Hammedatha
Hammed'atha (Heb. Hammedatha', הִמּדָתָא; Sept. Α᾿μάδαθος, Vulg. Amadathus, but both sometimes omit), father of the infamous Haman (q.v.), and commonly designated as "the Agagite" (Es 3:1,10; Es 8:5; Es 9:24), though also without that title (9, 10). By Gesenius (Lex. 1855, p. 539) the name is taken to be Medatha, preceded by the definite article; but Furst (Lex. s.v.), with more probability, identifies it with the Zendic hamodata, i.e "given by Hom," one of the Izeds. For other explanations, see Simonis
(Onomasticon, p. 586), who derives it from a Persian word meaning "double." For the termination, compare SEE ARIDATHA. B.C. ante 474.
