ÆCHMALOTARCHA, in Jewish antiquity, a title given to the principal leader or governor of the Hebrew captives residing in Chaldea, Assyria, and the neighbouring countries. This magistrate was called by the Jews, rosch-galath, i. e. the chief of the captivity: but the above term, of like import in the Greek, is that used by Origen and others who wrote in the Greek tongue.
The Jewish writers assure us, that the æchmalotarchæ were only to be chosen out of the tribe of Judah. The eastern Jews had their princes of the captivity, as the western Jews their patriarchs. The Jews are still said to have an æchmalotarcha at Babylon, but without the authority of the ancient ones. (Basnage Hist. Jews, and Prideaux's Connection).