AMON (Person)

1. Governor of the city of Samaria during the reign of Ahab in Israel (1 Kgs 22:26; 2 Chr 18:25). Amon imprisoned the prophet Micaiah while Ahab defied Micaiah’s warning against attacking Ramoth-gilead.

2. King Manasseh’s son, the 15th king of Judah (642–640 BC). Amon was 22 years old when he became king. He indulged in idolatry like his father and after a two-year reign was assassinated in a palace coup (2 Kgs 21:19-26; 2 Chr 33:20-25). See Israel, History of; Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament).

3. Official of Solomon; his descendants returned to Jerusalem after the exile (Neh 7:59). The spelling Ami (Ezr 2:57) is a variant of this name.

4. Egyptian god, probably a fertility deity (Jer 46:25).