One of two high priests during the reign of King David. The other high priest was Zadok, who David appointed after he conquered Jerusalem.
Abiathar's Role During the Reign of King David
Abiathar was the only one who escaped when King Saul ordered the killing of the priests at Nob. The priests of Nob gave food and Goliath’s sword to David when he was fleeing from Saul. This earned Saul’s hatred (1 Samuel 21–22). Abiathar brought the ephod (a special priestly garment) to David, which David used to determine the will of God (1 Samuel 23:6, 9–11; 30:7–8). Abiathar was one of the first of David's supporters. His support was important because he represented the priesthood from the line of Eli.
During the last days of David’s reign, his sons fought to become the next king. The main rivals were Adonijah and Solomon. Abiathar, the high priest, and Joab, David's general, both supported Adonijah’s claim to the throne (1 Kings 1:5–7). This was probably because Adonijah was David’s oldest living heir. Zadok supported Solomon, who became the king. Since he did not support the new king, Abiathar was banished to Anathoth (1 Kings 2:26–27). Anatoth was a village about 6.4 kilometers (four miles) northeast of Jerusalem.
Abiathar's relationship with Ahimelech is unclear. Ahimelech could have been Abiathar’s father (1 Samuel 22:20; 23:6). Or, he could have been Abiathar's son (2 Samuel 8:17; 1 Chronicles 18:16; 24:6). If all these verses are talking about the same Ahimelech, then the names might have been switched around in the later passages.
Abiathar in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Abiathar is mentioned as the high priest when David came to Nob needing food and weapons (Mark 2:26). However, the Old Testament account says that Ahimelech was the priest at that time (1 Samuel 21:1–2). The mistake might be from a copyist’s error or from the fact that Abiathar's time as a high priest was more notable than Ahimelech's.