Bible dictionary

Asaramel

A mysterious Hebrew word found in the inscription dedicated to Simon, the ruling high priest of Israel and brother of Judas Maccabeus (1 Maccabees 14:28).

Possible meanings of asaramel include "prince of the people of God" or "court of the people of God." The Syriac version of the Apocrypha drops the "m" to give "Israel"—making the sentence read "in the third year of Simon the great high priest in Israel."

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)The classic article on this subject

Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary) from Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. About the sources