Akish
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...

, Akish was a prominent figure in the society of the Jaredites, as related in the Book of Ether
Book of Ether
The Book of Ether is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon. The Book of Ether tells of an ancient people , descendants of Jared and his companions who were led by God to the Americas shortly after the confusion of tongues and the destruction of the Tower of Babel...

. In the book's narrative, Akish first established secret combinations among the Jaredites after they came to the Promised Land. This secret combination among the Jaredites nearly lead to their entire destruction. Akish established this combination because the daughter of Jared danced before him, and to obtain her hand in marriage, Akish covenanted with Jared to dethrone Omer
Omer
Omer may refer to:*Omer , an ancient unit of measure used in the era of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem**Counting of the Omer, Jewish ritual during the forty-nine days between Passover and the Feast of Weeks*Omar, Omer is a variation of the name...

, the legitimate king and Jared's father. Later, Akish killed Jared and took the kingdom for himself. This account has been discussed by non-LDS and LDS authors.

Akish is the correct pronunciation, and an alternative transliteration, of Achish
Achish
Achish is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for two Philistine rulers of Gath. It is perhaps only a general title of royalty, applicable to the Philistine kings. The two kings of Gath, which is identified by most scholars as Tell es-Safi, are:...

 (King James Bible), the King of Gath in the Bible (I Samuel), who had an ambivalent relationship with King David. This name is believed by David Rohl
David Rohl
New Chronology is the term used to describe an alternative Chronology of the ancient Near East developed by English Egyptologist David Rohl and other researchers beginning with A Test of Time: The Bible - from Myth to History in 1995...

 to be a shortened form of Akishimige, a Hurrian name meaning "the Sun God has given." If the similarity of the names is not mere coincidence, it could mean a Hurrian connection for the Jaredites.
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