The Apharsites (also Apharsite) were one of several foreign peoples whom the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (Asnapper) relocated to Samaria after the Northern Kingdom's exile. They appear in the Aramaic portions of Ezra opposing the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The Apharsites represent the theological problem of syncretism — peoples mixed with Israel who brought their own gods and worship practices. Their opposition to rebuilding the temple illustrates how Satan uses political pressure to hinder God's redemptive purposes. Yet God overruled their opposition through Persian royal decrees, demonstrating that no earthly power can thwart His plans.