Shemiramoth

SHEMIRAMOTH

she-mir'-a-moth, she-mi'-ra-moth, shem-i-ra'-moth (shemiramoth; in 2 Chronicles 17:8, Kethibh shemiramoth; Semeiramoth):

The name of a Levitical family. In 1 Chronicles 15:18,20; 16:5 Shemiramoth is listed among the names of David's choirs; in 2 Chronicles 17:8 the same name is given among the Levites delegated by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law in the cities of Judah. According to Schrader (KAT (2), 366) the name is to be identified with the Assyrian Sammuramat; the latter occurs as a woman's name on the monuments, more especially on the statues of Nebo from Nimrod. Another suggestion is that Shemiramoth was originally a place-name meaning "image of Shemiram" (= name of Ram or "the Exalted One").

Horace J. Wolf