“But not forty days passed before two of King Sennacherib’s sons killed him. They fled to the mountains of Ararat. Then his son King Esarhaddon reigned in his place. He appointed Ahikar, the son of my brother Hanael, over all the accounts of his kingdom. He had authority over the entire administration. Ahikar interceded for me. Then I returned to Nineveh. Now Ahikar was chief cupbearer, the keeper of the signet. He was in charge of the administration of the accounts under King Sennacherib of Assyria. King Esarhaddon reappointed him. He was my nephew and so a close relative.”

Now we have the revolt of the sons of King Sennacherib as was mentioned in 2 Kings, chapter 19. We have a new player Ahikar, or as he is sometimes called Achiacharus. He is the nephew of Tobit, the son of Tobit’s brother Hanael, who was not mentioned until here. Somehow Ahikar was in charge of the accounts for the deceased King Sennacherib of Assyria. It is not clear how he got that job. With the new King Esarhaddon (681-669 BCE), after the revolution, he was put in charge of the entire administration in Assyria. Now this important nephew pleaded with the king to help Tobit.