later refers to the Moʹskhhoi and the Ti·ba·re·noiʹ in the same manner.

Many scholars suggest that the Mushku are to be related with the Phrygians, who apparently dominated much of western and central Asia Minor about the close of the second millennium B.C.E. King Mita of Mushku, referred to by Assyrian Emperor Sargon, is construed as being identical with King Midas of Phrygia, described in Greek tradition as ruling in the same period.

It is generally agreed that in a later period the Mushku moved farther toward the N. Some suggest that the name of the Mushku is to be traced on to that of the later Muscovites of Russia.

2. Meshech appears in the Masoretic text at 1 Chronicles 1:17 as a descendant of Shem, but the corresponding genealogy at Genesis 10:23 reads “Mash.”

MESHELEMIAH

(Me·shel·e·miʹah) [Jehovah recompenses, or, friendship of Jehovah].

A Kohathite Levite and ancestral head of a division of Korahites. He “had sons and brothers, capable men, eighteen,” who were assigned with him as gatekeepers of the sanctuary during King David’s reorganization of the priestly and Levitical services. (1 Chron. 26:1-3, 9) He is probably identical with the Shelemiah of 1 Chronicles 26:14. His son Zechariah “was the gatekeeper of the entrance of the tent of meeting.”—1 Chron. 9:21.

MESHEZABEL

(Me·shezʹa·bel) [God delivers].

1. A man of Judah of the family of Zerah and whose “son” Pethahiah “was at the side of the king for every matter of the people.”—Neh. 11:24.

2. Father of Berechiah and ancestor of the Meshullam who did repair work on the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day.—Neh. 3:4.

3. One of the “heads of the people” (or his descendant) who attested by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” of Nehemiah’s time.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 21.

MESHILLEMITH

(Me·shilʹle·mith) [recompense, retribution].

A priest and descendant of Immer. (1 Chron. 9:10, 12) He is probably the same person as the Meshillemoth of Nehemiah 11:13.

MESHILLEMOTH

(Me·shilʹle·moth) [recompense].

1. An Ephraimite whose “son” Berechiah was one of the headmen of Ephraim who persuaded the Israelites of King Pekah’s day to release the captives they had taken in a successful military campaign against Judah.—2 Chron. 28:6-8, 12-15.

2. A priest who descended from Immer and was the ancestor of certain priests residing in Jerusalem after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile. (Neh. 11:10, 13, 14) He is probably identical with the Meshillemith of 1 Chronicles 9:12.

MESHOBAB

(Me·shoʹbab) [brought back].

A chieftain of the tribe of Simeon who had a large household and who participated in the seizure of pasturelands from the Hamites and the Meunim near Gedor in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:34-42.

MESHULLAM

(Me·shulʹlam [recompensed, requited].

1. A family head in the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Jerusalem; son of Elpaal.—1 Chron. 8:1, 17, 18, 28.

2. A leading Gadite resident of Bashan enrolled genealogically as a son of Abihail during the reigns of Jotham and Jeroboam II (apparently two different enrollments, for the reigns of these kings did not overlap).—1 Chron. 5:11, 13, 14, 16, 17.

3. Grandfather or ancestor of King Josiah’s secretary Shaphan.—2 Ki. 22:3.

4. Father or ancestor of High Priest Hilkiah of King Josiah’s reign. (1 Chron. 9:11; Neh. 11:11) Meshullam himself had perhaps acted as high priest. Some of his descendants lived in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He is apparently called Shallum at 1 Chronicles 6:12, 13 and Ezra 7:2; see SHALLUM No. 7.

5. A Kohathite Levite, one of several in charge of repairing the temple under King Josiah.—2 Chron. 34:1, 8, 12.

6. A priest whose descendants (at least three generations after him) lived in Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon.—1 Chron. 9:2, 3, 10, 12.

7. A Benjamite whose son Sallu was a family head in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. (1 Chron. 9:3, 7, 9) Presumably the same as the Meshullam listed in Nehemiah 11:7.

8. A Benjamite family head who himself lived in Jerusalem after the exile.—1 Chron. 9:3, 7-9.

9. The first-listed son of Governor Zerubbabel; descendant of King David.—1 Chron. 3:1, 19.

10. Head of the priestly paternal house of Ezra in the days of Jeshua’s successor Joiakim. (Neh. 12:12, 13) Possibly the same as Nos. 18 and/or 19.

11. Head of the paternal house of priests founded by Ginnethon; during the officiate of Joiakim. (Neh. 12:12, 16) Possibly the same as Nos. 18 and/or 19.

12. A gatekeeper in the days of Joiakim, Ezra and Nehemiah.—Neh. 12:25, 26.

13. A head one among the people assembled at the river Ahava for the trip to Jerusalem with Ezra in 468 B.C.E. Meshullam was one of several whom Ezra assigned to help gather a number of Levites and Nethinim to make the journey also. (Ezra 8:15-20) Possibly the same as Nos. 16 and/or 17, 20, 21.

14. A Levite who apparently supported Ezra’s admonition to send away the foreign wives he found among the Israelites on Ezra’s return to Jerusalem. However, the text may be read to mean that he opposed Ezra’s proposal.—Ezra 10:10-15; see JAHZEIAH; SHABBETHAI.

15. One of the “sons” or descendants of Bani who responded favorably to Ezra’s admonition by sending away their foreign wives and sons.—Ezra 10:29, 44.

16. Son of Berechiah who, under direction of Governor Nehemiah repaired two sections of Jerusalem’s wall. (Neh. 3:4, 30) Meshullam also gave his daughter in marriage to Jehohanan the son of Tobiah the Ammonite, a marriage union that caused division among the restored Israelites.—Neh. 6:17-19; 4:3; see No. 13 above.

17. Co-rebuilder of the Gate of the Old City in Nehemiah’s wall-repair project; son of Besodeiah.—Neh. 3:6; see No. 13.

18. One of those who stood at Ezra’s left when he read from the Law to the assembled crowd in the seventh month of 455 B.C.E. Meshullam was probably a priest.—Neh. 8:2, 4; see Nos. 10 and 11.

19. A priest (or forefather of a priest) who subscribed to the covenant of faithfulness proposed by the Levites.—Neh. 9:5, 38; 10:1, 7, 8; see Nos. 10 and 11.

20. A headman of the people whose descendant, if not himself, also attested to the same contract.—Neh. 10:1, 14, 20; see No. 13.

21. Apparently a prince of Judah who marched in one of the processional groups when Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall was inaugurated.—Neh. 12:32, 33; see No. 13.

MESHULLEMETH

(Me·shulʹle·meth) [probably the feminine form of “Meshullam,” meaning “recompensed, requited”].

Daughter of “Haruz from Jotbah” who became the wife of Judean King Manasseh and the mother of King Amon.—2 Ki. 21:19, 20.

MESOPOTAMIA

(Mes·o·po·taʹmi·a) [Gr., land between the rivers].

The Greek term for the stretch of land located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It apparently corresponds to the Hebrew designation of related meaning, Aram-naharaim (Ps. 60, title). In fact, the translators of the Greek Septuagint usually rendered “Aram-naharaim” as “Mesopotamia.”—See ARAM No. 5.