3,000 years after he advised King David's rebellious son on how to prepare for war, the ridiculed Ahithophel still serves as a biblical reference for bad advice. Why is one of the first documented strategic advisors in history still being shamed?
One of the great things about the World’s Bestseller is that you can get a glimpse into the lives of people that were living here 3,000 years ago. Their desires, their passions, their disputes, their conspiracies and plots, all of which are accessible to us in numerous languages, including our very own Hebrew (with slight changes). The story of Ahithophel, King David and his rebellious son Avshalom, teaches us that the role of a sly and cunning shadow consultant, existed long before newspapers and television, media spins, popularity polls and tabloids.
But it seems that the biblical story doesn’t do justice to the modern-day strategic advisor: "Ahithophel’s advice" is a Hebrew idiom that means bad advice. That so-called genius whispering in the ear of the political or military leader? He’s actually not so great. So not-great that we can’t cut him some slack even 3,000 years later.
But actually, this is just fake (old) news: The biblical Ahithophel’s advice was actually very good advice. The story tells of Avshalom's rebellion against his father, King David. Avshalom hired two advisors: Ahithophel (that was Kind David’s past advisor) and Hushai (which Avshalom didn’t know was actually a double agent; advising to him and reporting to David). Ahithophel advised to Avshalom that he attack David’s army ASAP, as long as they were mal prepared for war. Hushai advised to Avshalom that he not take Ahithophel’s advice, and simultaneously reported immediately to David, warning him that he must have his troops ready for battle. So actually, "Ahithophel’s Advice" wasn’t bad advice at all, but more “very good advice that you chose to not follow because someone else mislead you”. And that, admittedly, is a somewhat complicated message.
In the many centuries that passed since the inscription of the biblical tale, the phrase "Ahithophel’s advice" was used in the Hebrew language in its accurate meaning: good advice. And yet, it is precisely when the Hebrew language made a comeback and is now the vernacular spoken by more people than ever before — that the first inaccurate usages of the phrase were documented. About a century ago, it was still possible to encounter both usages of the phrase, the good and the bad advice. A decade or two later, when the Hebrew spoken in Palestine came alive and began thriving, the unjustified, shaming version of “Ahithophel’s advice” had already completely taken over, and poor Ahithophel, his legacy was completely defamed. Perhaps the conclusion here is that as long as languages are sacred tongues largely unspoken, but only passed on from generation to generation for the sake of preservation — it’s easier for them to carry more narrow and precise meaning. From the moment they come alive, languages tend to conquer and incorporate not only foreign and non-standardized words, but also outright errors. And now who’s gonna believe you when you cry “fake news”?