[Hebrew: אב], in the ancient Phoenician character, [Symbols], and in the Samaritan, [Symbols], A B, (the two letters representing the numbers 1, 2, or Unity and Duality, means Father, and is a primitive noun, common to all the Semitic languages.)
It also means an Ancestor, Originator, Inventor, Head, Chief or Ruler,
Manager, Overseer, Master, Priest, Prophet.
[Hebrew: אבי] simply Father, when it is in construction, that is, when it precedes another word, and in English the preposition "of" is interposed, as [Hebrew: אבי-אל], Abi-Al, the Father of Al.
Also, the final Yōd means "my"; so that [Hebrew: אבי] by itself means
"My father." [Hebrew: דויד אבי], David my father, 2 Chron. ii. 3.
[Hebrew: ו], (Vav) final is the possessive pronoun "his"; and [Hebrew: אביו], Abiu (which we read "Abif") means "of my father's." Its full meaning, as connected with the name of Khūrūm, no doubt is, "formerly one of my father's servants," or "slaves."
The name of the Phoenician artificer is, in Samuel and Kings, [Hebrew: הירם] and [Hebrew: הירום]—[2 Sam. v. 11; 1 Kings v. 15; 1 Kings vii. 40]. In Chronicles it is [Hebrew: הורם], with the addition of [Hebrew: אבי] [2 Chron. ii. 12]; and of [Hebrew: אביו]. [2 Chron. iv. 16].
It is merely absurd to add the word "Abif" or "Abiff," as part of the name of the artificer. And it is almost as absurd to add the word "Abi," which was a title and not part of the name. Joseph says [Gen. xlv. 8], "God has constituted me 'Ab l'Paraah, as Father to Paraah, i.e., Vizier or Prime Minister." So Haman was called the Second Father of Artaxerxes; and when King Khūrūm used the phrase "Khūrūm Abi," he meant that the artificer he sent Schlomoh was the principal or chief workman in his line at Tsūr.
A medal copied by Montfaucon exhibits a female nursing a child, with ears of wheat in her hand, and the legend (Iao). She is seated on clouds, a star at her head, and three ears of wheat rising from an altar before her.
HORUS was the mediator, who was buried three days, was regenerated, and triumphed over the evil principle.
The word HERI, in Sanscrit, means Shepherd, as well as Saviour.
CRISHNA is called Heri, as JESUS called Himself the Good Shepherd.