a transliteration from Persian. Its use in the biblical text reflects historical contacts with the Persian administration during the post-exilic period, specifically in the context of royal archives. No other Hebrew word shares this placename's origin or form.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Persian derivation; Achmetha (i.e. Ecbatana), the summer capital of Persia; Achmetha.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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אחמתא (foreign proper name) (ʾ-ḥ-m-t-ʾ) — uncertain; foreign placename; Ecbatana
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H307-01 |
בְּ/אַחְמְתָ֗א | beachemeta | AR/Np |
in-Achmetha | in Achmetha | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H307-01 |
Ezra 6:2 | בְּ/אַחְמְתָ֗א | beachemeta | AR/Np |
in-Achmetha | in Achmetha |