See ALPHA

(a teacher, or lofty), the son of Amram and Jochebed, and the older brother of Moses and Miriam.

(B.C. 1573.) He was a Levite, and is first mentioned in

He was appointed by Jehovah to be the interpreter,

of his brother Moses, who was "slow of speech;" and accordingly he was not only the organ of communication with the Israelites and with Pharaoh,

but also the actual instrument of working most of the miracles of the Exodus.

etc. On the way to Mount Sinai, during the battle with Amalek, Aaron with Hur stayed up the weary hands of Moses when they were lifted up for the victory of Israel.

He is mentioned as dependent upon his brother and deriving all his authority from him. Left, on Moses’ departure into Sinai, to guide the people, Aaron is tried for a moment on his own responsibility, and he fails from a weak inability to withstand the demand of the people for visible "gods to go before them," by making an image of Jehovah, in the well-known form of Egyptian idolatry (Apis or Mnevis). He repented of his sin, and Moses gained forgiveness for him.

Aaron was not consecrated by Moses to the new office of the high priesthood.

From this time the history of Aaron is almost entirely that of the priesthood, and its chief feature is the great rebellion of Korah and the Levites. Leaning, as he seems to have done, wholly on Moses, it is not strange that he should have shared his sin at Meribah and its punishment. See MOSES.

Aaron’s death seems to have followed very speedily. It took place on Mount Hor, after the transference of his robes and office to Eleazar.

This mount is still called the "Mountain of Aaron." See HOR. The wife of Aaron was Elisheba,

and the two sons who survived him, Eleazar and Ithamar. The high priesthood descended to the former, and to his descendants until the time of Eli, who, although of the house of Ithamar, received the high priesthood and transmitted it to his children; with them it continued till the accession of Solomon, who took it from Abiathar and restored it to Zadok (of the house of Eleazar). See ABIATHAR.

priests of the family of Aaron.

(father), an element in the composition of many proper names, of which Abba is a Chaldaic form, having the sense of "endowed with," "possessed of."

See MONTH.

See APOLLYON.

(God-given), one of the seven eunuchs in the Persian court of Ahasuerus.

(perennial, stony), one of the "rivers of Damascus."

The Barada and the Awaj are now the chief streams of Damascus, the former representing the Abana and the latter the Pharpar of the text. The Barada (Abana) rises in the Antilibanus, at about 23 miles from the city, after flowing through which it runs across the plain, of whose fertility it is the chief source, till it loses itself in the lake or marsh Bahret-el-Kibliyeh.

(regions beyond), a mountain or range of highlands on the east of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, facing Jericho, and forming the eastern wall of the Jordan valley at that part. Its most elevated spot was "the Mount Nebo, ‘head’ of ‘the’ Pisgah," from which Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death. These mountains are mentioned in

and Deut 32:49

See AB.

1. Father of Adoniram.

2. Son of Shammua,

called Obadiah in

father of Shelemiah.

(my servant).

1. A Merarite, and ancestor of Ethan the singer.

(B.C. before 1015.)

2. The father of Kish, a Merarite, in the reign of Hezekiah.

(B.C. before 736.)

3. One of the Bene-Elam in the time of Ezra, who had married a foreign wife.

(B.C. 659.)

(the servant of God), son of Guni and father of Ahi, one of the Gadites who were settled in the land of Bashan,

, in the days of Jotham king of Judah. (B.C. 758.)

(servile).

1. A judge of Israel,

perhaps the same person as Bedan, in

(B.C. 1233-1225).

2. Son of Shashak.

3. First-born son of Jehiel, son of Gideon.

).

4. Son of Micah, a contemporary of Josiah,

called Achbor in

(B.C. 628.)

5. A city in the tribe if Asher, given to the Gershonites,

the modern Abdeh, 10 miles northeast of Accho.

(i.e. servant of Nego, perhaps the same as Nebo), the Chaldean name given to Azariah, one of the three friends of Daniel, miraculously save from the fiery furnace. Dan. 3. (B.C. about 600.)

(i.e., breath, vapor, transitoriness, probably so called from the shortness of his life), the second son of Adam, murdered by his brother Cain,

he was a keeper or feeder of sheep. Our Lord spoke of Abel as the first martyr,

so did the early Church subsequently. The traditional site of his murder and his grave are pointed out near Damascus.

the name of several places in Palestine, probably signifies a meadow.

(meadow of the house of oppression), a town of some importance,

in the extreme north of Palestine, which fell an early prey to the invading kings of Syria,

and Assyria.

(Abel on the waters), also called simply Abel,

another name for Abel-bethmaachah.

(meadow of the dance), in the northern pat of the Jordan valley,

to which the routed Bedouin host fled from Gideon,

Here Elisha was found at his plough by Elijah returning up the valley from Horeb.

(meadow of Egypt), the name given by the Canaanites to the floor of Atad, at which Joseph, his brothers and the Egyptians made their mourning for Jacob.

It was beyond (on the east of) Jordan. See ATAD. (Schaff and others say it was on the west bank, for the writer was on the east of Jordan. It was near Jericho, or perhaps Hebron.)

(the meadow of the acacias), in the "plains" of Moab, on the low level of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho. The last resting-place of Israel before crossing the Jordan.

The place is most frequently mentioned by its shorter name of Shittim. See SHITTIM.

(the great abel), the place where the ark rested in the field of Joshua at Beth-shemesh.

(lofty), a town in the possession of Issachar, named between Kishion and Remeth in

only.

mother of King Hezekiah,

written ABIJAH in

1. Son of Becher, the son of Benjamin.

2. Wife of Hezron.

3. Second son of Samuel.

4. The son of Rehoboam.

See ABIJAH, 1.

5. Mother of King Hezekiah. [ABI]

6. Same as ABIJAH, 4.

the eighth of the 24 courses or classes into which the priests were divided for serving at the altar.

See ABIJAH, 4.

(father of strength). See ABIEL.

(father of gathering, i.e. gathered),

otherwise written Ebi/asaph.

one of the descendants of Korah, and head of the Korhites. Among the remarkable descendants of Abiasaph were Samuel the prophet,

and Heman the singer.

(father of abundance, i.e. liberal), High priest and fourth in descent from Eli. (B.C. 1060-1012.) Abiathar was the only one of the all the sons of Ahimelech the high priest who escaped the slaughter inflicted upon his father’s house by Saul, in revenge for his father’s house by Saul, in revenge of his having inquired of the Lord for David and given him the shew-bread to eat.

... Abiathar having become high priest fled to David, and was thus enabled to inquire of the Lord for him.

etc. He adhered to David in his wanderings while pursued by Saul; he was with him while he reigned in Hebron, and afterwards in Jerusalem.

He continued faithful to him in Absalom’s rebellion.

When, however, Adonijah set himself up fro David’s successor on the throne, in opposition to Solomon, Abiathar sided with him, while Zadok was on Solomon’s side. For this Abiathar was deprived of the high priesthood. Zadok had joined David at Hebron,

so that there was henceforth who high priests in the reign of David, and till the deposition of Abiathar by Solomon, when Zadok became the sole high priest.

(green fruits). [MONTH]

(father of knowledge), a son of Midian.

(father of the judge), chief of the tribe of Benjamin at the time of the Exodus. (B.C. 1491.)

(father of strength, i.e. strong).

1. Father of Kish, and consequently grandfather of Saul,

as well as of Abner, Saul’s commander-in-chief.

(B.C. 1093-1055.)

2. One of David’s mighty men.

In

he is called ABI-ALBON. (B.C. 1053.)

(father of help, helpful).

1. Eldest son of Gilead, and descendant of Manasseh.

(B.C. 1450.) He was the ancestor of the great judge Gideon. [GIDEON]

2. One of David’s mighty men.

(B.C. 1014.)

(father, i.e. source, of joy).

1. The beautiful wife of Nabal, a wealthy owner of goats and sheep in Carmel. (B.C. 1060.) When David’s messengers were slighted by Nabal, Abigail supplies David and his followers with provisions, and succeeded in appeasing his anger. The days after this Nabal died, and David sent for Abigail and made her his wife.

etc. By her he had a son, called Chileab in

but Daniel in

2. A sister of David, married to Jether the Ishmaelite, and mother, by him , of Amasa.

In

for Israelite read Ishmaelite. (B.C. 1068.)

(father of, i.e. possessing, strength).

1. Father of Zuriel, chief of the Levitical father of Merari, a contemporary of Moses.

(B.C. 1490.)

2. Wife of Abishur.

3. Son of Huri, of the tribe of Gad.

4. Wife of Rehoboam. She is called the daughter, i.e. descendant, of Eliab, the elder brother of David.

(B.C. 972.)

5. Father of Esther and uncle of Mordecai.

(he (God) is my father), the second son,

of Aaron by Elisheba.

Being, together with his elder brother Nadab, guilty of offering strange fire to the lord, he was consumed by fire from heaven.

(father of renown, famous), son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin.

(my father is Jehovah).

1. Son and successor of Rehoboam on the throne of Judah.

He is called ABIJAH in Chronicles, ABIJAM in Kings. He began to reign B.C. 959, and reigned three years. He endeavored to recover the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, and made war on Jeroboam. He was successful in battle, and took several of the cities of Israel. We are told that he walked in all the sins of Rehoboam.

2. The second son of Samuel, called ABIAH in our version. [ABIA, ABIAH, No. 3]

3. Son of Jeroboam I., king of Israel; died in his childhood.

...

4. A descendant of Eleazar, who gave his name to the eighth of the 24 courses into which the priests were divided by David.

5. One of the priests who entered into a covenant with Nehemiah to walk in God’s law,

unless the name is rather that of a family, and the same with the preceding.

[ABIJAH, 1]

[ABILENE]

(land of meadows),

a city situated on the eastern slope of Antilibanus, in a district fertilized by the river Barada (Abana). The city was 18 miles from Damascus, and stood in a remarkable gorge called Suk Wady Barada.

(father of Mael), a descendant of Joktan,

and probably the progenitor of an Arab tribe (Mali).

(father of the king), the name of several Philistine kings, was probably a common title of these kings, like that of Pharaoh among the Egyptians and that of Caesar and Augustus among the Romans. Hence in the title of

... the name of Abimelech is given to the king, who is called Achish in

1. A Philistine, king of Gerar, Gene 20,21, who, exercising the right claimed by Eastern princes of collecting all the beautiful women of their dominions into their harem,

sent for and took Sarah. A similar account is given of Abraham’s conduct of this occasion to that of his behavior towards Pharaoh. [ABRAHAM] (B.C. 1920.)

2. Another king of Gerar int he time of Isaac, of whom a similar narrative is recorded in relation to Rebekah.

etc. (B.C. 1817.)

3. Son of the judge Gideon by his Shechemite concubine.

(B.C. 1322-1319.) After his father’s death he murdered all his brethren, 70 in number, with the exception of Jotham, the youngest, who concealed himself; and he then persuaded the Shechemites to elect him king. Shechem now became an independent state. After Abimelech had reigned three years, the citizens of Shechem rebelled. He was absent at the time, but he returned and quelled the insurrection. Shortly after he stormed and took Thebez, but was struck on the head by a woman with the fragment of a millstone, comp.

and lest he should be said to have died by a woman, he bade his armor-bearer slay him.

4. A son of Abiathar.

1. A Levite, a native of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark remained 20 years.

(B.C. 1124.)

2. Second son of Jesse, who followed Saul to his war against the Philistines,

(B.C. 1063.)

3. A son of Saul, who was slain with his brothers at the fatal battle on Mount Gilboa.

(B.C. 1053.)

4. Father of one of the twelve chief officers of Solomon.

(B.C. before 1014.)

(father of light). Same as ABNER.

margin.

the father of Barak.

(B.C. 1300.)

1. A Reubenite, son of Eliab, who with Korah, a Levite, organized a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron.

... [For details, see KORAH] (B.C. 1490.)

2. Eldest son of Hiel the bethelite, who died when his father laid the foundations of Jericho,

and thus accomplished the first part of the curse of Joshua.

(B.C. after 905.)

a beautiful Shunammite (from Shunem, in the tribe of Issachar), taken into David’s harem to comfort him in his extreme old age.

(father of a gift), The eldest of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and brother to Joab and Asahel.

Like his two brothers he was the devoted follower of David. He was his companion in the desperate night expedition to the camp of Saul.

(B.C. 1055.) On the outbreak of Absalom’s rebellion he remained true to the king,a nd commanded a third part of the army in the decisive battle against Absalom. He rescued David from the hands of the gigantic Philistine, Ishbi-benob.

His personal prowess on this, as on another occasion, when he fought singlehanded against three hundred, won for him a place as captain of the second three of David’s mighty men.

(father of peace), father or grandfather of Maachah, who was the wife of Rehoboam and mother of Abijah.

He is called Absalom in

This person must be David’s son. See LXX.;

(father of deliverance).

1. Son of Bela, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2. Son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, and father of Bukki, in the genealogy of the high priests.

(father of the wall), son of Shammai.

(father of the dew), one of David’s wives.

(father of goodness), son of Shaharaim by Hushim.

(father of praise), descendant of Zorobabel in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

[PURIFICATION]

(father of light).

1. Son of Ner, who was the brother of Kish,

the father of Saul. (B.C. 1063.) Abner, therefore, was Saul’s first cousin, and was made by him commander-in-chief of his army.

After the death of Saul David was proclaimed king of Judah; and some time subsequently Abner proclaimed Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, king of Israel. War soon broke out between the two rival kings, and a "very sore battle" was fought at Gibeon between the men of Israel under Abner and the men of Judah under Joab.

Abner had married Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, and this, according to the views of Oriental courts, might be so interpreted as to imply a design upon the throne. Rightly or wrongly, Ish-bosheth so understood it, and he even ventured to reproach Abner with it. Abner, incensed at his ingratitude, opened negotiations with David, by whom he was most favorably received at Hebron. He then undertook to procure his recognition throughout Israel; but after leaving his presence for the purpose was enticed back by Joab, and treacherously murdered by him and his brother Abishai, at the gate of the city, partly, no doubt, from fear lest so distinguished a convert to their cause should gain too high a place in David’s favor, but ostensibly in retaliation for the death of Asahel. David in sorrow and indignation, poured forth a simple dirge over the slain hero.

2. The father of Jaasiel, chief of the Benjamites in David’s reign,

probably the same as the preceding.

Mentioned by our Saviour,

as a sign of the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, with reference to

The prophecy referred ultimately to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and consequently the "abomination" must describe some occurrence connected with that event. It appears most probable that the profanities of the Zealots constituted the abomination, which was the sign of the impending ruin; but most people refer it to the standards or banners of the Roman army. They were abomination because there were idolatrous images upon them.

(father of a multitude) was the son of Terah, and founder of the great Hebrew nation. (B.C. 1996-1822.) His family, a branch of the descendants of Shem, was settled in Ur of the Chaldees, beyond the Euphrates, where Abraham was born. Terah had two other sons, Nahor and Haran. Haran died before his father in Ur of the Chaldees, leaving a son, Lot; and Terah, taking with him Abram, with Sarai his wife and his grandson Lot, emigrated to Haran in Mesopotamia, where he died. On the death of his father, Abram, then in the 75th year of his age, with Sarai and Lot, pursued his course to the land of Canaan, whither he was directed by divine command,

when he received the general promise that he should become the founder of a great nation, and that all the families of the earth should be blessed in him. He passed through the heart of the country by the great highway to Shechem, and pitched his tent beneath the terebinth of Moreh.

Here he received in vision from Jehovah the further revelation that this was the land which his descendants should inherit.

The next halting-place of the wanderer was on a mountain between Bethel and Ai,

but the country was suffering from famine, and Abram journeyed still southward to the rich cornlands of Egypt. There, fearing that the great beauty of Sarai might tempt the powerful monarch of Egypt and expose his own life to peril, he arranged that Sarai should represent herself as his sister, which her actual relationship to him, as probably the daughter of his brother Haran, allowed her to do with some semblance of truth. But her beauty was reported to the king, and she was taken into the royal harem. The deception was discovered, and Pharaoh with some indignation dismissed Abram from the country.

He left Egypt with great possessions, and, accompanied by Lot, returned by the south of Palestine to his former encampment between Bethel and Ai. The increased wealth of the two kinsmen was the ultimate cause of their separation. Lot chose the fertile plain of the Jordan near Sodom, while Abram pitched his tent among the groves of Mamre, close to Hebron.

... Lot with his family and possessions having been carried away captive by Chedorlaomer king of Elam, who had invaded Sodom, Abram pursued the conquerors and utterly routed them not far from Damascus. The captives and plunder were all recovered, and Abram was greeted on his return by the king of Sodom, and by Melchizedek king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who mysteriously appears upon the scene to bless the patriarch and receive from him a tenth of the spoil.

... After this the thrice-repeated promise that his descendants should become a mighty nation and possess the land in which he was a stranger was confirmed with all the solemnity of a religious ceremony.

... Ten years had passed since he had left his father’s house, and the fulfillment of the promise was apparently more distant than at first. At the suggestion of Sarai, who despaired of having children of her own, he took as his concubine Hagar, her Egyptian main, who bore him Ishmael in the 86th year of his age.

... [HAGAR; ISHMAEL] But this was not the accomplishment of the promise. Thirteen years elapsed, during which Abram still dwelt in Hebron, when the covenant was renewed, and the rite of circumcision established as its sign. This most important crisis in Abram’s life, when he was 99 years old, is marked by the significant change of his name to Abraham, "father of a multitude;" while his wife’s from Sarai became Sarah. The promise that Sarah should have a son was repeated in the remarkable scene described in ch. 18. Three men stood before Abraham as he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day. The patriarch, with true Eastern hospitality, welcomed the strangers, and bade them rest and refresh themselves. The meal ended, they foretold the birth of Isaac, and went on their way to Sodom. Abraham accompanied them, and is represented as an interlocutor in a dialogue with Jehovah, in which he pleaded in vain to avert the vengeance threatened to the devoted cities of the plain.

In remarkable contrast with Abraham’s firm faith with regard to the magnificent fortunes of his posterity stand the incident which occurred during his temporary residence among the Philistines in Gerar, whither he had for some cause removed after the destruction of Sodom. It was almost a repetition of what took place in Egypt a few years before. At length Isaac, the long-looked for child, was born. Sarah’s jealousy aroused by the mockery of Ishmael at the "great banquet" which Abram made to celebrate the weaning of her son,

demanded that, with his mother Hagar, he should be driven out.

But the severest trial of his faith was yet to come. For a long period the history is almost silent. At length he receives the strange command to take Isaac, his only son, and offer him for a burnt offering at an appointed place Abraham hesitated not to obey. His faith, hitherto unshaken, supported him in this final trial, "accounting that God was able to raise up his son, even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure."

The sacrifice was stayed by the angel of Jehovah, the promise of spiritual blessing made for the first time, and Abraham with his son returned to Beersheba, and for a time dwelt there.

... But we find him after a few years in his original residence at Hebron, for there Sarah died,

and was buried in the cave of Machpelah. The remaining years of Abraham’s life are marked by but few incidents. After Isaac’s marriage with Rebekah and his removal to Lahai-roi, Abraham took to wife Keturah, by whom he had six children, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbok and Shuah, who became the ancestors of nomadic tribes inhabiting the countries south and southeast of Palestine. Abraham lived to see the gradual accomplishment of the promise in the birth of his grandchildren Jacob and Esau, and witnessed their growth to manhood.

At the goodly age of 175 he was "gathered to his people," and laid beside Sarah in the tomb of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.

(a high father), the earlier name of Abraham.

(father of peace),third son of David by Maachah, daughter of Tamai king of Geshur, a Syrian district adjoining the northeast frontier of the Holy Land. (Born B.C. 1050.) Absalom had a sister, Tamar, who was violated by her half-brother Amnon. The natural avenger of such an outrage would be Tamar’s full brother Absalom. He brooded over the wrong for two years, and then invited all the princes to a sheep-shearing feast at his estate in Baalhazor, on the borders of Ephraim and Benjamin. Here he ordered his servants to murder Amnon, and then fled for safety to his grandfather’s court at Geshur, where he remained for three years. At the end of that time he was brought back by an artifice of Joab. David, however, would not see Absalom for two more years; but at length Joab brought about a reconciliation. Absalom now began at once to prepare for rebellion. He tried to supplant his father by courting popularity, standing in the gate, conversing with every suitor, and lamenting the difficulty which he would find in getting a hearing. He also maintained a splendid retinue,

and was admired for his personal beauty. It is probable too that the great tribe of Judah had taken some offence at David’s government. Absalom raised the standard of revolt at Hebron, the old capital of Judah, now supplanted by Jerusalem. The revolt was at first completely successful; David fled from his capital over the Jordan to Mahanaim in Gilead, and Absalom occupied Jerusalem. At last, after being solemnly anointed king at Jerusalem,

Absalom crossed the Jordan to attack his father, who by this time had rallied round him a considerable force. A decisive battle was fought in Gilead, in the wood of Ephraim. Here Absalom’s forces were totally defeated, and as he himself was escaping his long hair was entangled in the branches of a terebinth, where he was left hanging while the mule on which he was riding ran away from under him. He was dispatched by Joab in spite of the prohibition of David, who, loving him to the last, had desired that his life might be spared. He was buried in a great pit in the forest, and the conquerors threw stones over his grave, an old proof of bitter hostility.

A monument of tomb which Absalom had built during his lifetime in the king’s dale, i.e. the valley of the Kedron, at the foot of Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem,

comp. with 2Sam 14:27 for his three sons, and where he probably expected to be buried. The tomb there now, and called by Absalom’s name was probably built at a later date.

one of the cities in the land of Shinar.

Its position is quite uncertain.

[EKRON]

(the PTOLEMAIS of the Maccabees and New Testament),

Now called Acca, or more usually by Europeans St. Jean d’Acre, the most important seaport town on the Syrian coast, about 30 miles south of Tyre. It was situated on a slightly projecting headland, at the northern extremity of that spacious bay which is formed by the bold promontory of Carmel on the opposite side. Later it was named Ptolemais, after one of the Ptolemies, probably Soter. The only notice of it in the New Testament is in

where it is called Ptolemais.

The "field of blood" is now shown on the steep southern face of the valley or ravine of Hinnom, "southwest of the supposed pool of Siloam."

(trouble) signifies in the New Testament a Roman province which included the whole of the Peloponnesus and the greater part of Hellas proper, with the adjacent islands. This province, with that of Macedonia, comprehended the while of Greece; hence Achaia and Macedonia are frequently mentioned together in the New Testament to indicate all Greece.

11:10; 1Th 1:7,8

In the time of the emperor Claudius it was governed by a proconsul, translated in the Authorized Version "deputy," of Achaia.

(belonging to Achaia), a name of a Christian.

(troubler), an Israelite of the tribe of Judah, who, when Jericho and all that it contained were accursed and devoted to destruction, secreted a portion of the spoil in his tent. For this sin he was stoned to death with his whole family by the people, in a valley situated between Ai and Jericho, and their remains, together with his property, were burnt.

From this event the valley received the name of Achor (i.e. trouble). [ACHOR] (B.C. 1450.)

king of Judah,

(mouse).

1. Father of Baalhanan king of Edom.

2. Son of Michaiah, a contemporary of Josiah,

called ABDON in

(B.C. 623.)

son of Sadoc and father of Eliud in our Lord’s genealogy.

The Hebrew form of the name would be Jachin, which is a short form of Jehoiachin, the Lord will establish.

(angry), a Philistine king of Gath, who in the title of the 34th Psalm is called Abimelech. David twice found a refuge with him when he fled from Saul. (B.C. 1061.) On the first occasion he was alarmed for his safety, feigned madness, and was sent away.

[ECBATANA]

(valley of trouble), the spot at which Achan was stoned.

On the northern boundary of Judah,

near Jericho.

[ACHSAH]

(ankle-chain, anklet), daughter of Caleb. Her father promised her in marriage to whoever should take Debir. Othniel, her father’s younger brother, took that city, and accordingly received the hand of Achsah as his reward. Caleb added to her dowry the upper and lower springs. (B.C. 1450-1426.)

(fascination), a city within the territory of Asher, named between Beten and Alammelech,

originally the seat of a Canaanite king.

(lying, false).

1. A city in the lowlands of Judah, named with Keilah and Mareshah.

It is probably the same with CHEZIB and CHOZEBA, which see.

2. A town belonging to Asher,

from which the Canaanites were not expelled,

afterwards Ecdippa. It is now es-Zib, on the seashore, 2h. 20m. north of Acre.

See MAALEH-ACRABBIM,

in the margin.

the fifth book in the New testament and the second treatise by the author of the third Gospel, traditionally known as Luke. The book commences with an inscription to one Theophilus, who was probably a man of birth and station. The readers were evidently intended to be the members of the Christian Church, whether Jews or Gentiles; for its contents are such as are of the utmost consequence to the whole Church. They are the fulfillment of the promise of the Father by the descent of the Holy Spirit, and the results of that outpouring by the dispersion of the gospel among the Jews and Gentiles. Under these leading heads all the personal and subordinate details may be arranged. First St. Peter becomes the prime actor under God int he founding of the Church. He is the centre of the first group of sayings and doings. The opening of the door to Jews, ch. 2, and Gentiles, ch. 10, is his office, and by him, in good time, is accomplished. Then the preparation of Saul of Tarsus for the work to be done, the progress, in his hand, of that work, his journeyings, preachings and perils, his stripes and imprisonments, his testifying in Jerusalem and being brought to testify in Rome, —these are the subjects of the latter half of the book, of which the great central figure is the apostle Paul. The history given in the Acts occupies about 33 years, and the reigns of the Roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. It seems most probable that the place of writing was Roma, and the time about two years from the date of St. Paul’s arrival there, as related in

This would give us fro the publication about 63 A.D.

(festival or boundary), one of the cities in the extreme south of Judah, named with Dimonah and Kedesh.

(ornament, beauty).

1. The first of the two wives of Lamech, by whom were borne to him Jabal and Jubal.

(B.C. 3600).

2. A Hittitess, one of the three wives of Esau, mother of Eliphaz.

In

she is called BASHEMATH. (B.C. 1797.)

(adorned by Jehovah).

1. Maternal grandfather of King Josiah, and native of Boscath in the lowlands of Judah.

(B.C. 648.)

2. A Levite of the Gershonite branch, and ancestor of Asaph.

In v.

Heb Isa called IDDO.

3. A Benjamite, son of Shimhi,

who is apparently the same as Shema in v.

4. A priest, son of Jehoram.

5. Ancestor of Maaseiah, one of the captains who supported Jehoiada.

6. One of the descendants of Bani, who had married a foreign wife after the return from Babylon.

(B.C. 459).

7. The descendant of another Bani, who had also taken a foreign wife.

8. A man of Judah, of the line of Pharez.

(a fire-god), the fifth son of Haman.

(red earth), the name given in Scripture to the first man. It apparently has reference to the ground from which he was formed, which is called in Hebrew Adamah. The idea of redness of color seems to be inherent in either word. The creation of man was the work of the sixth day—the last and crowning act of creation. Adam was created (not born) a perfect man in body and spirit, but as innocent and completely inexperienced as a child. The man Adam was placed in a garden which the Lord God had planted "eastward in Eden," for the purpose of dressing it and keeping it. [EDEN] Adam was permitted to eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden but one, which was called ("the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," because it was the test of Adam’s obedience. By it Adam could know good and evil int he divine way, through obedience; thus knowing good by experience in resisting temptation and forming a strong and holy character, while he knew evil only by observation and inference. Or he could "know good and evil," in Satan’s way, be experiencing the evil and knowing good only by contrast. -ED.) The prohibition to taste the fruit of this tree was enforced by the menace of death. There was also another tree which was called "the tree of life." While Adam was in the garden of Eden, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air were brought to him to be named. After this the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, and took one of his ribs from him, which he fashioned into a woman and brought her to the man. At this time they were both described as being naked without the consciousness of shame. By the subtlety of the serpent the woman who was given to be with Adam was beguiled into a violation of the one command which had been imposed upon them. She took of the fruit of the forbidden tree and gave it to her husband. The propriety of its name was immediately shown in the results which followed; self-consciousness was the first-fruits of sin their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked. Though the curse of Adam’s rebellion of necessity fell upon him, yet the very prohibition to eat of the tree of life after his transgression was probably a manifestation of divine mercy, because the greatest malediction of all would have been to have the gift of indestructible life super-added to a state of wretchedness and sin. The divine mercy was also shown in the promise of a deliverer given at the very promise of a deliverer given at the very time the curse was imposed,

and opening a door of hope to Paradise, regained for him and his descendants. Adam is stated to have lived 930 years. His sons mentioned in Scripture are Cain, Abel and Seth; it is implied, however, that he had others.

Man, generically, for the name Adam was not confined to the father of the human race, but like homo was applicable to woman as well as to man.

a city on the Jordan, "beside Zaretan," in the time of Joshua.

(red earth), one of the "fenced cities" of Naphtali, named between Chinnereth and Ramah.

the translation of the Hebrew word Shamir in

and Zech 7:12 In

it is translated "diamond." In these three passages the word is the representative of some stone of excessive hardness, and is used metaphorically. It is very probable that by Shamir is intended emery, a variety of corundum, a mineral inferior, only to the diamond in hardness.

(my man, earth), a place on the border of Naphtali.

(high), a place on the south boundary of Judah.

[MONTH]

(new), a place in Judea, about four miles from Beth-horon. 1Ma 7:40,45 [HADASHAH]

(offspring of God), a son of Ishmael,

and probably the progenitor of an Arab tribe. (B.C. about 1850.)

(strong or stony), one of the places from which some of the captivity returned with Zerubbabel to Judea who could not show their pedigree as Israelites.

Called ADDON

(mighty one), son of Bela,

called ARD in

This word is used for any poisonous snake, and is applied in this general sense by the translators of the Authorized Version. The word adder occurs five times in the text of the Authorized Version (see below), and three times int he margin as synonymous with cockatrice, viz.,

It represents four Hebrew words:

1. Acshub is found only in

and may be represented by the Toxicoa of Egypt and North Africa.

2. Pethen. [ASP]

3. Tsepha, or Tsiphoni, occurs five times in the Hebrew Bible. In

it is it is translated adder, and in

it is rendered cockatrice. From Jeremiah we learn that it was of a hostile nature, and from the parallelism of

it appears that the Tsiphoni was considered even more dreadful than the Pethen.

4. Shephipon occurs only in

where it is used to characterize the tribe of Dan. The habit of lurking int he sand and biting at the horse’s heels here alluded to suits the character of a well-known species of venomous snake, and helps to identify it with the celebrated horned viper, the asp of Cleopatra (Cerastes), which is found abundantly in the dry sandy deserts of Egypt, Syria and Arabia. The cerastes is extremely venomous. Bruce compelled a specimen to scratch eighteen pigeons upon the thigh as quickly as possible, and they all died in nearly the same interval of time.

(ornament).

Son of Cosam, and father of Melchi in our Lord’s genealogy; the third above Salathiel.

(lord). [ADDAN]

(flock), a Benjamites, son of Beriah, chief of the inhabitants of Aijalon.

The name is more correctly Eder.

a fortified town near Jerusalem, probably the HADID of

and referred to in 1Ma 12:38

(ornament of God).

1. A prince of the tribe of Simeon, descended from the prosperous family of Shimei.

He took part in the murderous raid made by his tribe upon the peaceable Hamite shepherds of the valley of Gedor in the reign of Hezekiah. (B.C. about 711.)

2. A priest, ancestor of Maasiai.

3. Ancestor of Azmaveth, David’s treasurer.

(B.C. 1050.)

(dainty, delicate), ancestor of a family who returned form Babylon with Zerubbabel, to the number of 454,

or 655 according to the parallel list in

(B.C. 536.) They joined with Nehemiah in a covenant to separate themselves from the heathen.

(B.C. 410.)

(slender), one of David’s captains beyond the Jordan, and a chief of the Reubenites.

See JASHOBEAM.

(double ornament), a town belonging to Judah, lying in the low country, and named, between Sharaim and hag-Gederah, in

only.

(justice of Jehovah), Ancestor of Shaphat, the overseer of David’s herds that fed in the broad valleys.

(B.C. before 1050.)

(earthy, fortress), one of the "cities of the plain," always coupled with Zeboim.

(given by the highest), one of the seven princes of Persia.

(rest, pleasure).

1. One of the family of Pahath-moab, who returned with Ezra and married a foreign wife.

(B.C. 459.)

2. A priest, descendant of Harim in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua.

(B.C. 500.)

(pleasure).

1. A Manassite who deserted from Saul and joined the fortunes of David on his road to Ziklag from the camp of the Philistines. He was captain of a thousand of his tribe, and fought at David’s side in the pursuit of the Amalekites.

(B.C. 1054.)

2. The captain of over 300,000 men of Judah who were in Jehoshaphat’s army.

(B.C. 908.)

(lord of Bezek), king of Bezek, a city of the Canaanites. [BEZEK] This chieftain was vanquished by the tribe of Judah,

who cut off his thumbs and great toes, and brought him prisoner to Jerusalem, where he died. He confessed that he had inflicted the same cruelty upon 70 petty kings whom he had conquered. (B.C. 1425).

(my Lord is Jehovah).

1. The fourth son of David by Haggith, born at Hebron while his father was king of Judah.

(B.C. about 1050.) After the death of his three brothers, Amnon, Chileab and Absalom, he became eldest son; and when his father’s strength was visibly declining, put forward his pretensions to the crown. Adonijah’s cause was espoused by Abiathar and by Joab the famous commander of David’s army. [JOAB] His name and influence secured a large number of followers among the captains of the royal army belonging to the tribe of Judah, comp.

and these, together with all the princes except Solomon, were entertained by Adonijah at the great sacrificial feast held "by the stone Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel." [EN-ROGEL] Apprised of these proceedings, David immediately caused Solomon to be proclaimed king,

at Gihon. [GIHON] This decisive measure struck terror into the opposite party, and Adonijah fled to the sanctuary, but was pardoned by Solomon on condition that he should "show himself a worthy man."

The death of David quickly followed on these events; and Adonijah begged Bath-sheba to procure Solomon’s consent to his marriage with Abishag, who had been the wife of David in his old age.

This was regarded as equivalent to a fresh attempt on the throne [ABSALOM; ABNER]; and therefore Solomon ordered him to be put to death by Benaiah.

2. A Levite in the reign of Jehoshaphat.

3. The same as Adonikam.

[ADONIKAM]

The sons of Adonikam, 666 in number, were among those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel.

; 1Esd 5:14 (B.C. 506-410.) The name is given as ADONIJAH in

(lord of heights),

by an unusual contraction ADORAM,

and 1Kin 12:18 also HADORAM,

chief receiver of the tribute during the reigns of David,

Solomon,

and Rehoboam.

This last monarch sent him to collect the tribute from the rebellious Israelites, by whom he was stoned to death, (B.C. 1014-973.)

(lord of justice), the Amorite king of Jerusalem who organized a league with four other Amorite princes against Joshua. The confederate kings having laid siege to Gibeon, Joshua marched to the relief of his new allies and put the besiegers to flight. The five kings took refuge in a cave at Makkedah, whence they were taken and slain, their bodies hung on trees, and then buried in the place of their concealment.

(B.C. 1450.)

an expression used by St. Paul in reference to the present and prospective privileges of Christians.

He probably alludes to the Roman custom by which a person not having children of his own might adopt as his son one born of other parents. The relationship was to all intents and purposes the same as existed between a natural father and son. The term is used figuratively to show the close relationship to God of the Christian.

He is received into God’s family from the world, and becomes a child and heir of God.

[ADORAIM]

(double mound), a fortified city built by Rehoboam,

in Judah. Adoraim is probably the same place with Adora, 1Ma 13:20 unless that be Dor, on the seacoast below Carmel. Robinson identifies it with Dura, a "large village" on a rising ground west of Hebron.

[ADONIRAM; HADORAM]

The acts and postures by which the Hebrews expressed adoration bear a great similarity to those still in use among Oriental nations. To rise up and suddenly prostrate the body was the most simple method; but, generally speaking, the prostration was conducted in a more formal manner, the person falling upon the knee and then gradually inclining the body until the forehead touched the ground. Such prostration was usual in the worship of Jehovah,

it was the formal mode of receiving visitors,

of doing obeisance to one of superior station,

and of showing respect to equals.

It was accompanied by such acts as a kiss,

laying hold of the knees or feet of the person to whom the adoration was paid,

and kissing the ground on which he stood.

Similar adoration was paid to idols,

sometimes, however, the act consisted simply in kissing the hand to the object of reverence,

and in kissing the statue itself.

(splendor of the king).

1. The name of an idol introduced into Samaria by the colonists from Sepharvaim.

He was worshipped with rites resembling those of Molech, children being burnt in his honor. Adrammelech was probably the male power of the sun, and ANAMMELECH, who is mentioned with Adrammelech as a companion god, the female power of the sun.

2. Son of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who, with his brother Sharezer, murdered their father in the temple of Nisroch at Nineveh, after the failure of the Assyrian attack on Jerusalem. The parricides escaped into Armenia.

named form Adramys, brother of Croesus king of Lydia, a seaport in the province of Asia [ASIA], situated on a bay of the Aegean Sea, about 70 miles north of Smyrna, in the district anciently called Aeolis, and also Mysia. See

[MITYLENE]

The modern Adramyti is a poor village.

The word seems to have been derived from the town of Adria, near the Po. In Paul’s time it included the whole sea between Greece and Italy, reaching south from Crete to Sicily. [MELITA]

(flock of God), son of Barzillai, to whom Saul gave his daughter Merab, although he had previously promised her to David.

(B.C. about 1062.) His five sons were amongst the seven descendants of Saul whom David surrendered to the Gibeonites.

(justice of the people), Apocr. ODOLLAM, a city of Judah int he lowland of the Shefelah,

the seat of a Canaanite king,

and evidently a place of great antiquity.

Fortified by Rehoboam,

it was one of the towns reoccupied by the Jews after their return from Babylon,

and still a city in the time of the Macabees. 2Ma 12:38 Adullam was probably near Deir Dubban, five or six miles north of Eleutheropolis. The limestone cliffs of the whole of that locality are pierced with extensive excavations, some one of which is doubtless the "cave of Adullam," the refuge of David.

The parties to this crime, according to Jewish law, were a married woman and a man who was not her husband. The Mosaic penalty was that both the guilty parties should be stoned, and it applied as well to the betrothed as to the married woman, provided she were free.

A bondwoman so offending was to be scourged, and the man was to make a trespass offering.

At a later time, and when owing, to Gentile example, the marriage tie became a looser bond of union, public feeling in regard to adultery changed, and the penalty of death was seldom or never inflicted. The famous trial by the waters of jealousy,

was probably an ancient custom, which Moses found deeply seated —(But this ordeal was wholly in favor of the innocent, and exactly opposite to most ordeals. For the water which the accused drank was perfectly harmless, and only by a miracle could it produce a bad effect; while in most ordeals the accused must suffer what naturally produces death, and be proved innocent only by a miracle. Symbolically adultery is used to express unfaithfulness to covenant vows to God, who is represented as the husband of his people.)

(the going up to), a rising ground or pass over against Gilgal," and "on the south side of the ‘torrent’"

which is the position still occupied by the road leading up from Jericho and the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, on the south face of the gorge of the Wady Kelt.

or Paraclete, one that pleads the cause of another.

Used by Christ,

to describe the office and work of the Holy Spirit, and translated Comforter, i.e. (see margin of Revised Version) Advocate, Helper, Intercessor. This use of the word is derived from the fact that the Jews, being largely ignorant of the Roman law and the Roman language, had to employ Roman advocates in their trials before Roman courts. Applied to Christ,

[EGYPT]

(laudble), a paralytic at Lydda healed by St. Peter.

(springs) a place "near to Salim," at which John baptized.

It was evidently west of the Jordan, comp.

with John 3:26 and with John 1:28 and abounded in water. It is given in the Omomasticon as eight miles south of Scythopolis "near Salem and the Jordan."

[CHRONOLOGY]

[ETHIOPIA]

[MARRIAGE]

(a locust), a Christian prophet in the apostolic age, mentioned in

and Acts 21:10 He predicted,

that a famine would take place in the reign of Claudius. Josephus mentions a famine which prevailed in Judea in the reign of Claudius, and swept away many of the inhabitants. (In

we learn that Agabus and Paul met at Caesarea some time after this.)

(flame), possibly the title of the kings of Amalek, like Pharaoh of Egypt. One king of this name is mentioned in

and another in 1Sam 15:8,9,20,32 The latter was the king of the Amalekites, whom Saul spared contrary to Jehovah’s well-known will.

For this act of disobedience Samuel was commissioned to declare to Saul his rejection, and he himself sent for Agag and cut him in pieces. (B.C. about 1070.) [SAMUEL]. Haman is called the AGAGITE in

The Jews consider him a descendant of Agag the Amalekite.

[AGAG]

[HAGAR]

a beautifully-veined semi-transparent precious stone, a variety of quartz. Its colors are delicately arranged in stripes or bands or blended in clouds. It is mentioned four times in the text of the Authorized Version, viz., in

In the two former passages; where it is represented by the Hebrew word shebo it is spoken of as forming the second stone in the third row of the high priest’s breastplate; in each of the two latter places the original word is cadced, by which, no doubt, is intended a different stone. [RUBY] Our English agate derives its name from the Achates, on the banks of which it was first found.

The aged occupied a prominent place in the social and political system of the Jews. In private life they were looked up to as the depositaries of knowledge,

the young were ordered to rise up in their presence,

they allowed them to give their opinion first,

they were taught to regard gray hair as a "crown of glory,"

The attainment of old age was regarded as a special blessing.

In pubic main qualification of those who acted as the representatives of the people in all matter of difficulty and deliberation. [ELDERS]

(fugitive), a Hararite, father of Shammah, one of David’s three mightiest heroes.

(B.C. 1050.)

This was little cared for by the patriarchs. The pastoral life, however, was the means of keeping the sacred race, whilst yet a family, distinct from mixture and locally unattached, especially whilst in Egypt. When grown into a nation it supplied a similar check on the foreign intercourse, and became the basis of the Mosaic commonwealth. "The land is mine,"

was a dictum which made agriculture likewise the basis of the theocratic relation. Thus every family felt its own life with intense keenness, and had its divine tenure which it was to guard from alienation. The prohibition of culture in the sabbatical year formed a kind of rent reserved by the divine Owner. Landmarks were deemed sacred,

and the inalienability of the heritage was insured by its reversion to the owner in the year of jubilee; so that only so many years of occupancy could be sold.

Rain.—Water was abundant in Palestine from natural sources.

Rain was commonly expected soon after the autumnal equinox. The period denoted by the common scriptural expressions of the "early" and the "latter rain,"

generally reaching from November to April, constituted the "rainy season," and the remainder of the year the "dry season." Crops.—The cereal crops of constant mention are wheat and barley, and more rarely rye and millet(?). Of the two former, together with the vine, olive and fig, the use of irrigation, the plough and the harrow, mention is made ln the book of

Two kinds of cumin (the black variety called fitches),

and such podded plants as beans and lentils may be named among the staple produce. Ploughing and Sowing.—The plough was probably very light, one yoke of oxen usually sufficing to draw it. Mountains and steep places were hoed.

New ground and fallows,

were cleared of stones and of thorns,

early in the year, sowing or gathering from "among thorns" being a proverb for slovenly husbandry.

Sowing also took place without previous ploughing, the seed being scattered broad cast and ploughed in afterwards. The soil was then brushed over with a light harrow, often of thorn bushes. In highly-irrigated spots the seed was trampled by cattle.

Seventy days before the passover was the time prescribed for sowing. The oxen were urged on by a goad like a spear.

The proportion of harvest gathered to seed sown was often vast; a hundred fold is mentioned, but in such a way as to signify that it was a limit rarely attained.

Sowing a field with divers seed was forbidden.

Reaping and Threshing.—The wheat etc., was reaped by the sickle or pulled by the roots. It was bound in sheaves. The sheaves or heaps were carted,

to the floor—a circular spot of hard ground, probably, as now, from 50 to 80 or 100 feet in diameter.

On these the oxen, etc., forbidden to be muzzled,

trampled out the grain. At a later time the Jews used a threshing sledge called morag,

probably resembling the noreg, still employed in Egypt —a stage with three rollers ridged with iron, which, aided by the driver’s weight crushed out, often injuring, the grain, as well as cut or tore the straw, which thus became fit for fodder. Lighter grains were beaten out with a stick.

The use of animal manure was frequent.

etc. Winnowing.—The shovel and fan,

indicate the process of winnowing—a conspicuous part of ancient husbandry.

Evening was the favorite time,

when there was mostly a breeze. The fan,

was perhaps a broad shovel which threw the grain up against the wind. The last process was the shaking in a sieve to separate dirt and refuse.

Fields and floors were not commonly enclosed; vineyard mostly were, with a tower and other buildings.

comp. Judg 6:11 The gardens also and orchards were enclosed, frequently by banks of mud from ditches. With regard to occupancy, a tenant might pay a fixed money rent,

or a stipulated share of the fruits.

A passer by might eat any quantity of corn or grapes, but not reap or carry off fruit.

The rights of the corner to be left, and of gleaning [CORNER; GLEANING], formed the poor man’s claim on the soil for support. For his benefit, too, a sheaf forgotten in carrying to the floor was to be left; so also with regard to the vineyard’ and the olive grove.

[HEROD]

(a gatherer, i.e. together of wise men), The son of Jakeh, an unknown Hebrew sage who uttered or collected the sayings of wisdom recorded in Prov 30.

(uncle).

1. Son of Omri, seventh king of Israel, reigned B.C. 919-896. He married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre; and in obedience to her wishes, caused temple to be built to Baal in Samaria itself; and an oracular grove to be consecrated to Astarte. See

One of Ahab’s chief tastes was for splendid architecture which he showed by building an ivory house and several cities. Desiring to add to his pleasure-grounds at Jezreel the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth, he proposed to buy it or give land in exchange for it; and when this was refused by Naboth in accordance with the Levitical law,

a false accusation of blasphemy was brought against him, and he was murdered, and Ahab took possession of the coveted fields.

Thereupon Elijah declared that the entire extirpation of Ahab’s house was the penalty appointed for his long course of wickedness. [ELIJAH] The execution, however, of the sentence was delayed in consequence of Ahab’s deep repentance.

... Ahab undertook three campaigns against Ben-hadad II. king of Damascus, two defensive and one offensive. In the first Ben-hadad laid siege to Samaria, but was repulsed with great loss.

Next year Ben-hadad again invaded Israel by way of Aphek, on the east of Jordan; yet Ahab’s victory was so complete that Ben-hadad himself fell into his hands, but was released contrary to God’s will,

on condition of restoring the cities of Israel, and admitting Hebrew commissioners into Damascus. After this great success Ahab enjoyed peace for three years, when he attacked Ramoth in Gilead, on the east of Jordan, in conjunction with Jehoshaphat king of Judah, which town he claimed as belonging to Israel. Being told by the prophet Micaiah that he would fall, he disguised himself, but was slain by "a certain man who drew a bow at a venture." When buried in Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood as a servant was washing his chariot; a partial fulfillment of Elijah’s prediction,

which was more literally accomplished in the case of his son.

2. A lying prophet, who deceived the captive Israelites in Babylon, and was burnt to death by Nebuchadnezzar.

(after the brother), third son of Benjamin.

[AHER; AHIRAM]

(behind the breastwork), a name occurring in an obscure fragment of the genealogies of Judah.

(whom Jehovah holds), a priest, ancestor of Maasiai,

called JAHZERAH in

(blooming), father of Eli-phelet, one of David’s thirty-seven captains.

In the corrupt list in

Eliphelet appears as "Eliphal the son of Ur." (B.C. about 1050.)

Another (the Hebrew) form of AHASUERIUS.

in margin.

(lion-king), the name of one Median and two Persian kings mentioned in the Old Testament.

1. In

Ahasuerus is said to be the father of Darius the Mede. [DARIUS] This first Ahasuerus is Cyaxares, the conqueror of Nineveh. (Began to reign B.C. 634.)

2. The Ahasuerus king of Persia, referred to in

must be Cambyses, thought to be Cyrus’ successor, and perhaps his son. (B.C. 529.)

3. The third is the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. This Ahasuerus is probably Xerxes of history,

(B.C. 485), and this conclusion is fortified by the resemblance of character and by certain chronological indications, the account of his life and character agreeing with the book of Esther In the third year of Ahaseuerus was held a great feast and assembly in Shushan the palace,

following a council held to consider the invasion of Greece. He divorced his queen Vashti for refusing to appear in public at this banquet, and married, four years afterwards, the Jewess Esther, cousin and ward of Mordecai. Five years after this, Haman, one of his counsellors, having been slighted by Mordecai, prevailed upon the king to order the destruction of all the Jews in the empire. But before the day appointed for the massacre, Esther and Mordecai influenced the king to put Haman to death and to give the Jews the right of self-Defence.

(water), a place,

or a river, Ezra 8:21 on the banks of which Ezra collected the second expedition which returned with him from Babylon to Jerusalem. Perhaps it is the modern Hit, on the Euphrates due east of Damascus.

(possessor), eleventh king of Judah, son of Jotham, reigned 741-726, about sixteen years. At the time of his accession, Rezin king of Damascus and Pekah king of Israel had recently formed a league against Judah, and they proceeded to lay siege to Jerusalem. Upon this Isaiah hastened to give advice and encouragement to Ahaz, and the allies failed in their attack on Jerusalem. Isai 7,8,9. But, the allies inflicted a most severe injury on Judah by the capture of Elath, a flourishing port on the Red Sea, while the Philistines invaded the west and south. 2Kin 16; 2Chr 28. Ahaz, having forfeited God’s favor by his wickedness, sought deliverance from these numerous troubles by appealing to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, who forced him from his most formidable enemies. But Ahaz had to purchase this help at a costly price; he became tributary to Tiglath-pileser. He was weak, a gross idolater, and sought safety in heathen ceremonies, making his son pass through the fire to Molech, consulting wizards and necromancers.

and other idolatrous practices.

His only service of permanent value was the introduction of the sun-dial. He died at the age of 36, but was refused a burial with the kings his ancestors.

2. Son of Micah.

(sustained by the Lord).

1. Son of Ahab and Jezebel eighth king of Israel, reigned B.C. 896-895. After the battle of Ramoth in Gilead, in which Ahab perished [AHAB], the vassal king of Moab refused his yearly tribute; comp.

Before Ahaziah could take measures for enforcing his claim, he was seriously injured by a fall through a lattice in his palace at Samaria. Being an idolater, he sent to inquire of the oracle of Baalzebub in the Philistine city of Ekron whether he should recover his health. But Elijah, who now for the last time exercised the prophetic office, rebuked him for this impiety, and announced to him his approaching death. The only other recorded transaction of his reign, his endeavor to join the king of Judah in trading to Ophir, is related under JEHOSHAPHAT.

2. Fifth king of Judah, son of Jehoram and Athaliah (daughter of Ahab), and therefore nephew of the preceding Ahaziah, reigned one year, B.C. 884. He is Galled AZARIAH,

probably by a copyist’s error, and JEHOAHAZ.

He was 22 years old at his accession.

(his age 42, in

Isa a copyist’s error). Ahaziah was an idolater, and he allied himself with his uncle Jehoram king of Israel against Hazael, the new king of Syria. the two kings were, however defeated at Ramoth, where Jehoram was severely wounded. The revolution carried out in Israel by Jehu under the guidance of Elisha broke out while Ahaziah was visiting his uncle at Jezreel. As Jehu approached the town, Jehoram and Ahaziah went out to meet him; the former was shot through the heart by Jehu, and Ahaziah was pursued and mortally wounded. He died when he reached Megiddo.

(brother of the wise, discreet), son of Abishur by his wife Abihail.

He was of the tribe of Judah.

(following), ancestor of Hushim a Benjamite. The name occurs in the genealogy of Benjamin.

It is not improbable that Aher and Ahiram,

are the same.

(a brother).

1. A Gadite, chief of a family who lived in Gilead in Bashan,

in the days of Jotham and of Judah. (B.C. 758.)

2. A descendant of Shamer, of the tribe of Asher.

(friend of Jehovah).

1. Son of Ahitub, grandson of Phinehas and great-grandson of Eli, succeeded his father as high priest in the reign of Saul.

Ahiah is probably the same person as Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. (B.C. 980.)

2. One of Solomon’s princes.

3. A prophet of Shiloh,

hence called the Shilonite,

of whom we have two remarkable prophecies extant, the one in

addressed to Jeroboam, announcing the rending of the ten tribes from Solomon; the other in

in which he foretold the death of Abijah, the king’s son, who was sick, and the destruction of Jeroboam’s house on account of the images which he had set up.

(B.C. about 956.)

4. Father of Baasha king of Israel.

5. Son of Jerahmeel.

6. Son of Bela.

7. One of David’s mighty men.

8. A Levite in David’s reign.

9. One of the "heads of the people" who joined in the covenant with Nehemiah.

son of Sharar the Hararite (or of Sacar,)

one of David’s thirty mighty men.

(B.C. 1050.)

a Manassite of the family of Shemidah.

(brother of help).

1. Son of Ammishaddai, hereditary chieftain of the tribe of Dan.

(B.C. 1490).

2. The Benjamite chief of a body of archers in the time of David.

(B.C. 1050.)

(brother of renown).

1. The son of Shelomi and prince of the tribe of Asher.

2. Chieftain of the tribe of Benjamin.

[AHIAH]

(a brother who raises up), son of Shaphan the scribe, an influential officer at the court of Josiah, was one of the delegates sent by Hilkaih to consult Huldah.

In the reign of Jehoiakim he successfully used his influence to protect the prophet Jeremiah.

He was the father of Gedaliah. [GEDALIAH] (B.C. 641).

(a brother of one born, i.e. before him).

1. Father of Jehoshaphat, the recorder or chronicler of the kingdom in the reigns of David and Solomon.

(B.C. before 1015.)

2. The father of Baana, one of Solomon’s twelve commissariat officers.

It is uncertain whether he is the same with the foregoing.

(brother of anger).

1. Son of Zadok the high priest in David’s reign, and celebrated for his swiftness of foot. During Absalom’s rebellion he carried to David the important intelligence that Ahithophel had counselled an immediate attack upon David and his followers.

Shortly afterwards he was the first to bring to the king the good news of Absalom’s defeat.

(B.C. 972-956.)

2. Saul’s wife’s father.

(B.C. before 1093.)

3. Solomon’s son-in-law.

(B.C. after 1014.)

(brother of the right hand).

1. One of the three giant Anakim who inhabited Mount Hebron,

seen by Caleb and the spies. (B.C. 1490.) The whole race was cut off by Joshua,

and the three brothers were slain by the tribe of Judah.

2. A Levite porter.

(brother of the king).

1. Son of Ahitub,

and high priest of Nob in the days of Saul. He gave David the shew bread to eat, and the sword of Goliath; and for so doing was put to death, with his whole house, by Saul’s order. Abiathar alone escaped. [ABIATHAR] (B.C. 1085-1060.)

2. A Hittite.

(brother of death), a Levite apparently in the time of David.

In v.

for Ahimoth we find MAHATH, as in

(brother the noble, i.e. a noble brother), Son of Iddo, one of Solomon’s twelve commissaries who supplied provisions for the royal household.

(B.C. 1014-975.)

(brother of grace, i.e. gracious).

1. The daughter of Ahimaaz and wife of Saul.

(B.C. about 1090.)

2. A native of Jezreel who was married to David during his wandering life.

(B.C. 1060.) She lived with him and his other wife Abigail at the court of Achish,

was taken prisoner with her by the Amalekites when they plundered Ziklag,

but was rescued by David.

(brotherly).

1. Son of Abinadab, who accompanied the ark when it was brought out of his father’s house.

(B.C.1043.)

2. A Benjamite, one of the sons of Beriah.

3. A Benjamite, Son of Jehiel.

(brother of evil, i.e. unlucky), Chief of the tribe of Naphtali.

(brother of height, lofty), one of the sons of Benjamin, and ancestor of the AHIRAMITES

In

the name appears as "Ehi and Rosh." It is uncertain whether Ahiram is the same as AHER,

or AHARAH,

(brother of help), a Danite, father of Aholiab one of the architects of the tabernacle.

(B.C. 1490)

(brother of the dawn), one of the sons of Bilhan, the grandson of Benjamin.

the controller of Solomon’s household.

(brother of foolishness), a native of Giloh, was a privy councillor of David, whose wisdom was highly esteemed, though his name had an exactly opposite signification.

(B.C. 1055-1023.) He was the grandfather of Bathsheba. Comp.

with 2Sam 23:34 Ahithophel joined the conspiracy of Absalom against David, and persuaded him to take possession of the royal harem,

and recommended an immediate pursuit of David. His advice was wise; but Hushai advised otherwise. When Ahithophel saw that Hushai’s advice prevailed, he despaired of success, and returning to his own home "put his household in order and hanged himself."

(brother of goodness).

1. The son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, and therefore of the family of Ithamar.

(B.C. 1125.) He was succeeded by his son Ahijah (AHIMELECH). (B.C. 1085.)

2. Son of Amariah, and father of Zadok the high priest,

of the house of Eleazar. (B.C. before 1045.)

(fertile), a city of Asher from which the Canaanites were not driven out.

(ornamental) daughter of Sheshan, whom, having no issue, he gave in marriage to his Egyptian slave Jarha.

From her were descended Zabad, one of David’s mighty men,

and Aza-riah, one of the captains of hundreds in the reign of Joash.

(brothely), son of Bela the son of Benjamin.

In

he is called AHIAH. The patronymic, AHOHITE, is found in

[AHOAH]

(my tabernacle) two symbolical names, are described as harlots, the former representing Samaria and the latter Judah. Ezek. 23.

a Danite of great skill as a weaver and embroiderer, whom Moses appointed with Bezaleel to erect the tabernacle.

(B.C. 1490.)

(my tabernacle is exulted), One of the three wives of Esau. (B.C. 1797.) She was the daughter of Anah.

In the earlier narrative,

Aholi-bamah is called Judith, which may have been her original name.

(brother of water, i.e. cowardly), Son of Jabath, a descendant of Judah, and head of one of the families of the Zorathites.

(possession), properly Ahuzzam son of Ashur, the father or founder of Tekoa, by his wife Naarah.

(possesions) one of the friends of the Philistine king Abimelech, who accompanied him at his interview with Isaac.

(B.C. about 1877.)

(heap of ruins).

1. A city lying east of Bethel and "beside Bethaven."

It was the second city taken by Israel after the passage of the Jordan, and was "utterly destroyed."

2. A city of the Ammonites, apparently attached to Heshbon.

(clamor).

1. Son of Zibeon, a descendant of Seir and ancestor of one of the wives of Esau,

called in

AJAH. He probably died before his father, as the succession fell to his brother Anah.

2. Father of Rizpah, the concubine of Saul.

(B.C. before 1040.)

(feminine of Ai), a place named by Isaiah,

in connection with Migron and Michmash probably the same as Ai.

like Aiath probably a variation of the name Ai, mentioned with Michmash and Bethel.

(place of gazelles).

1. A city of the Kohathites.

It was a Levitical city and a city of refuge. It was originally allotted to the tribe of Dan,

Authorized Version, AJALON, which tribe, however, was unable to dispossess the Amorites of the place.

Aijalon was one of the towns fortified by Reheboam,

and the last we hear of it is being in the hands of the Philistines.

Being on the very frontier of the two kingdoms, we can understand how Aijalon should be spoken of sometimes,

comp. with 1Chr 6:66 as in Ephraim and sometimes,

as in Judah and Benjamin. It is represented by the modern Yalo, a little to the north of the Jaffa road, about 14 miles out of Jerusalem.

2. A broad and beautiful valley near the city of Aijalon over which Joshua commanded the moon to stand still during the pursuit after the battle of Gibeon.

3. A place in Zebulon, mentioned as the burial-place of Elon, one of the Judges.

(the hind of the morning dawn), found once only in the Bible, in the title of

It probably describes to the musician the melody to which the psalm was to be played.

(spring, well).

1. One of the landmarks on the eastern boundary of Palestine.

It is probably ’Ain el-’Azy, the main source of the Orontes.

2. One of the southernmost cities of Judah,

afterwards allotted to Simeon,

and given to the priests.

1.

[AIJALON]

(sharp sighted), son of Ezer, one of the "dukes" or chieftains of the Horites, and descendant of Seir.

He is called JAKAN in

Revised Version of

for ACELDAMA.

(insidious).

1. A descendant of Zerubbabel and son of Elioenai.

2. One of the porters or doorkeepers at the east gate of the temple. (B.C. 636-440.)

3. One of the Nethinim, whole family returned with Zerubbabel.

(B.C. 536.)

4. A Levite who assisted Ezra in expounding the law to the people.

(the ascent of, or the going up to); also MAALEH-ACRABBIM (the scorpion pass),

a pass between the south end of the Dead Sea and Zin, forming one of the landmarks on the south boundary at once of Judah,

and of the Holy Land.

Also the boundary of the Amorites.

As to the name, scorpions abound in the whole of this district.

from the Arabic al bastraton, a whitish stone or from Alabastron, the place in Egypt where it is found. It occurs only in

The ancients considered alabaster to be the best material in which to preserve their ointments. The Oriental alabaster (referred to in the Bible) is a translucent carbonate of lime, formed on the floors of limestone caves by the percolation of water. It is of the same material as our marbles, but differently formed. It is usually clouded or banded like agate, hence sometimes called onyx marble. Our common alabaster is different from this, being a variety of gypsum or sulphate of lime, used In its finer forms for vases, etc.; in the coarser it is ground up for plaster of Paris. The noted sculptured slabs from Nineveh are made of this material.

(king’s oak), a place within the limits of Asher, named between Achshaph and Amad.

only.

(virgins),

title;

Some interpret it to mean a musical instrument, and others a melody.

(covering), a Benjamite, son of Jehoadah or Jarah,

and descended from Jonathan the son of Saul. (B.C after 1077.)

(helper of men—brave) king of Macedon, surnamed the Great, the son of Philip and Olympias, was born at Pella B.C. 356, and succeeded his father B.C. 336. Two years afterwards he crossed the Hellespont (B.C. 334) to carry out the plans of his fathers and execute the mission of (Greece to the civilized world. He subjugated Syria and Palestine B.C. 334-332. Egypt next submitted to him B.C. 332, and in this year he founded Alexandria. In the same year he finally defeated Darius at Gaugamela, who in B.C. 330 was murdered. The next two years were occupied by Alexander in the consolidation of his Persian conquests and the reduction of Bactria. In B.C. 327 he crossed the Indus; turning westward he reached Susa B.C. 325, and proceeded to Babylon B.C. 324, which he chose as the capital of his empire. In the next year (B.C. 323) he died there of intemperance, at the early age of 32, in the midst of his gigantic plans; and those who inherited his conquests left his designs unachieved and unattempted. cf.

Alexander is intended in

and also Dani 7:6; 8:5-7; 11:3,4 the latter indicating the rapidity of his conquests and his power. He ruled with great dominion, and did according to his will,

"and there was none that could deliver .... out of his hand."

1. Son of Simon the Cyrenian, who was compelled to bear the cross for our Lord.

2. One of the kindred of Annas the high priest.

3. A Jew at Ephesus whom his countrymen put forward during the tumult raised by Demetrius the silversmith,

to plead their cause with the mob.

4. An Ephesian Christian reprobated by St. Paul in

as having, together with one Hymenaeus, put from him faith and a good conscience, and so made shipwreck concerning the faith. This may be the same with

5. Alexander the coppersmith, mentioned by the same apostle,

as having done him many mischiefs.

(from Alexander), 3 Ma 3:1;

the Hellenic, Roman and Christian capital of Egypt. Situation.— (Alexandria was situated on the Mediterranean Sea directly opposite the island of Pharos, 12 miles west of the Canopic branch of the Nile and 120 miles from the present city of Cairo.) It was founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 332, who himself traced the ground plan of the city. The work thus begun was continued after the death of Alexander by the Ptolemies. Description.— Under the despotism of the later Ptolemies the trade of Alexandria declined, but its population and wealth were enormous. Its importance as one of the chief corn-ports of Rome secured for it the general favor of the first emperors. Its population was mixed from the first. According to Josephus Alexander himself assigned to the Jews a place in his new city. Philo estimated the number of the Alexandrine Jews in h