Biblical Encyclopedia: A

a certain distance of land

(Gen. 35:16)—also an indefinite expression. It is taken to mean a distance of about an hour’s journey, or about a quarter of a German mile.

A litter, or bier

(Song of Songs 3:9)—a costly seat with a canopy, on which persons of rank were carried during their ceremonial processions.

a stone’s throw

(Luke 22:41). This expression signifies such a distance as one might throw a stone—that is, not far, though not precisely or definitely fixed.

A window

(Judg. 5:28). Windows in the houses of the ancient Hebrews served as openings for the admission of light and air. Since glass was not yet in use, a window was protected by a lattice, which could be opened or closed at will. In Eastern houses windows for the most part open onto the inner courtyard, rather than onto the outer street, and this arrangement is probably designed to avoid the dust of the narrow Eastern streets. On the front of a house a small balcony, or portico, was sometimes built, carefully protected by lattices and sometimes opened for some festive occasion.

It was from just such a window that Jezebel was thrown down and trampled underfoot, as she looked out upon the triumphant procession of Jehu (2 Kings 9:30). Noah’s ark was furnished with an opening in the form of a window (Gen. 6:16, 8:6). In Daniel’s house in Babylon the windows were turned toward Jerusalem: “his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Dan. 6:10). Sometimes the word “window” is used in a figurative sense, in the meaning of the word—the windows of heaven (Mal. 3:10, Gen. 7:11).

Aalar

(2 Esdras 5:36) — the name given to a chieftain of the Israelites who came up out of the Babylonian captivity, from the localities of Thermeleth and Thelharsa, but who were unable to prove their descent from Israel. In Ezra 2:59 the name of a third locality from which they came is given, namely: Cherub, Addan, and Immer.

Aaron

(lofty, mountain, mountain of light, teacher, enlightened one; a name shared with that of Harun, so common in the East) was the first high priest of the Hebrew people and the elder brother of the prophet and lawgiver Moses (Exod. 28:1). Son of Amram and Jochebed, he was of the tribe of Levi and was three years older than his brother Moses. Because of Moses’ slowness of speech, Aaron had to speak for him before the people and before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for which reason he is called by God “the mouth of Moses” and “his prophet” (Exod. 4:16; 7:1); at the same time he was to help his brother during the journey of the Hebrews from Egypt to the land of Canaan.

Aaron took to wife Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, and had by her four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The first two were put to death by God for offering to the Lord strange fire, and in this way the priesthood was confirmed upon the remaining brothers left alive (Exod. 6:23).

Abaddon

(destroyer) (Rev. 9:11) — the Hebrew name of the angel who received the key to the pit of the abyss, corresponding to the Greek designation Apollyon.

Abadiah

(see 2 Esdras 8:35). In Ezra 8:9 it reads: Obadiah, son of Jehiel.

Abagtha Bazan

(fortune) (Esther 1:10) — one of the seven eunuchs of the Persian King Artaxerxes.

Abana

(2 Kings 5:12) — the name of a river in Syria that waters the city of Damascus. This word, as Masoretic scholars note, ought to be read as Amana, and in Hebrew it means “stony.” It is not without reason supposed that the river Abana is the present-day Barada, which the Greeks called Chrysorrhoas, that is, “the golden river.” It rises at the foot of the mountains of Lebanon, divides into several small branches to the east of Damascus, and abundantly waters all the surrounding country; then the streams flow together again and the river continues its course to its outflow into a small, marshy lake situated fifteen or twenty miles from the city.

This river, and the river Pharpar (now called the Awaj), a tributary of it, abounded in fine, clear, transparent water and made the environs of Damascus one of the most beautiful and fruitful regions of that part of the world, whereas the rivers and streams of Israel, with the exception of the Jordan, are for most of the year dry and run in deep, rocky beds. This circumstance sufficiently explains the following question put by Naaman the Syrian to the servant of the prophet Elisha, when the latter, by the prophet’s direction, bade him wash seven times in the Jordan to be healed of his leprosy: “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?” (2 Kings 5:12).

Along the banks of this river are found many beautiful views, and its importance is such that, even at the present time, according to the English traveler D. Porter, the river Abana supplies water to fourteen villages and 150,000 inhabitants (Porter’s Five Years in Damascus, London, 1855).

Abarim, the mountains of Abarim

(crossings, fords) (Num. 27:12; Deut. 32:49) — the general name given to a mountain range running from north to south, east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, partly in the tribe of Reuben, partly in the land of Moab. Nebo, Pisgah, and Peor are peaks of this range. It is supposed that the present-day mountains of Attarus form part of the Abarim range. Regrettably, more recent travelers have as yet little explored the surroundings of the Abarim mountains, which remain wild, deserted, and difficult to travel.

The children of Israel, after crossing the brook Arnon, encamped on the mountains of Abarim before Nebo (Num. 33:47). From one of its peaks, namely the summit of Pisgah, Moses surveyed the Promised Land (Deut. 3:27), and on one of them he died (Deut. 34:1–5).

Abba

(Rom. 8:15). This is a Syro-Chaldean word meaning “father”; it occurs only three times in the New Testament, namely: once used by the Lord Himself (Mark 14:36), and twice in the epistles of St. Paul the Apostle (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Slaves and bondservants were not permitted to address the head of the household with the word Abba — a circumstance that lends particular force to the words in chapter 8, verse 15, of the Epistle to the Romans. The full meaning of this word cannot be conveyed in our language.

It expresses the highest degree of sincere love, trust, submission, as well as intimate communion. The word Ab (meaning “father”) is used as one of the first and simplest utterances of small children.

Abda

means, in the Chaldean tongue, “servant, slave of God.” This is a proper name occurring twice in the Old Testament: a) 1 Kings 4:6 — father of Adoniram, whom Solomon set over the tribute; b) Neh. 11:17 — a Levite, son of Shammua, a descendant of Jeduthun, who lived in Jerusalem after the return from captivity.

Abdiel

(servant of God) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 5:15) a descendant of Gad; b) (Jer. 36:26) father of Shelemiah, one of the courtiers of King Jehoiakim.

Abdon

(servile) (Judg. 12:13) — a judge of Israel, son of Hillel the Pirathonite. He judged Israel eight years and was known for his numerous family.

Abdon

(2 Chron. 34:20) — son of Micah, one of those sent together with the high priest Hilkiah, by King Josiah, to the prophetess Huldah to inquire of God concerning his fate and that of his people; in 2 Kings, however, he is called by a different name, namely Achbor (22:12).

Abdon

(Josh. 21:30) — the name of a city in the tribe of Asher. It was one of four cities given, together with their pasturelands, to the sons of Gershon of the Levitical clans.

Abednego Abdenago

(Dan. 1:7) (servant of light) — one of four captive Hebrew youths taken by Nebuchadnezzar for service in the royal palace. His original name was Azariah (help of Jehovah), but, according to the Babylonian custom of giving new names to their servants, it was changed to Abednego. Together with his companions, he refused to eat the food from the king’s table or drink wine, preferring to eat the simplest food rather than be defiled with meat offered in sacrifice to idols. When Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree that all his subjects should bow down to the golden image set up on the plain of Dura, Abednego, together with his companions Shadrach (Hananiah) and Meshach (Mishael), courageously refused to obey the royal command.

As punishment for this, they were cast into a furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. The flame of the fire was so intense that it killed even those men who cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, while they themselves remained unharmed. The fire had no power over the bodies of these young men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their garments were not changed, and not even the smell of fire had passed on them. When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he saw that the youths were not alone, but that there was a fourth man with them, whose form was like a son of God (the Angel of the Lord).

Struck by this miracle, the king gave orders that all who spoke blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be severely punished, “because,” he said, “there is no other God who can deliver in this manner.” The youths were restored to the court with honor and exalted in the land of Babylon.

Abel

— the name of five cities mentioned in the Bible; it means “a watery, grassy place.”

Abel

(Gen. 4:2), in Hebrew Hevel — a breath, a vapor, and hence — vanity, nothingness, or something fleeting — was the second son of Adam and Eve. “And Abel was a keeper of sheep,” says the writer of Genesis, “but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (perhaps by sending down fire from heaven), “but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect.

And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell… And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him” (Gen. 4:2–8). The grave of Abel is still pointed out not far from Damascus. The greatness and superiority of Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s is ascribed by the Apostle Paul to his faith (Heb. 11:4): “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” he says. In the New Testament the Savior Himself speaks of Abel as the first martyr, distinguishing him with the title of “righteous” (Matt. 23:35).

In the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews (ch. 11), Abel, together with the rest, is numbered among the host of ancient Old Testament righteous ones, “who obtained a good report through faith.” The Gnostics made of Abel an aeon, and the sect of the Abelites, holding that Abel, though married, died a virgin, imitated him by abstaining from the fulfillment of marital duties.

Abel-beth-Maachah

(meadow of the house of Maachah) (2 Kings 15:29) — a city in the northern part of the tribe of Naphtali, southeast of Caesarea Philippi, north of the Hulah. Here Sheba, son of Bichri, fled and shut himself in when pursued by Joab, David’s commander. The citizens, however, fearing a siege of the city for having harbored him, on the advice of a certain woman, cut off his head and threw it over the wall to Joab (2 Sam. 20:14–22). The city, it seems, had considerable importance and was strongly fortified; it was besieged in the reign of David by Joab, in the reign of Asa by Ben-Hadad, and in the reign of Pekah by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria.

On its site there are now ruins and a village called Abil, or Abil-el-Kamh, near a small stream. Perhaps the expression “a mother in Israel” (2 Sam. 20:19) points to the size and importance of the city.

Abel-Keramim Ebelcharmim

(plain of vineyards) (Judg. 11:33) — an Ammonite settlement across the Jordan, abounding in vineyards, and famous even in the days of Eusebius and Jerome for its abundant harvest of fine grapes.

Abel-maim Abelmain

(plain of waters) (2 Chron. 16:4) — another name, as is thought, for the city of Abel-beth-Maachah (2 Sam. 15:20 [text as given]).

Abel-meholah

(Judg. 7:22) — a city in the northern part of the Jordan valley, not far from Beth-shean. Here the prophet Elisha was born (1 Kings 19:16), and not far from it Gideon struck down the Midianites.

Abel-shittim, or Shittim

(meadow of acacias) (Num. 33:49; 35:1) — a city situated some six or seven miles from the eastern bank of the Jordan, opposite Jericho, in the plains of Moab. It was the site of one of the last (forty-second) encampments of Israel on that bank of the river. It was thought that Shittim was the city, and Abel-shittim the plain on which it stood — an opinion confirmed by the researches of more recent geographers. In this place, almost at the end of their wandering, the Israelites fell into the most disgraceful idolatry, for which they were punished with a terrible plague, from which 24,000 people perished (Num. 25:1–9).

The spies sent by Joshua to Jericho likewise came from Shittim (Josh. 2:1). According to Stanley, acacias still line the green upper terraces of the Jordan valley to this day.

Abez

(splendor) (Josh. 19:20) — a city in the tribe of Issachar, its present location unknown.

Abi

(God is father) (2 Kings 18:2). This was the name of the mother of Hezekiah, king of Judah, daughter of Zechariah.

Abi-albon Gadabiel

(father of strength) (2 Sam. 23:31) — the name of one of the thirty mighty men of King David.

Abia

(shining, radiant) — one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, wife of Jaddua, who was called by the name of his father-in-law, Barzillai.

Abihu Abiud

[misprinted in the source as “kvii”] (father of strength) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Sam. 9:1; 14:51) father of Kish, father of Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin; b) (1 Chron. 11:32) one of the chief warriors of David, from Arabah. This same person is called, in 2 Samuel 23:31, Abi-albon. [Translator’s note: this headword corresponds to Abiel, not to be confused with the priestly Abihu below.]

Abihu Abiud

(God is my father) — the name of the following persons: a) (Exod. 28:1) one of the sons of Aaron who, together with his brothers Nadab, Eleazar, and Ithamar, was set apart, or appointed, by God Himself to the priestly service. Soon after their entrance into the priesthood, Nadab and Abihu sinned, violating God’s command concerning the offering of incense, and were immediately destroyed by fire that came forth from the Lord (Lev. 10:1–2). This happened while the Hebrews were in the wilderness of Sinai.

The nature of their fault is plain: they brought before the Lord strange fire, that is, ordinary fire, and not that which, by God’s command, was to be taken from the altar. Some ascribe this sinful act to excessive use of wine on their part. b) (1 Chron. 6:50 [as given]) son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar. In the Hebrew text and in the Septuagint the name given is: Abishua. c) (1 Chron. 8:3) one of the sons of Bela, son of Benjamin. d) (Matt. 1:13) father of Eliakim, son of Zerubbabel, mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord.

Abijah

(my father is Jehovah) — the name of eight persons: a) (Luke 1:5) a priest of the descendants of Aaron, head of one of the twenty-four courses into which David divided the priests. Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, was of the course of Abijah.

Abijah

(1 Sam. 8:2) — the name of the second son of Samuel, a Levite. He was a judge in Beersheba; but together with his brother Joel, he perverted justice and, out of covetousness, took bribes. Their evil conduct compelled the people to ask Samuel for a king.

Abijah

(1 Kings 14:1–18) — second king of Judah, son of Jeroboam. In chapter 14 of 1 Kings it is related that Abijah fell ill, and that Jeroboam, anxious about his son’s fate, sent his wife to inquire of the prophet Ahijah in Shiloh what would become of the child. The prophet foretold his death (v. 12) and the fall of the house of Jeroboam. Abijah indeed died and was carried back to his mother at Tirzah the moment she crossed the threshold of the house, “and all Israel mourned for him, and buried him” (v. 17–18), notes the sacred historian.

The prophet’s words in verse 13 are highly significant and honorable to Abijah’s memory: “And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel.”

Abijah

(1 Kings 14:31; 15:7–8) — son of Rehoboam, one of the persons mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:7). He succeeded his father Rehoboam and reigned over Judah in Jerusalem for three years. “And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father” (v. 3); but for the sake of the promise given to David, the Lord spared him. Abijah waged war against Jeroboam (2 Chron.

13:2–20) and defeated him, so that there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men (v. 17). Despite his personal vices and shortcomings, he showed, by his speech addressed to Jeroboam and the Israelites and by his profession of faith in the Lord, that he had not entirely sunk into sin. After the war, the details of which are given in 2 Chronicles 13, Abijah did not become a better man, and had fourteen wives and thirty-eight children. At his death he was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place.

Abishai

(2 Sam. 2:18) (father of a gift) — son of Zeruiah. He was David’s nephew, Joab’s brother, and served in David’s army. He accompanied David to Saul’s camp, where they found him asleep in his tent, and Abishai took with him Saul’s spear and the cruse of water at his head (1 Sam. 26:4–12). Abishai, together with his brother Joab, attacked and defeated the Syrians and Ammonites (2 Sam. 10). David appointed him, together with Joab and Ittai, commander of his people when he went out against the Israelites, and a battle took place between the two armies in the forest of Ephraim (2 Sam. 18:2).

Afterward he saved David’s life by striking down and killing the Philistine giant Ishbi-benob, who intended to strike David (2 Sam. 21:16–17). The victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt is ascribed to David in 2 Samuel 8:13, but to Abishai in 1 Chronicles 18:12. It is possible that Abishai in fact won the victory, but since he was only David’s commander, it could easily have been credited to the king himself. Finally, Abishai, together with his brother Joab, took part in the killing of Abner, in revenge for his having slain their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon (2 Sam. 3:30).

Abner

(1 Sam. 14:50–51) (father of light) — son of Ner, uncle of Saul, well known as the faithful commander of his army. We first encounter his name in 1 Samuel 17:57: “And when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.” Owing to a lack of vigilance on Abner’s part, Saul’s life was once at David’s mercy in the wilderness of Ziph (1 Sam. 26). After David was anointed king over the house of Judah, Abner made Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, king over the eleven tribes of Israel.

Some time afterward David’s army, under the command of Joab, and Israel’s army, under the command of Abner, encamped opposite one another on the two sides of the pool of Gibeon, and the battle began with twelve young men on each side; a general engagement followed, ending in the complete defeat of Abner. He fled, but was pursued by Asahel, Joab’s brother, who was as light of foot as a wild gazelle (2 Sam. 2:18). When, in the heat of the pursuit, Abner urged him to turn aside and threatened him with death if he did not, and when Asahel would not listen, Abner turned his spear and struck him in the belly, and Asahel died on the spot (2 Sam. 2:23).

Joab and Abishai also pursued Abner, but at his entreaty they gave up the pursuit, and the battle ceased. As a result of a quarrel with Ish-bosheth, Abner went over to David’s side (2 Sam. 2:12; 3:12).

Abram

(exalted father), Abraham (father of a multitude) (Gen. 11:27), son of Terah, was born in the Chaldean city of Ur. While still living in his father’s house, he received God’s call to leave his land, his kindred, and his father’s house, and to go into the land which the Lord would show him (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 11:8). This divine call was accompanied by the promise that his descendants would become a great nation, and that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3).

In obedience to the divine call, Abram, together with his wife Sarai, his father Terah, and the rest of his kindred, set out from Ur for Canaan, but stopped for a time at Haran, situated northeast of Mesopotamia. Here Terah died (Gen. 11:31; Acts 7:4). Abram was then seventy-five years old. He continued his journey toward the land of Canaan, and having arrived there, came as far as Shechem, one of the most ancient cities of Palestine, and pitched his tent in the plain of Moreh, where the promise was again repeated to him that this land would be given to his descendants (Gen. 12:1–6).

Abran

(2 Macc. 4:4, 40) (tyrant, oppressor) — one of the commanders of the forces of Lysimachus, notorious for his violence and tyranny, during the popular uprising against Lysimachus and his brother Menelaus.

Abron Arbonai

(a place by the shore) — the name of the following localities: a) (Num. 33:34–35) one of the encampments of the Hebrews during their wandering in the wilderness, shortly before Aaron’s death; situated between Jotbathah and Ezion-geber, and thus not far from the eastern arm of the Red Sea; b) (Judg. 2:24 [text unclear]) a stream, or brook, in Mesopotamia, whose location is unknown.

Absalom

(Hebrew Avshalom — father of peace) (2 Sam. 3:3) — third son of David, by Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, famed for his beauty, especially his long, thick hair, which when he cut it once a year, weighed 200 shekels by the king’s weight (2 Sam. 14:25–26). Absalom had a beautiful sister, named Tamar, whom his brother Amnon, having fallen in love with her, violated by force. Absalom nursed a hidden hatred against Amnon, and two years later, at a feast held on the occasion of sheep-shearing, ordered his servants to kill him (2 Sam. 13:29).

Following this, he fled to his maternal grandfather, Talmai, king of Geshur, in Syria. Having spent three years there and obtained, through Joab’s intercession, permission to return home, he did not abandon hope of restoration, and achieved reconciliation with his father only through persistence (2 Sam. 14).

Abubus

(loving) (1 Macc. 16:11–15) — father of Ptolemy, a military commander in the region of Jericho.

Abyssinia.

See Ethiopia.

Acacia.

See Shittim.

Acco Accho Dor

(Judg. 1:31) (sandy and scorched by the sun) — now Akko, or Acre, or, from its connection with the Knights of St. John, Saint-Jean-d’Acre, or Ptolemais (so named after the first Egyptian king Ptolemy, into whose hands it fell about a hundred years before Christ), was a seaport city on the Bay of Acre, opposite Mount Carmel, thirty English miles (about forty-five versts) from Tyre. Acco lay in territory allotted to the tribe of Asher, and was one of the cities from which the Israelites were altogether unable to drive out the Canaanites.

Even today Acre is considered the strongest fortified place in Palestine. This city is mentioned in the Book of Acts under the name Ptolemais (Acts 21:7). Its population, from 5,000 to 10,000 people, consists chiefly of Jews. There are a great many remains of antiquity in this city. Buckingham, who visited it in 1816, found here a multitude of ruins of various buildings, undoubtedly built in great antiquity, especially fragments of doors, columns, and the like. These ruins are now used for the construction of new buildings, and all the monuments of ancient greatness are gradually disappearing with each year. Acre was reckoned a famous city at the time of the Crusades.

Achaia

(Acts 18:12; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 11:10 [as given]) — this name originally designated a small state in the northern part of the Greek Peloponnese, now called the Morea. In later times, and under Roman rule, this name was applied to the whole Peloponnese and the part of the country north of it as far as Thessaly itself. For this reason, as D. Howson notes, its boundaries corresponded to the boundaries of present-day Greece. The whole region now called Greece was, in New Testament times, divided into Achaia and Macedonia, with the nearby islands.

The first governors of Roman Achaia were proconsuls. Tiberius appointed procurators over it, but Claudius again replaced them with proconsuls. Gallio, mentioned in chapter 18 (verse 12) of the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles, was one of these proconsuls; Corinth was the capital of Achaia. In the New Testament this name is always used in the broadest sense. The Apostle Paul preached the Gospel here on his first journey, and partly on his third (Acts 17:15 and elsewhere).

Achaicus

(of the region of Achaia) (1 Cor. 16:17) — the name of a Christian, whose arrival in Ephesus, together with Stephanas and Fortunatus, St. Paul the Apostle rejoices over, as indicated in this passage of the epistle.

Achan Achar

(Josh. 7:18) (troubler) — son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, who secretly took and hid in the ground various valuable items at the fall of the city of Jericho, contrary to the express command of God (Josh. 6:17, 18). For this sin the wrath of God was kindled against all the sons of Israel; however, by a special act indicated by God, Achan’s guilt was soon uncovered, and for it he was stoned together with his whole family, and afterward their bodies, as well as all their possessions, were burned in the valley north of Jericho, which from this took its name — Achor (Josh. 7:26).

Achar.

See Achan.

Acharhel

(behind the rampart, wall) (1 Chron. 4:8) — son of Harum, of the tribe of Judah.

Achbor

(from the Hebrew, meaning “mouse”) — in Holy Scripture this name is given to several persons: a) (Gen. 36:38, 39) father of Baal-hanan, king of Idumea; b) (2 Kings 22:12–14) son of Micaiah, of the courtiers of King Josiah and Jehoiakim; c) (Jer. 26:22) father of Elnathan, one of the courtiers of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.

Achim

(from the Hebrew, meaning “confirmation”) — the proper name of one of the persons mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord (Matt. 1:14), son of Zadok and father of Eliud. He lived after the Babylonian captivity. It is thought that he is the same person as Jachin, mentioned in 1 Chronicles (24:17), but this supposition is not well founded; it should rather be thought that Achim lived considerably later than Jachin mentioned in Chronicles, and is separated from Joseph, the betrothed of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by only five generations.

Achish Anchus

(probably a Philistine word) (1 Sam. 21:10) — king of Gath, to whom David twice fled while hiding from Saul. On the first occasion David feigned madness and was glad to have managed to get away from Saul (1 Sam. 21:10); on the second occasion David took with him 600 men and remained with Achish a year and four months (1 Sam. 27:2; 29:11).

Achitob

(Judith 8:1) (good brother) — one of the ancestors of Judith, son of Shineb [as given].

Achor

(Josh. 7:24) — the valley of trouble, near Jericho, on the northern border of the tribe of Judah, where Achan was stoned for violating the ban at the taking of Jericho. This place is depicted with great poetic force by the prophet Hosea: “And I will give her… the valley of Achor for a door of hope,” says the Lord, “and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt” (Hos. 2:15). The figurative use of the word “Achor” in this passage is explained in various ways.

The most common explanation is as follows: just as the valley of Achor was a place of sorrow and trouble for the Israelites at their first entrance into the land of Canaan, so it would become a place of hope and joy at their return from the captivity in which they then found themselves. This may be confirmed by the prophecy of Isaiah (65:10).

Achrai

(from the Hebrew Achrach, after a brother) (1 Chron. 8:1) — third son of Benjamin, son of the patriarch Jacob.

Achsah

(an anklet, an ornament worn on the legs) (Josh. 15:16–19; Judg. 1:12, 13) — daughter of Caleb. She became the wife of Othniel, son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz. As her dowry Caleb gave her the southern land, as well as the upper and lower springs (Josh. 15:18, 19).

Achshaph

(place of enchantment, sorcery) (Josh. 11:1; 12:20; 19:25) — a city of the tribe of Asher. From the Book of Joshua it appears that it was once a royal residence of the Canaanites, but their king was defeated by Joshua. In Jerome’s opinion, in his time there was, on the site of Achshaph, a small settlement: Chasalus. It is quite possible that this is the present-day Keisan, whose ruins were found by Robinson (III, 55) northwest of the Hulah.

Achzib

(false, deceptive) — the name of two places: a) (Josh. 15:44) a city of the tribe of Judah, mentioned in the Book of Joshua; its exact location unknown; b) (Josh. 19:29; Judg. 1:31) a Canaanite city given to the tribe of Asher. It was located near the Mediterranean Sea, south of Tyre. Asher, however, was unable to drive the Canaanites from this city. At present it is the extensive settlement of ez-Zib, nine or ten English miles north of Acco, or Acre, with considerable ancient ruins.

Acts of the Apostles, or Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

See Luke.

Acts of the Holy Apostles

- the fifth book in the New Testament canon and its principal historical book, consisting of twenty-eight chapters. All ancient Christian writers testify that Luke was its author. It narrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the spread of Christ's Church through them, describing especially the deeds and miracles of Peter and Paul.

Ada

(adornment) — the name of two wives: a) (Gen. 4:19–21) one of the wives of Lamech, and mother of Jabal and Jubal; b) (Gen. 36:2, 4) — wife of Esau, daughter of Elon the Hittite, and mother of Eliphaz.

Adadah Aruel

(border, boundary) (Josh. 15:22) — the proper name of a city in the tribe of Judah. The city was located, it is supposed, in the south, but its exact position is unknown.

Adaiah

(according to Gesenius — ornament of the Lord; according to others, witness of God) — the name of the following persons: a) (2 Kings 22:1) father of Jedidah, mother of King Josiah; b) (1 Chron. 9:12) a priest, son of Jeroham, also mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah (11:12) as one of the chief men of Israel who returned from captivity; c) (1 Chron. 8:21) one of the sons of Shimei, of the tribe of Benjamin; d) (Ezra 10:29–39) an Israelite, of the sons of Bani, who in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah had foreign wives; e) (Neh. 11:5) one of the ancestors of Maaseiah, of the tribe of Judah; f) (1 Chron. 6:41) a Levite, ancestor of the well-known singer of David’s time, Asaph.

Adalia Barea

(Esther 9:8) — a Persian name of one of the ten sons of Haman, put to death by the Jews after the king’s edict.

Adam

(red earth) — the name of one person and of one city: a) (Gen. 2:25). The name of the first man, forefather of all mankind (Acts 17:26). On the sixth and last day of the creation of the world, man was made from the dust of the earth, in the image and likeness of God. The Lord God breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. The Lord gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts, and every creeping thing upon the earth (Gen. 1:26, 30; 2:16–20).

For the dwelling of man the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, to the east, in which grew out of the ground every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food. A river went out of Eden to water the garden, which in turn parted into four rivers. The Garden of Eden was entrusted to the care of the first man, that he might dress it and keep it. He was permitted to eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden except one — the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — from which, on pain of death, he was forbidden to eat.

Adamah Armaith

(earth) — the name of two cities: a) (Josh. 19) a fortified city in the tribe of Naphtali. Its location is now unknown; it may be the present-day Ras el-Ahmar, north of Safed; b) (Gen. 10:19) one of the cities of the plain of Siddim, destroyed by fire from heaven together with Sodom, Gomorrah, and Zeboiim. In Abraham’s time it was ruled by King Shinab (Gen. 14:2). In Hosea (11:8) this same city is also called Admah.

Adamant.

See Diamond.

Adami-Nekeb Mola

(land of ravines) (Josh. 19:33) — the name of a city in the tribe of Naphtali. It is thought to be the present-day Deir el-Ahmar (that is, “beautiful monastery”), three hours’ journey northwest of Baalbek.

Adar

(beautiful, glorious) (Ezra 6:15; Esther 3:7, 13) — the sixth month of the civil, and twelfth of the sacred, Hebrew year, corresponding to the latter part of our February and the first part of March. In this month the well-known Jewish feast of Purim was celebrated. Every two years this month was repeated in the third year — that is, it occurred twice in that year, and on that occasion the feast of Purim was likewise celebrated twice, the second time with special splendor. The reason for the repetition of the month Adar every third year was as follows: since twelve lunar months make up only 354 days and 6 hours, the Jewish year was shorter than the Roman year by twelve days.

To make up the deficit relative to the Roman calendar, the Hebrews introduced into their calendar a thirteenth month, which they called Veadar, or the second Adar, by which the lunar year was brought level with the solar year.

Adarah, otherwise Adoraim Adorai

(2 Chron. 11:9) (two hills, upper and lower) — cities in the south of Judea, fortified by Rehoboam. After the Babylonian captivity, the upper one belonged to Idumea; it is identified with Adora (1 Macc. 13:20). It is supposed to be the present-day village of Dura, eight or nine English miles west of Hebron.

Adasa

(1 Macc. 7:40, 45) — a village in the tribe of Judah, near Beth-horon. The Talmud says of it that it was the smallest town of the tribe of Judah, having no more than fifty houses.

Adbeel

(Gen. 25:13) (a word of unknown origin) — the proper name of one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, forefather of the Ishmaelites.

Addar

(splendid, glorious) — a) (1 Chron. 8:3) a Benjamite, son of Bela, called in the Book of Genesis (46:21) by the name Ard; b) (Josh. 15:3) (village of beauty) a place in the south of Palestine, in Idumea, southwest of Kadesh-barnea. In the Book of Numbers it is called Hazar-addar (34:4).

Addi

(Luke 3:28) — the proper name of the son of Cosam, mentioned by the Evangelist Luke in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Addi.

See 2 Esdras 9:31.

Adduus.

See 2 Esdras 5:34.

Adida

(1 Macc. 12:38) — a city in the tribe of Dan, near Beth-horon [as given]. It is identified with the city of Hadid, mentioned in the Book of Ezra (2:33). Today there is here a village called el-Hadithe, east of Lydda.

Adiel

(ornament of God) — the name of three persons: a) (1 Chron. 4:36) a descendant of Simeon, son of Jacob; b) (1 Chron. 9:12) a priest, son of Jahzerah, who returned from the Babylonian captivity; c) (1 Chron. 27:25) father of Azmaveth, keeper of David’s royal treasuries.

Adin

(pleasant) (Ezra 2:15; Neh. 7:20; 10:16) — the proper name of one person. Some take the name Adin, as it stands in 2 Esdras (v. 15 [as given]), to be the name of a locality, since the statement in chapter 7, verse 20, of Nehemiah, that a single person had 655 sons, seems improbable; but it should be noted that the word “children,” or “sons,” in this and similar cases, generally stands for descendants, in which sense it is very often used.

Adina

(delightful, splendid) (1 Chron. 11:42) — the name of one of David’s army commanders, son of Shiza.

Adithaim Gadera

(double ornament) (Josh. 15:36) — a city in the lowlands of the tribe of Judah.

Adlai Adli

(according to Gesenius, righteousness of God) (1 Chron. 27:29) — father of Shaphat, chief overseer of David’s herds in the lowland country.

Admatha

(a Persian word) (Esther 1:14) — one of the seven chief princes of Persia and Media, under King Artaxerxes, in the days of Esther and Mordecai.

Adna

(pleasantness) — the name of two persons: a) (Ezra 10:30) a descendant of Pahath-moab, who lived in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah; b) (2 Chron. 17:14) a military commander under King Jehoshaphat, who had under him 300,000 outstanding warriors.

Adnah

(the same as Adna) (1 Chron. 12:20) — one of the captains of thousands of Manasseh who went over to David at Ziklag.

Adonai

(Isaiah 40:10) — a name of the Lord, frequently found in the sacred books of the Old Testament; it is often applied to men also, in the sense of “lord,” as a mark of special honor. Later Jews, out of reverence for this sacred name, always pronounce “Adonai” whenever they encounter the word “Jehovah” in the text.

Adoni-bezek Adonibezek

(Judg. 1:4, 7) (lord of Bezek, or lord of lightning) — the name, or title, of a certain Canaanite king. Defeated, he fled from the forces of the tribes of Judah and Simeon after the death of Joshua. Many of the Canaanites and Perizzites perished in this battle; Adoni-bezek himself fled, but was caught, and his thumbs and great toes were cut off. Thus he received due recompense for the like inhuman cruelty he had once inflicted upon seventy kings, who afterward gathered scraps under his table (v. 7). He was then brought to Jerusalem, and died there (Judg. 1:4–7).

Adonijah

(Jehovah is my Lord) — the name of three persons: a) (2 Sam. 3:4) fourth son of David by Haggith. He was born in Hebron, and after the death of his brothers Amnon and Absalom laid claim to his father’s throne. Having prepared for himself chariots, horsemen, and fifty runners, he took counsel with Joab and Abiathar the priest on the best measures for carrying out his design. Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, at once informed the king of Adonijah’s plot, and the prophet Nathan confirmed her words.

David swore before Bathsheba that after him her son Solomon should reign, and ordered him to be anointed and proclaimed king at once and with solemnity, which was carried out by the priest Zadok, amid the sound of trumpets and the loud acclamations of the people: “God save king Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39). Adonijah had just finished his feast when he heard the sound of trumpets and the noise of the excited people. Jonathan told him all that had happened. Then all who were at the feast fled, and Adonijah himself, fearing Solomon, went and caught hold of the horns of the altar, which was considered a place of protection from violence.

Adonikam

(Ezra 2:13) (perhaps: the Lord raises up) — head of a family of 666 persons who returned from captivity with Zerubbabel.

Adoniram

(the Lord is exalted) (1 Kings 4:6; 5:14) — one of Solomon’s officials, over the levy in the days of David and Rehoboam, who was stoned by the rebelling Israelites while collecting the tribute.

Adonis.

See Tammuz.

Adonizedek

(Josh. 10:1, 27) (lord of righteousness) — a Canaanite king in Jerusalem. Hearing what Joshua had done to the cities of Jericho and Ai, he persuaded four other kings to join him and attack Gibeon. Joshua and his army hastened to the rescue and, striking them, put the armies of the allied kings to flight. The Lord Himself visibly helped Israel in this matter. During the enemy’s flight, great stones (hail) fell from heaven, by which more of them perished than by the sword of Israel.

This victory was accompanied by a special sign. During the pursuit of the enemy the day was declining toward evening, and Joshua said in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon” (Josh. 10:12). And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. This miraculous halting of the motion of sun and moon over the valley of Ajalon bore visible witness before all that the Lord was present with Israel, just as the supernatural total eclipse of the sun at the crucifixion of the Savior visibly testified that the King, Lord, and Master of all creation was suffering.

Adrammelech Adramelech

— the name of a person, and of a pagan god (Assyrian word: glorious king) — a) (Isa. 37:38) son of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Together with his brother Sharezer, he killed his father while he was worshiping in the house of his god Nisroch. The reason for this parricide is unknown. Both brothers then fled to Armenia (the land of Ararat), and his son Esarhaddon reigned in his place. b) (2 Kings 17:31) a deity of Sepharvaim, worshiped by the inhabitants of Sepharvaim after their resettlement in the cities of Samaria.

It appears to have represented the sun, just as another deity, Anammelech, represented the moon. The inhabitants of Sepharvaim sacrificed their children to these idols, burning them in fire. It may be supposed that this was the well-known idol Moloch.

Adriel

(1 Sam. 18:19) (flock of God) — son of Barzillai, of Meholah. He married Merab, daughter of Saul, by whom he had five sons.

Aduel

(Tobit 1:1) — an ancestor of Tobit, of the tribe of Naphtali.

Adui.

See Jaddai.

Adullam

(2 Macc. 12:38) and Odollam (Josh. 15:35) (justice of the people) — an ancient and famous city in the tribe of Judah, fifteen or twenty English miles southwest of Jerusalem. The king of Adullam was struck down by Joshua. The city was fortified by Rehoboam, and, probably on account of its strength and fortifications, is called by the prophet Micah (1:15) “the glory of Israel” — “He (that is, the Lord) shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.” Near the city was a cave (the cave of Adullam) in which David hid when he fled from Achish, king of Gath. To this day travelers are shown this cave, quite uneven, winding, and so spacious that up to 400 people could easily hide in its recesses, as was the case with David and his foreign companions (1 Sam. 22:1); but, according to the account of Eastern monastics, the cave of Adullam adjoined the land of Moab, and was situated among the rocky mountains that stretch a great distance in the direction of the Dead Sea.

Adullam

(Gen. 38:1, 12, 20, Josh. 15:35)—was an ancient city in the land of Canaan, in the tribe of Judah, fifteen or twenty miles southwest of Jerusalem, and once served as the residence of Canaanite kings (Josh. 12:15). The king of Adullam was struck down by Joshua the son of Nun. The city was fortified by Rehoboam, and probably because of its strength and fortification is called by the prophet Micah (1:15) “the glory of Israel”: “He shall come unto Adullam, the glory of Israel.” Near the city was the cave of Adullam, in which David hid when fleeing from Achish, king of Gath. To this day travelers are shown this cave, very uneven, winding, and so vast that as many as 400 men could hide themselves in its recesses, as was the case with David and his numerous companions (1 Sam. 22:1); but, according to the account of the Eastern monastics, the cave of Adullam adjoined the land of Moab and was situated among rocky mountains that stretch in great number toward the Dead Sea.

Adummim

(Josh. 15:7) — the name of a height not far from Gilgal, at the entrance to the wilderness of Jericho. The name signifies “red,” or “bloody,” which, it is thought, alludes to the frequent murders and robberies that took place in its vicinity. There is reason to think that the place indicated in the Savior’s parable of the Good Samaritan lay precisely here (Luke 10:30–36). The ruins of a city found here today are known by the name Kalaat ed-Damm.

Aendor.

See En-dor and Aendor.

Aeneas

(Acts 9:32-35)—a man at Lydda who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” He rose immediately, and those who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Aenon

(perhaps: spring of the dove, or dove’s spring) — a place where John baptized, “because there was much water there” (John 3:23). It was probably located west of the Jordan. The Evangelist says that it was near Salim, and, according to the testimony of Jerome, 8 Roman miles from Scythopolis (Beth-shean). In Robinson’s opinion, Salim, with its two considerable springs, was located near Nablus (Shechem); but the location of Aenon has not been precisely established.

Afni

(from the region of Ophni) (Josh. 18:24) — a city of the tribe of Benjamin, in its northeastern part. According to Eusebius, Ophni was located not far from Gibeah of Benjamin. It is now Jifna, three and a half miles east of Bethel.

Agabus

(locust) (Acts 11:28) — one of the prophets who foretold, in the year 43 A.D., a famine which, as secular historians affirm, struck the land the following year. Some years later (Acts 21:11) he met the Apostle Paul at Caesarea and, by an allegorical sign, foretold the sufferings awaiting him in Jerusalem should he continue his journey to that city. Some suppose that Agabus was one of the seventy disciples of the Lord, and that he suffered martyrdom in Antioch. His memory is kept on January 4 and April 8.

Agag

(flaming) (Num. 24:7) was a king of the Amalekites. Some think that this name was a common title of the Amalekite kings, just as the title “Pharaoh” was a common designation for the kings of Egypt; from the mention of him in the prophetic passage cited above, we may suppose that he was one of the most powerful kings of that time. Another person of the same name was taken captive by Saul during the defeat of the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:8); but Saul spared his life, and he was afterward brought to Samuel, who cut him in pieces (1 Sam. 15:33) —

Agriculture

(2 Macc. 12:1; Gen. 26:12, and elsewhere). From the most remote antiquity, agriculture has been reckoned one of the chief branches of human activity. Even in the garden of Eden, agriculture was laid as a duty upon our first parents (Gen. 2:15; 3:17). Adam’s eldest son, Cain, was a tiller of the ground (4:2). Noah, after the Flood, occupied himself with agriculture, and all the patriarchs, in their pastoral life, did not disdain it either (Gen. 26:14; Job 1:3, 15). In general, agriculture enjoyed universal respect among the Hebrews, and even the rich and noble did not shun it.

We see examples of this in Boaz, Gideon, Saul, the prophet Elisha, and others (Judg. 6:11; 1 Sam. 11:5; 1 Kings 19:19). Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22), attached very great importance to agriculture for the land of Judea, and after the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land, agriculture became one of the foundations of the Mosaic Law. The land belonged to Jehovah. “The land is mine,” God Himself says of it (Lev. 25:23), and in granting it to His people, He commanded that it be divided equally according to the number of males.

Accordingly, under Joshua the land was divided into portions, and each, by a special surveying, received a definite plot (Josh. 27:5 [as given]; Amos 7:17, and elsewhere). The Promised Land was extremely fertile, and agricultural labor was richly rewarded; only sufficient watering was needed. For this, besides springs and streams, the customary autumn and spring rains of Palestine served, along with the abundant dew from heaven, which was highly prized as the greatest of God’s blessings (Deut. 8:7; 11:10–15; 32:2, and elsewhere); artificial means for improving and fertilizing the soil were not neglected either: fields were cleared of stones (Hos. 12:11 [as given]) and weeds (Prov. 24:30, 31), various channels were dug and water was led into the fields (Ps. 1:3; Prov. 21:1), and the soil was fertilized by burning straw, chaff, and the like upon it, and covering it

Agur

(gatherer) (Prov. 30:1) — son of Jakeh, an Israelite sage known for his sayings recorded in chapter 30 of the Book of Proverbs of Solomon. His sayings reveal a man both devout and profound, attentive to the phenomena of nature and human life. Some think that Solomon is meant under this name; but Solomon had no grounds for so concealing his name, nor could he, the richest king on the whole earth, ask God not to give him poverty or riches.

Ah!

— an exclamatory interjection expressing joy, sorrow, or sometimes regret or contempt in general (Ezek. 25:3), and almost synonymous with the interjection Oh! found in several places of Holy Scripture, as for instance in Isaiah 1:24 and Э! (“E!”) in Mark 15:29; it is sometimes also used in the sense of an adversative conjunction (Jer. 1:6).

Ahab

(father’s brother) (1 Kings 16:29) — son of Omri and his successor, eighth king of Israel. He reigned 22 years (925–903 B.C.), and the seat of his kingdom was Samaria. He was married to Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon, a depraved and impious woman. She was a coarse idolater, and Ahab, following her example in everything, became likewise a worshiper of Baal, and even planted a grove and built an altar for this abominable idol-worship. Already in the early years of Ahab’s reign the sacred historian remarks: “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him” (1 Kings 16:30).

Ahalia, otherwise Sahalia

(ornament of God) (Neh. 1:1; 10:1) — father of Nehemiah.

Ahamani

(wise) (1 Chron. 11:11) — one of David’s mighty chief warriors. In 2 Samuel (23:8) he is called Josheb-basshebeth [as given].

Ahasbai Asbites

(flourishing, radiant) (2 Sam. 23:34) — father of Eliphelet, one of King David’s mighty men. In 1 Chronicles (11:35) he is called the son of Ur.

Ahashtari

(royal messenger) (1 Chron. 4:6) — of the sons of Naarah, of the descendants of Judah.

Ahasuerus (Ashur)

— a title of various Persian kings. The explanation of this name, according to Fürst, is “prince and head”; according to Gesenius, “lion-king.” In the Bible, under this name, the following kings are mentioned: a) (Dan. 9:1) Astyages, king of Media, son of Cyaxares, father of Darius the Mede, grandfather of Cyrus; b) (Ezra 4:6) Cambyses, son and successor of Cyrus, king of Persia; c) (Esther 1:1) son and successor of Darius son of Hystaspes, Xerxes, king of Persia.

Ahava

(water) (Ezra 8:15) — a region in Assyria, and a river beside which Ezra gathered the remaining Jews to send them to their homeland, and where he proclaimed a fast for them. Some suppose that the river Ahava flowed through the country called Ivvah (2 Kings 17:24), but its exact location is unknown.

Ahaz

(2 Chron. 28:1) (possessor) — was the son of Jotham and inherited the throne of the king of Judah at the age of 20; he gave himself over to gross idolatry and even sacrificed his own children to pagan gods. This impiety brought down upon him and his kingdom the severe judgment of God. Ahaz at last gave himself over to the utmost impiety, and the kingdom of Judah was devastated and turned into a wasteland as a result of his great iniquities. At the beginning of his reign (probably in the second year), the kings of Syria and Israel, who had already conspired to destroy Judah at the end of Jotham’s life, indeed invaded the kingdom of Judah with large armies, preparing to besiege Jerusalem.

At this, their design, the Lord commanded the prophet Isaiah to take his son Shear-jashub and go to Ahaz, whom he could meet at a certain well-known place in the city of Jerusalem, and to declare to him the will of the Lord. This mercy was shown to the impious king as the representative of the house of David, for the sake of his people, with whom the Lord had made a covenant (Isa. 7:1). Isaiah, meeting Ahaz at the appointed place, told him that the plans of the armies about to attack Jerusalem would come to nothing, that their designs regarding Jerusalem would be brought to naught, and that in due time the kingdoms from which they came would be destroyed.

In confirmation of this prophecy, the king was offered the chance to ask for any sign he wished. The king, probably out of a feeling of indifference, or perhaps from better motives, refused to ask for a sign (Isa. 7:14 [as given]); but the Lord Himself was pleased to give him the following sign through the prophet: “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign,” said the prophet: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings” (Isa. 7:14–16; Matt. 1:23). Three or four years after this prophecy was uttered, the kings of Israel and Syria were slain (2 Kings 15:30; 16:9). This was probably the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy, but it received a more striking and literal fulfillment in the very birth of Immanuel, for Herod the Great was the last king who had a right to the title of king of Judah and Israel, and though he lived to the time of Immanuel’s birth, he died while the Lord Jesus was still an infant, and then was fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:10).

Ahaz

(1 Chron. 8:35) — son of Micah, of the descendants of Jonathan, a Benjamite.

Ahaziah

(whom the LORD sustains)—the name of two kings:

Ahban Achabar

(beloved) (1 Chron. 2:29) — son of Abishur, of the descendants of Judah.

Aher Asom Aor

(another) (1 Chron. 7:12) — a Benjamite, father of Hushim.

Ahi

(brother of Jehovah) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 5:15) son of Abdiel, of the tribe of Gad, who lived in Gilead, in Bashan; b) (1 Chron. 7:34) a descendant of Asher, one of the four sons of Shemer.

Ahiacharus

(Tobit 1:21, 22) — cupbearer and keeper of the royal signet ring, steward and treasurer of Sennacherib, king of Nineveh, nephew of Tobit, son of Tobit’s brother Anael, who provided for Tobit during his blindness.

Ahiam

(brother of the mother) (2 Sam. 23:33) — one of David’s thirty mighty men, son of Sharar the Hararite, called in 1 Chronicles (11:35) the son of Sacar the Hararite.

Ahian Aim

(brotherly) (1 Chron. 7:19) — son of Shemida.

Ahiezer

(brother of help) — the name of two persons: a) (Num. 1:12) son of Ammishaddai, of the tribe of Dan; b) (1 Chron. 12:3) a Benjamite, chief of the archers, or bowmen, in the reign of David.

Ahihud

(brother of union) (1 Chron. 8:7) — a chief of the tribe of Asher.

Ahihud

(brother of the Jews) (Num. 34:27) — chief of the tribe of Asher, son of Shelomi.

Ahijah

(friend of Jehovah) — the name of the following persons: a) (1 Kings 4:3) son of Shisha, one of Solomon’s scribes; b) (1 Sam. 14:3–18) son of Ahitub, descendant of the high priest Eli, who lived in Shiloh at the end of Saul’s reign; c) (1 Kings 11:29) the prophet Elijah [as given; recte Ahijah], who lived in Shiloh. He probably encouraged Solomon in building the Temple, and threatened him with the destruction of his kingdom after his shameful fall (1 Kings 11:11 [rather 6:11]; 9:6).

He lived to a great old age (1 Kings 14:4); d) (1 Kings 15:27–33) father of Baasha, king of Israel, of the tribe of Issachar; e) (1 Chron. 2:25) son of Jerahmeel, firstborn of Hezron, of the tribe of Judah; f) (Neh. 10:26) one of the chiefs of the people who set his seal to the covenant written by Nehemiah; g) (2 Esdras 1:2 [as given]) son of Phinehas, high priest, of the ancestors of Ezra; h) (1 Chron. 8:7) a Benjamite, of the sons of Ehud; i) (1 Chron. 11:36) a Pelonite, one of David’s chief warriors.

Ahikam

(brother of the rising sun, or, according to Gesenius, of the enemy) (Jer. 26:24) — father of Gedaliah, son of Shaphan, of the famous princes under the kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. He strove earnestly to save the life of the prophet Jeremiah.

Ahilud

(brother of one born) — the name of two persons: a) (2 Sam. 8:16) father of Jehoshaphat, who was recorder in the reign of David, also mentioned with his son in 2 Samuel (20:24) and 1 Kings (4:3); b) (1 Kings 4:12) father of Baana, one of Solomon’s twelve officers.

Ahimaaz

(brother of anger) — the name of three persons: a) (1 Sam. 14:50) father of Ahinoam, wife of King Saul; b) (2 Sam. 15:36; 17:17–20) son and successor of Zadok the high priest. During Absalom’s rebellion, Zadok and Abiathar, another priest, stationed themselves in Jerusalem together with Hushai, David’s friend, while Ahimaaz and another young man, Jonathan, son of Abiathar, stationed themselves at En-rogel, near the city, and agreed among themselves that whatever Hushai heard concerning Absalom’s plan, he would report it to Zadok and Abiathar, who would tell their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan, through whom the news would reach David.

When Absalom rejected Ahithophel’s counsel and accepted Hushai’s counsel, Zadok and Abiathar were immediately informed of this, as a result of which they arranged, with all possible speed, to send this news to David. But perhaps to avoid suspicion, the message was sent by a woman alone. This handoff was seen by a young man, who at once set out and informed Absalom of it. Ahimaaz and his companion nevertheless set out on their way, and when they arrived at Bahurim, whose location is now unknown, they hid in a well to avoid being observed by their pursuers.

The woman of the house near which they hid covered the mouth of the well with a covering and spread grain over it, so that nothing was noticeable, and when Absalom’s messengers approached this place and asked where Ahimaaz and Jonathan were, she deceived them, saying that the young men had hurried on and crossed the river at the ford. Thus they escaped danger, and while their pursuers returned to Jerusalem, they hastened to David with their news. At his earnest request, Ahimaaz was authorized to bring David news of Absalom’s death, his father’s.

He got ahead of Hushai [Cushi, as given], who had been sent earlier with the same news; but before he could deliver the news, Hushai [Cushi] ran up and told of the sad event. According to Josephus, Ahimaaz afterward became high priest, which is also indicated in 1 Chronicles (6:8, 15 [as given]).

Ahiman

(brother of a gift) (Num. 13:22) — a Levite, a gatekeeper, one of the three sons of Anak, who lived in Hebron at the time the spies came from the wilderness of Paran with news of the land of Canaan. Caleb drove them out of this city (Josh. 15:14), and in battle they lost their lives (Judg. [reference incomplete in source]).

Ahimelech

— the name of the following persons: a) (1 Sam. 21:1) (brother of the king). Some think that Ahimelech was the same person as Ahijah; but others suppose that Ahijah was the son of Ahitub and his successor in the priesthood, and that Ahimelech was his brother and successor in the same office. It is not essential for us which of these opinions is more correct. David, while fleeing from Saul, came to Nob, where the high priest Ahimelech lived. He said of himself that he was on urgent royal business, and thus received from him some of the showbread, as well as the sword of Goliath, which was kept among certain sacred objects.

Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief servant, who happened to be at Nob and witnessed the meeting between David and Ahimelech, told Saul of this, and Saul at once summoned Ahimelech and all the priests who were with him (22:17). He accused them of deliberately supporting and aiding his enemy, and they answered by declaring their ignorance of any hostile relations between David and Saul or his kingdom. This explanation, however plausible, did not help them at all, and the king ordered his soldiers to strike them down.

When the soldiers refused to lay hands on the priests of the Lord, the king ordered Doeg to attack them. The foreigner did so and killed them, and also destroyed with the sword the city of Nob, where the priests lived, and all the men, women, and children, as well as the flocks found there. Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, was the only one who escaped — he fled with the ephod to David. In the Gospel of Mark (2:26), instead of the name Ahimelech (1 Sam. 21:1–10), the name Abiathar is mentioned.

This apparent contradiction is explained by the fact that Ahimelech, like his son Abiathar, bore two names, namely Ahimelech and Abiathar (Sacred History of the Old Testament, Archpriest Bogoslovsky, I, 236, note).

Ahimoth Achimoth

(brother of death) (1 Chron. 6:25) — a Levite of the descendants of Kohath, son of Elkanah. It is thought that this is the same person called Mahath in verse 35. Ahimoth, however, lived in the days of David, while Mahath, in the aforementioned passage, is represented as living in the days of Hezekiah.

Ahinadab Achinadab

(from the Hebrew Achnadav, noble brother) (1 Kings 4:14) — one of Solomon’s officers, who supplied provisions monthly for the king and his household. He was the son of Iddo and lived in Mahanaim, east of the Jordan.

Ahinoam

(brother of grace) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Sam. 14:50) daughter of Ahimaaz and wife of Saul; b) (1 Sam. 25:43) a woman of Jezreel, one of David’s wives. She was taken captive by the Amalekites at the sack of Ziklag, and afterward freed from captivity by David (1 Sam. 30:18). Ahinoam was the mother of David’s eldest son, Amnon (2 Sam. 3:2).

Ahio

(God is life) (1 Kings 16:24) — a man of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho in the days of Ahab, thereby violating the curse laid upon this city by Joshua (Josh. 5:1–26 [as given]), which brought upon himself the curse and upon his family the judgment of God, accompanied by the loss of his sons: his firstborn Abiram, who died at the laying of the city’s foundation, and his younger son Segub, who died when the city’s gates were set up (Josh. 6:25 [as given]). “He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and in his youngest son Segub set up the gates of it, according to the word of the Lord, which He spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

Ahio

(from the Hebrew Achyo, brotherly) — the name of three persons mentioned in Holy Scripture: a) (2 Sam. 6:3, 4) son of Abinadab, who together with his brother Uzzah was charged by David to carry the Ark of the Covenant from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem; b) (1 Chron. 8:14) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Beriah, who drove the Canaanites out of Gath; c) (1 Chron. 8:31) a Benjamite, son of Jeiel, founder of Gibeon.

Ahira

(brother of evil) (Num. 1:15; 2:29; 7:78) — son of Enan, a descendant of the tribe of Naphtali. He was prince of the tribe of Naphtali, in the second year after the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt.

Ahiram Manasse

(brother of the exalted one) (Num. 26:38) — according to some, he is the same person as Ehi, mentioned in the Book of Genesis (46:21).

Ahisamach

(brother of help) (Exod. 31:6) — of the tribe of Dan, father of Oholiab.

Ahishahar Achisaar

(friend of the dawn) (1 Chron. 7:10) — a Benjamite, son of Bilhan and grandson of Jediael.

Ahishar

(brother of the singer, or brother of righteousness) (1 Kings 4:6) — chief steward of Solomon’s palace.

Ahithophel

(2 Sam. 15:12) (brother of folly, foolishness) — a native of Giloh, a close friend, companion, and counselor of David (2 Chron. [rather, 2 Sam.] 27:33 [as given]). He was undoubtedly one of the most eminent legal minds of his time. His counsel was regarded as the word of the Lord (2 Sam. 16:23). Absalom followed Ahithophel’s counsel in one matter — that is, when he went in to David’s concubines, so that the people might know that all bond between father and son was broken. Absalom persuaded him to join the conspiracy against his father David, but the drastic measures proposed by Ahithophel for carrying out Absalom’s ambitious plans were all set aside in favor of Hushai’s counsel.

Ahithophel, seeing that the certain outcome of the conspiracy would be Absalom’s ruin and the failure of his cause, which would undoubtedly be followed by his own downfall, returned to Giloh, and there in despair hanged himself and was buried in the tomb of his father (2 Sam. 17:20).

Ahitov.

See 2 Esdras 8:2. According to Ezra (7:2), this is the high priest Ahitub.

Ahitub

(brother of goodness) — the name of the following four persons: a) (1 Sam. 14:3) son of Phinehas and grandson of the high priest Eli. Some think that he succeeded Eli in the office of high priest; b) (1 Chron. 6:8) son of Amariah and father of the high priest Zadok; c) (2 Esdras 8:2) a high priest in the genealogy of Ezra; d) (1 Chron. 9:11) father of Meraioth, of the ancestors of Seraiah, or Azariah.

Ahiv.

See 2 Esdras 5:31. In Ezra (2:51) it reads: Hakupha.

Ahlab Dalaph

(fat, fertile place) (Judg. 1:31) — a city of the tribe of Asher. “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties” (Gen. 49:20): such was Jacob’s prophecy concerning the tribe of Asher, and in the name of this city (fat, fertile place) it was fully realized. The city, however, remained, at least for a time, in the power of the Canaanites, since Asher did not drive out its former Canaanite inhabitants.

Ahlai

(oh, if only… an expression of wishing) — the name of two persons mentioned in Holy Scripture: a) (1 Chron. 2:31) son of Sheshan and grandson of Ishi, of the descendants of Judah; b) (1 Chron. 11:41) father of Zabad, one of David’s chief warriors.

Ahoah Achia

(brotherhood) (1 Chron. 8:4) — son of Bela and grandson of Benjamin.

Ahohite

(2 Sam. 23:9). Thus is named Eleazar, one of David’s mighty men, son of Dodo, son of Ahohi.

Ahum

(brother of water) (1 Chron. 4:2) — a descendant of the patriarch Judah, through his brother Shobal.

Ahuzam

(possession) (1 Chron. 4:6) — of the sons of Ashhur, by his wife Naarah.

Ahuzzath Ochozath

(Gen. 26:26) — a close friend of Abimelech, king of Gerar, present at the meeting between Abimelech and Isaac.

Ahzai Mesarimith

(Neh. 11:13) (protector, defender) — a priest, son of Meshillemoth. In the parallel place (1 Chron. 9:12) he is read as Jahzerah.

Aiah

(bird of prey) — the name of the following persons: a) (Gen. 36:24) son of Zibeon, uncle of Esau’s wife Oholibamah; b) (2 Sam. 3:7; 21:8) father of Rizpah, Saul’s concubine.

Aidiah.

See 2 Esdras 9:27. In the Book of Ezra (10:26) it reads: Eliah.

Ajalon

(valley of gazelles): a) (Josh. 10:12; 2 Chron. 28:18) a Canaanite settlement located in the tribe of Dan, between Jerusalem and Ekron. Near Ajalon is a valley of the same name, memorable for the miracle of Joshua. It is now known by the new name Yalo, and lies fourteen English miles from Jerusalem, north of the road to Jaffa; b) (Judg. 12:12) a city in the land of Zebulun, where the judge Elon was buried. The location of this city is at present unknown.

Akan Jucam

(Gen. 36:27) (piercing, sharp-sighted) — one of the sons of Ezer the Horite. His descendants gave their name to a camp in the wilderness: Bene-jaakan.

Akan Jucam

(Gen. 36:27)—a son of Ezer and a Horite clan figure in the genealogies of Seir. The name appears with variant spelling in parallel traditions.

Akatan. Acatan

See 2 Esdras 8:38. In Ezra 8:13 it reads: Hakkatan.

Akeldama

(Acts 1:19) (a Syriac word, meaning field or village of blood) occurs only in the cited passage, as the name of a piece of land bought with the thirty pieces of silver received by Judas for betraying the Savior and afterward returned by him to the Jewish high priests, who, however, considering it unlawful to put it into the temple treasury, since it was the price of blood, bought with it the potter’s field for the burial of strangers (Matt. 27:6–8). Hence its name: Akeldama. This place was located southeast of the Valley of Hinnom, south of Zion, and was originally called, as noted above, the potter’s field, since it yielded a kind of clay suitable for pottery-making.

Akeldama continued to serve as a burial place until relatively recent times. As late as the seventh century, Armenian Christians living in Jerusalem were buried here. In the Middle Ages it was commonly believed that earth taken from this field possessed the peculiar property of dissolving the bodies of the dead within a few days; for this reason, at that time, whole shiploads of Akeldama earth were brought for the cemeteries of the city of Pisa in Italy. In Akeldama there still stands to this day a stone structure, now half-ruined, with an arched roof, deeply sunk into the ground but without any entrance.

According to D. Stanley, it served in antiquity as a burial place for strangers. This ancient monument can be seen from afar, and appears to be partly of ancient and partly of more recent construction.

Akkad

(Gen. 10:10) (meaning unknown) — a fortress or city built by Nimrod in the land of Shinar, or Babylonia. Recent travelers affirm that the ruins of this ancient city can still be seen six English miles (about nine Russian versts) from the present city of Baghdad.

Akkav

(2 Esdras 5:30) — a person identical with Hagab (Ezra 2:46 [as given]).

Akkos Accoz

(1 Macc. 8:17) — father of John and grandfather of Eupolemus, mentioned in the cited passage.

Akkos. Accoz

See 2 Esdras 5:38. In the parallel place in the Book of Ezra (2:63) it reads: Hakkoz.

Akkub, and Akkuv

(crafty): a) (1 Chron. 3:24) a descendant of Jeconiah; b) (1 Chron. 9:17, 18) a gatekeeper at the gates of the royal court; c) (Ezra 2:45) of the Nethinim, whose sons returned from captivity with Zerubbabel; d) (Neh. 8:7) one of those given the charge of explaining the Book of the Law to the people.

Akrabbim Acrabin

(scorpions) (Num. 34:4) — a chain of hills on the southern border of Judea, toward the Dead Sea. From the name it may be inferred that scorpions were once found there, with which it still continues to abound.

Akuv and Akuf.

See 2 Esdras 4:30, 31. In Ezra 2:45, instead of Akuv, it reads: Akuf.

Alabaster

(a small flask) (Matt. 26:4, 5 [as given]; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37) — a kind of white, fine-grained, dense, dark stone of the gypsum family, capable of a fine polish, from which various alabaster articles were made. It takes its name from the alabaster mountain and city in the Thebaid, in Egypt (now the mountain of St. Anthony). Egyptian apothecaries still use alabaster vessels for storing medicines and perfumes. The ancients used alabaster for various articles; from it were made vases, urns, flasks, small bottles, and others.

Alammelech

(royal oak) (Josh. 19:26) — a border city in the territory of the tribe of Asher.

Alamoth

(Ps. 46 [45]:1; 1 Chron. 15:20) — a musical instrument among the Hebrews, and a known melody for singing (in a high voice).

Alcimus

(strong, brave) (1 Macc. 7:5; 9:12) — an unworthy Jewish high priest in the time of the Maccabees, who slandered Judas Maccabeus before King Demetrius Soter, and thereby brought many calamities upon the Jews. He died in terrible torment, at the very time when, in view of a close rapprochement with the Greeks, he had ordered the stone barrier separating the inner court from the court of the Gentiles to be broken down in the Temple of Jerusalem; namely, he was struck with a severe stroke and could not utter a single word.

Alema

(1 Macc. 5:26) — one of the great and fortified cities of Gilead.

Alemeth

(a covering) — the proper name of a city and of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 6:60) a city in the tribe of Benjamin, the same which in the Book of Joshua (21:18) is called Almon; b) (1 Chron. 7:8) of the sons of Becher, of the tribe of Benjamin; c) (1 Chron. 8:36) son of Jehoaddah.

Alemeth

(refuge) (1 Chron. 6:60) — a priestly city in the tribe of Benjamin, probably the same as Almon. The place where this city stood is now considered identical with Almit, or Almud, north of Jerusalem.

Aleppo, or Haleb.

See Syria.

Alexander

: a) (1 Macc. 1:1) king of Macedon, son of Philip II, greatest of conquerors. His famous history is, without doubt, known to every reader of world history. In Holy Scripture the kingdom of Alexander of Macedon is symbolically depicted in various visions of the prophet Daniel, such as: in the great image seen in a dream by King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:32–39); in the vision of four great beasts (Dan. 7:6); in the vision of the ram with two horns and the goat with one horn, out of which afterward grew four horns (Dan. 8:5–8);

Alexandria

(Acts 18:24; 27:6) (a city named after Alexander) — a famous city, founded by Alexander the Great in Egypt around the year 333 B.C. It was located on a promontory jutting into the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, between the Mediterranean and Lake Mareotis, further south than the present-day city of the same name. Ancient Alexandria was once a center of science and learning; it rivaled Rome in extent, and was once reckoned the foremost commercial city on earth. Historians relate that the free population of Alexandria exceeded 300,000, and that it had at the same time an equal number of slaves. Its ancient magnificence may be judged from the ruins of ancient streets, fragments of columns, and temple obelisks.

Alexandrians

(Acts 6:9) — Jews from Alexandria, who were present in Jerusalem when Stephen preached there, where they had their own synagogue. It may be that the Libertines and Cyrenians worshiped in the synagogue together with them, or it may be that each sect, or school, had its own separate synagogue. In either case, the writer of the Book of Acts says that some of them were of the so-called synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians.

Alleluia

(Rev. 19:1) — a Hebrew word, Hallel, meaning “praise God.” This word was a common exclamation of joy and praise in Hebrew worship; it opens and closes several of the psalms, as for instance Psalms 112–117 [in the Hebrew numbering]. St. John the Theologian, in a solemn heavenly hymn sung by the angel who came down from heaven, after a prophetic depiction of God’s righteous judgment upon Babylon, heard “as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (19:6).

The hymn sung by the Lord together with the apostles after the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30) was, it appears, likewise one of the psalms of praise. This song is still used to this day in the worship of the Christian Church.

Allikin.

See 2 Esdras 5:34. In Ezra 2:57 it reads: Ami.

Allon

(oak) (1 Chron. 4:37) — one of the ancestors of Ziza, a chief of the tribe of Simeon in the reign of Hezekiah.

Almighty

(Hebrew: Shaddai) (Gen. 17:1; 48:3; Exod. 6:2, 3; Job 5:17, and elsewhere) — one of the most essential attributes of God. Under this name the Lord appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus He Himself says of Himself to Moses (Exod. 6:2, 3): “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” The omnipotence of God is especially revealed in the history of His creation, providence, redemption, and retribution.

Almodad, otherwise Elmodad

— the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 1:20) son of Joktan, second son of Eber, forefather of one of the tribes dwelling in Arabia Felix; b) (Luke 3:28) one of those mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus.

Almon

(Josh. 21:18). See Alemeth.

Almon-diblathaim Gelmon Deblathaim

(hidden place) (Num. 33:46–47) — one of the last encampments of Israel in the wilderness, apparently identical with Beth-diblathaim in the prophet Jeremiah (48:22).

Almond tree

(Gen. 43:11)—a well-known fruit, considered one of the finest products of the garden of the land of Canaan. The leaves and blossoms of this tree resemble those of the peach tree, and it is notable for its ability to yield ripe fruit early: it blossoms in January and bears fruit in April. The fruit is covered with a thick husk which opens of itself when the fruit ripens. The almond tree is cultivated with particular care at the present time in England for the sake of its fragrant blossoms, and in the southern countries of Europe for export.

In Holy Scripture there are several important references to this tree. When Jacob sent his sons to Egypt a second time for grain, he gave them various gifts for Joseph, among which were almonds (Gen. 43:11). In the construction of the seven-branched lampstand for the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the Lord commanded that cups be made upon it after the fashion of almond blossoms (Ex. 25:33). Aaron’s rod in the Tabernacle of the Testimony miraculously blossomed, put forth buds, produced flowers, and bore almonds (Num. 17:8).

In the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:5), the early blossoming of the almond tree is presented as a symbol of the early appearance of gray hair on the head, and of old age in general. The same expression is repeated in the Book of the prophet Jeremiah (1:11) to signify the immediate fulfillment of the commands of God. From the almond tree is produced the well-known almond oil for household and medicinal use. Sweet almond nuts are eaten as a dessert. The almond tree reaches a height of twenty feet, and is at present a valuable plant in Palestine, where its cultivation is a special occupation.

Alms

(Matt. 6:1, Acts 9:36)—by this word are meant works of Christian love, works of corporal mercy. The giving of alms constitutes an important Christian duty, prescribed to us in Holy Scripture (Acts 10:2–4). The provisions of the Law of Moses concerning the poor are, of course, well known to every attentive reader of the Bible—so thoroughly considered and humane were they. During the earthly life of the Lord Jesus, owing to the decline of the people’s prosperity, the seeking of alms, especially in the streets of Jerusalem, came into almost universal practice among the Jewish poor, and the distribution of alms became almost a necessary duty.

Alnaathan.

See 2 Esdras 8:43. In Ezra 8:16 it reads: Elnathan.

Aloe

(Song of Songs 4:14) — a well-known exotic plant, having broad and very thick leaves with thorns at the tips. The sap of this plant yields a medicinal remedy known as aloes, which, according to the testimony of naturalists, was also used in anointing the bodies of the dead. Nicodemus, at the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds (John 19:39); it was also used as a fragrance in homes. On the Cape of Good Hope and the islands of Sumatra and Ceylon are found various species of this tree.

Alphaeus

(learned leader) (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). It is generally thought that two persons are meant in the passages cited: a) the father of one of the apostles, James the Less (Matt. 10:3); b) (Mark 2:14) father of Matthew, or Levi, the evangelist. In the opinion of most, the first Alphaeus was the same person as Clopas, mentioned by the Evangelist John (19:25), and that he was the husband of Mary, sister of the Mother of the Lord, and that therefore James and Judas, his sons, are called brethren of the Lord (compare Matt. 13:55 and 27:56; Mark 15:40 [as given]; Luke 24:10).

Altaney.

See 2 Esdras 9:33. In Ezra 10:33 it reads: Mattenai.

Altar

(Ps. 50 [51]:21 [19]; Gen. 8:20) — a structure of a special kind, intended exclusively for offering sacrifices according to Jewish law. Although sacrifices were offered even before the Flood, the word “altar” occurs for the first time only after Noah’s departure from the ark.

Altar

(Gen. 8:20) — a structure intended exclusively for offering sacrifices to God. Although sacrifices existed even before the Flood, the word “altar” is used for the first time in the Bible after Noah came forth from the ark. The building of altars in connection with calling upon the name of God is frequently found in the time of the Patriarchal Church, at places of divine appearances (Gen. 12:7; 13:18; 26:25, and elsewhere). Altars took various forms and in the earliest period were built very simply, without elaboration.

In all likelihood they consisted at that time of a square heap of stones or of a simple mound of earth. The altar on which Jacob offered sacrifice to God at Bethel, pouring oil upon it, was a simple stone that had served him as a pillow during the night (Gen. 28:18). The altar built by Moses at God’s command was made simply of earth. If altars were made of stones, they were not to be hewn stones; for “if thou lift up thy tool upon them,” God said to Moses, “thou hast polluted them” (Exod. 20:25).

No steps were to be used at the altar, and the ascent to it was made by a sloping incline in place of stairs (v. 26). Altars generally had so-called “horns” (Exod. 27:2), to which the sacrificial victim was customarily bound (Ps. 118:27 [117:27]). Altars were also built in commemoration of especially notable events, such as the defeat of the Amalekites (Exod. 17:15). For offering sacrifice to the false gods of the pagans, altars were often set up in groves and on high places, where at various times abominable scenes of debauchery and idolatry took place. At God’s command, Moses built two altars: one for burnt offerings, the other for incense.

Altar of incense

- see Altar.

Alush Aelus

(place of wild beasts) (Num. 33:13, 14) — the tenth encampment of the Hebrews in the wilderness, between Dophkah and Rephidim. According to the testimony of Eusebius, it was located in Idumea, called Gabalene, near Petra, but this opinion is scarcely reliable; it seems more correct to seek the location of Alush northwest of Mount Serbal, and at some distance from the Red Sea.

Alvah Gola

(injustice) (Gen. 36:40) — the name of an Edomite chieftain mentioned in the cited passage.

Alvan Sobal Golam

(unrighteousness) (Gen. 36:23) — one of the sons of Shobal the Horite chieftain.

Amad Amiel

(eternal people) (Josh. 19:26) — the name of a city in the territory of the tribe of Asher.

Amadab

(Esther 3:1) (a Persian name) — father of Haman, well known at the court of Artaxerxes, a dignitary, by birth an Agagite [as given: “Bugean”].

Amal

(bearer of labor) (1 Chron. 7:35) — son of Helem, of the tribe of Asher.

Amalek

(meaning of the word unknown) (Gen. 36:12–16) — was the son of Eliphaz and great-grandson of Esau, one of the chieftains of Idumea. His mother’s name was Timna, and although she is called only a concubine, or second wife, of Eliphaz, Amalek evidently occupied a position equal to that of the other sons of his father. Some think that he was the forefather of the Amalekites, but this people is mentioned as already powerful long before Amalek’s birth (Gen. 14:7). Among the Arabs there is a tradition that he was a son of Ham.

Amam

(mother) (Josh. 15:26) — a city in the south of the tribe of Judah; its location unknown, and the meaning of the name uncertain.

Amana Faith

(firm) (Song of Songs 4:8) — the southern peak of one of the Lebanon mountains, so named probably after the river of that name, which flowed from this mountain.

Amariah

(promised by God) — the name of various priests, Levites, and other persons mentioned in Holy Scripture, such as: a) (1 Chron. 6:7) son of Meraioth, descendant of Eleazar; b) (1 Chron. 23:19) of the sons of Hebron, son of Kohath; c) (2 Chron. 19:11) high priest in the days of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; d) (2 Chron. 31:15) of the Levites, in the days of King Hezekiah; e) (Ezra 10:42) son of Bani, of the Israelites; f) (Neh. 11:4) descendant of Perez, of the tribe of Judah; g) (Neh. 10:3) a priest under Nehemiah; h) (Neh. 12:2, 13) of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel from the Babylonian captivity; i) (Zeph. 1:1) great-great-grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah.

Amasa

(burden, weight) (2 Chron. 28:12) — son of Hadlai, one of the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim, in the days of Ahaz.

Amasa, Amasai

(1 Chron. 2:17; 2 Sam. 17:25) (burden, weight) — son of Jether, who is everywhere called Ithra the Israelite [as given]. Absalom placed him at the head of his forces during the revolt against his father David, but he was defeated by his cousin Joab. Afterward David, learning of the kinship between them, not only forgave Amasa but even made him commander of his army in Joab’s place. After the revolt of Sheba, David ordered Amasa to gather the people within three days and go with him to put down the rebellion; but because of his delay, the king sent Abishai with such forces as could be gathered in the time given, and together with Joab they pursued Sheba.

At the appointed place, near Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Joab, jealous and offended, approached Amasa as if to greet him, took him by the beard as if to kiss him, and at the same moment gave him a mortal wound. Amasa lay for a time by the road, wallowing in his blood, until he was found and covered with a garment. The murder of Amasa restored to Joab his former high position, and David, it seems, made no attempt at that time to avenge his death. But when he was dying, he charged Solomon to punish Joab for having shed the blood of Amasa and others.

Amasai

(bearer of a burden) — the name of four persons: a) (1 Chron. 6:25) a Levite, one of the sons of Elkanah, of the chiefs over the singers, under whose command were 200,000 outstanding warriors [note: this detail belongs to entry b) below in the source]; b) (1 Chron. 12:18) one of the mighty men of the tribe of Judah who went over to David at Ziklag; c) (1 Chron. 15:24) one of the priests, in the days of David; d) (2 Chron. 29:12) father of Mahath, of the Levites, under King Hezekiah.

Amashsai Amasia

(brave warrior, warrior of spoil) (Neh. 11:13) — son of Azarel, one of those chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem after the captivity.

Amaziah

(true) — the name of two persons: a) (2 Kings 14:25; Jonah 1:1) father of the prophet Jonah; b) See 2 Esdras 9:29. In Ezra 10:28 it reads: Elioenai.

Ambush

(Judg. 9:25)—fighters concealed in order to surprise an enemy or travelers. The men of Shechem set ambushers on the mountaintops against Abimelech and robbed those who passed by. Scripture records ambush as a military tactic without thereby approving robbery or treachery.

Amen

(truly, so be it) (Deut. 27:15). This word, though used in various ways, essentially has one and the same meaning. It serves as a confirmation of a reply and is used to express agreement or complete assent. It is sometimes translated by the word “verily,” and was often used by the Lord when He uttered some important and certain truth. The repetition of this word — “verily, verily, I say unto you” — strengthens the affirmation. Among the early Christians it was customary for all present at worship to say “Amen!” at the end of every prayer, or at the giving of thanks (1 Cor. 14:16).

Jewish writers say: there is nothing higher in the eyes of God than the word “amen,” by which an Israelite confirms his word. The promises of God are “amen,” because they have become sure and certain in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). The word “Amen” serves as one of the titles of our Lord (Rev. 3:14), since He is the faithful and true Witness. The words “Amen and Amen” serve as an eloquent and elevated conclusion to one of David’s solemn songs (Ps. 41 [41]:13 [14]).

Amethyst

(Exod. 39:12) — one of the precious stones in the high priest’s breastplate, namely the third, in the third row; it occurs in various colors, but chiefly purple. This word occurs in the New Testament only once, namely in Revelation 21:20, where it is said that the twelfth foundation of the new Jerusalem was amethyst. The name of the stone, it is thought, derives from a word meaning “wine.” The ancient Greeks considered it an amulet, protecting against drunkenness.

Ami Aseboim Emei

(Ezra 2:57) — head of one of the families that returned from Babylon.

Aminadab.

See Abinadab.

Amma

(foundation of something) (2 Sam. 2:24) — a hill in the northern part of the tribe of Benjamin, on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon, to which Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, after the bloody battle between twelve men on Abner’s side and twelve on Joab’s side.

Ammad

(1 Sam. 30:28 [as given]) — a city unknown from other places in Holy Scripture.

Ammi

(my people) (Hos. 2:1) — in the cited passage, the prophet addresses his words to the children of Israel: “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi (my people); and to your sisters, Ruhamah (having obtained mercy)” — that is, I will again call the people once unpitied by the name of My people, that is, the people who have obtained mercy.

Ammidoi.

See 2 Esdras 5:20.

Ammiel

— the name of the following persons: a) (Num. 13:12) one of the twelve spies sent by Moses, at God’s command, to survey the land of Canaan. He was of the tribe of Dan; b) (2 Sam. 9:4) father of Machir, in whose house Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, lived, and who provided food and household goods for David and those with him at Mahanaim; c) (1 Chron. 26:5) one of the Levites appointed by David to be among the gatekeepers of the Temple; d) (1 Chron. 3:5) father of Bathsheba, wife of David, mother of Solomon. In 1 Kings 11:3 [as given] he is called Eliam.

Ammihud

(according to Gesenius, one of the tribe of Judah) — the name of various persons mentioned in Holy Scripture, such as: a) (Num. 1:10; 2:18) father of Elishama, chief of the sons of the tribe of Ephraim, at the numbering of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai; b) (Num. 34:28) father of Pedahel, of the sons of Naphtali, present together with other men at the division of the land of Canaan; c) (1 Chron. 9:4) father of Uthai, mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah; d) (Num. 34:20) father of Samuel, of the sons of Simeon, present at the division of the land of Canaan.

Ammihud

(see Ammihud) (2 Sam. 13:37) — father of Talmai, king of Geshur, with whom Absalom remained three years after his flight from David.

Ammishaddai Amisadai

(people of the Almighty) (Num. 1:12; 2:25) — father of Ahiezer, chief of the sons of Dan, one of the leading men present with Moses at Sinai for the numbering of the people.

Ammizabad Zabad

(servant of the bountiful God) (1 Chron. 27:6) — of the sons of Benaiah, one of David’s chief commanders.

Ammon

(son of my kindred) (Gen. 19:38) — son of Lot by his younger daughter, forefather of the Ammonites.

Ammon

(Jer. 46) — the name of an Egyptian deity, mentioned by the prophets Jeremiah (46:25), Ezekiel (30:15), and Nahum (3:8), chiefly in connection with the city of No, or No-Ammon (the Hebrew name of the city of Thebes, or, among the Greeks and Romans, Ammon). The deity known as Ammon was the chief god of Diospolis, or Thebes, and was honored much as Zeus, or Jupiter, was among the Greeks. In the deserts of Libya, in the oasis of Siwa, stood the famous temple and oracle of Ammon, once visited by Alexander of Macedon.

Ammonites, or children of Ammon

(Gen. 19:38) — were descendants of Ben-ammi, son of Lot, born of his incest with his younger daughter. He was born near Zoar, and his descendants spread northward and occupied the hill country of Gilead, between the streams Arnon and Jabbok. Originally their territory bordered on the north by the stream Jabbok, on the west by the Jordan, on the south by the Arnon, and extended eastward into Arabia. The Amorites, under their king Sihon, drove the Ammonites from the most fertile part of their territory, lying between the two rivers; but Moses took this land from the Amorites and divided it between the tribes of Reuben and Gad. As a result the western border of the Ammonites became one of the streams of the river Jabbok, by which stood their chief city, Rabbah, or Rabbath-ammon.

The mountains of Gilead formed the eastern boundary of the land of Ammon, and the land of Moab its southern boundary. The children of Ammon gave themselves over to deep idolatry (Judg. 10:6). Their chief idol was Molech, thought to be the same deity as Baal.

Amnon

(constant, faithful) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 3:1) firstborn son of David, born in Hebron of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. He committed a grave sin by violating his (half-)sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13). David was greatly angered at his son for this act of adultery, though he did not punish him; but Amnon’s brother Absalom resolved to avenge the dishonor. Concealing his design for two years, he at last carried it out at his own estate, during a household feast (sheep-shearing), to which Amnon, along with other members of the royal family, had been invited; b) (1 Chron. 4:20) eldest son of Shimon, of the tribe of Judah.

Amok

(deep) (Neh. 12:7, 20) — the name of one of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel from the Babylonian captivity.

Amon

(builder, craftsman) (2 Kings 21:18–26) — fourteenth king of Judah, son and successor of Manasseh. In many ways he resembled his father: he served and worshiped idols, and “forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord” (v. 22), notes the sacred historian — only he did not imitate his father’s repentance and reform. His reign lasted two years. His servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house. “But the people of the land,” notes the sacred writer, “slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.” Amon was buried with his son in the garden of Uzza.

Amon

— the name of two persons mentioned in Holy Scripture: a) (1 Kings 22:26) governor of the city of Samaria, in the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat; b) (Neh. 7:59) of the sons of Solomon’s servants, who returned from captivity with Zerubbabel.

Amos

(burden) a) (Amos 1:1) — one of the minor prophets, who lived in the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah, nearly 800 years before Christ, and a contemporary of Hosea. He was the son of one of the shepherds of the town of Tekoa, belonging to the tribe of Judah, situated ten or fifteen miles south of Jerusalem, on the borders of the great Arabian wilderness (2 Chron. 20:20 [as given]). Here he tended flocks and lived by gathering the fruit of the sycamore tree (Amos 7:14), which, it appears, points to his relatively poor condition, since this fruit served chiefly as food for the poor; it was in this state that he was called by the Lord to the prophetic ministry.

The time and circumstances of his birth and death are unknown. b) (Isa. 1:1; 2:1) father of the prophet Isaiah. It is thought that one of his daughters was the wife of Manasseh.

Amphipolis

(Acts 17:1) — a city of European Turkey, in Macedonia, near the mouth of the river Strymon, founded by Cimon, the famous Athenian general, 500 years before Christ, and once the capital of eastern Macedonia. The ruins of the city still bear witness to how strongly it was once fortified.

Amplias

(great, broad) (Rom. 16:8) — one of the Seventy Apostles. By tradition, he was bishop in Diospolis, in Bithynia, on the Black Sea. His memory is kept on October 31 and January 4.

Amram

(Exod. 6:18) (people of the Most High) — son of Kohath and grandson of Levi; he married Jochebed, his aunt, by whom he had the sons Aaron and Moses, and a daughter, Miriam (Num. 26:59). Such marriages were later forbidden by the Law (Lev. 18:12). He died at the age of 137 (Exod. 6:20). His faith is attested by St. Paul the Apostle (Heb. 11:23). From him descended the clan of Amram.

Amraphel Amarphal

(guardian of the immortals) (Gen. 14:1) — king of Shinar, that is, of Babylonia, who, allying himself with three other kings, made war against Sodom and the other cities lying in the plain of Siddim, where the Dead Sea now is. They plundered these cities and took their inhabitants captive. In the course of one such raid they took captive Lot, Abraham’s nephew, among the prisoners (Gen. 14:12).

Amzi

— the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 6:46) a Levite, an ancestor of the singer Ethan; b) (Neh. 12:12) an ancestor of the priest Adaiah, who lived in Jerusalem after the captivity.

Anab

(place of grape clusters or berries) (Josh. 11:21; 15:50) — a very ancient city in the hill country of Judea. Before the conquest of the land of Canaan by Joshua it was held by the Anakim, descendants of Anak (11:21); after their destruction by Joshua the city fell to the tribe of Judah (15:50). It is probably the same place mentioned under the name Kirjath-Anab, that is, “city of Anab,” in the Egyptian Anastasi papyrus (No. 1, bundle 22, 1, 3). Eusebius and Jerome also mention it in the fourth and fifth centuries of our era as a large settlement, and Robinson has more recently discovered, under this name, a settlement undoubtedly occupying the same location as the ancient city. It probably took its name from the grapes that grew there in abundance.

Anah

(answer) — the name of three persons: a) (Gen. 36:20, 29) of the sons of Seir, a chieftain of Idumea; b) (Gen. 36:24, 25) son of Zibeon the Hivite. “This was that Anah that found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father” (v. 24). c) (1 Kings 10:13 [as given]) mother of Asa, king of Judah, daughter of Absalom. Elsewhere she is called Maachah.

Anaharath Reeroth

(gorge) (Josh. 19:19) — a city of the tribe of Issachar.

Anak, Anakim, sons of Anak

(tall of stature) (Deut. 1:28; Num. 13:23, and elsewhere) — the name of a race of giants, or tall-statured people, first mentioned in the book of Numbers (13:22). They were descended from Arba, who appears to have been one of the leaders of the ancient settlers of southern Palestine, where he became so powerful that the most ancient city of Hebron was called by his name (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 21:11). Anak’s descendants were divided into three tribes, from Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak (Num. 13:22).

Together with the tall Amorites who dwelt in the hill country and were subject to Anak, they struck great fear by their appearance into the spies sent by Joshua to survey the Promised Land. “There we saw the giants, the sons of Anak,” said the spies, “and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Num. 13:33). For this reason the Israelites at that time refused to go up against them; but when, afterward, contrary to the will of God, they went up into the hill country against them, they were utterly defeated (14:45).

From their later history, however, we see that the Israelites’ victory over the Amorites of northern Palestine emboldened them to exterminate this fearsome people completely (Josh. 11:21). Joshua struck them so decisively that, in the words of the sacred writer, “there was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained” (11:21, 22). And indeed, in later times individual descendants of theirs are found scattered among various Philistine cities, as we see in the person of Goliath and in the persons of the gigantic warriors, descendants of the Rephaim, named in 2 Samuel (21:15–22).

Anaka

(groaning) (Lev. 11:20) — a creeping animal, unclean according to the Law of Moses. It is probably the gecko lizard, found in abundance in the countries washed by the Mediterranean Sea, especially Egypt, and whose croaking resembles that of a large frog.

Anam

(groaning of the people) (1 Chron. 7:19) — son of Shemida, a descendant of Manasseh.

Anamim Nephthalim

is mentioned only in the Book of Genesis (10:13) and 1 Chronicles (1:11) — a descendant of Mizraim, from whom, according to Bochart, descended the nomadic people of the Gammani, who wandered near the temple of Jupiter Ammon in the Libyan desert.

Anammelech Anemelech

(2 Kings 17:31) — one of the pagan idol-images of Sepharvaim, having the form of the sun. This deity, it seems, was similar to the idol Moloch, and in his honor the inhabitants of Sepharvaim burned their children, offering them in sacrifice. In Holy Scripture the name Anammelech occurs only once.

Ananeel.

See Hananel.

Anani

(God is a shelter) (1 Chron. 3:24) — one of the seven sons of Elioenai, a descendant of Jeconiah.

Ananias

(grace of Jehovah) — the name of persons mentioned in the Book of Acts and elsewhere: a) (Acts 5:1–10) one of those converted to Christianity through apostolic preaching. When the followers of Christ who owned land sold it and brought the price of what was sold to the apostles, Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, having sold a possession, kept back part of the price and brought and laid the rest at the apostles’ feet. Rebuked by St. Peter the Apostle for his grave sin, for lying to the Holy Spirit, Ananias fell down and gave up the ghost.

His wife Sapphira, who had shared in her husband’s deceit, not knowing of his fatal end, since the young men had carried out his body for burial, upon the apostle’s question — for how much they had sold the land — confirmed Ananias’s lie, and immediately afterward fell down lifeless just as her husband had. As proof of the divinity of the Holy Spirit, St. Peter the Apostle, in the above-mentioned account, directly calls Him God: “Ananias,” he says, “why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost…?” and further notes: “thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts 5:3, 4).

Ananiel

(mercy of God) (Tobit 1:1) — of the tribe of Naphtali, grandfather of Tobit.

Anath

(answer to prayer) (Judg. 3:31) — father of Shamgar, a judge of Israel, who slew six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.

Anathema

(1 Cor. 16:22) (a curse, excommunication). By this word, in a general sense, is meant the devoting of some animal, person, or place to utter destruction, or to divine vengeance (Lev. 27:28; Josh. 6:16). In the narrower sense, in the ancient Christian Church the word “anathema” meant excommunication from the Church, or exclusion from the company of believers, of heretics or impenitent sinners. In the Orthodox Church the rite of excommunicating such persons is still performed to this day on the Sunday of Orthodoxy. In Hebrew the word “anathema” is rendered by the word cherem.

Anathema, Maranatha

(1 Cor. 16:22) — a Syriac exclamation, meaning: “let him be accursed until the coming of the Lord.” With these words the Jews began the severe sentence of utter excommunication, and by the force of these words the guilty one was not only cut off from among them but was, so far as possible, doomed to final destruction. The apostle’s use of this dreadful curse indicates how seriously he regarded the grave sin of not loving the Lord Jesus.

Anathoth

(answer to prayer) — a Levitical city of the tribe of Benjamin, situated a few miles north of Jerusalem. It was the birthplace of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1) and the subject of one of his prophecies (Jer. 11:19–22); Isaiah too prophesied concerning it (Isa. 10:30). Abiathar was banished by Solomon to Anathoth. The sons of Benjamin lived there after the captivity (Neh. 11:32). On the site of the ancient city there is now, according to the English traveler Robinson, a village called Anata, an hour and a quarter’s journey northeast of Jerusalem, consisting of several wretched huts whose inhabitants are very poor. Not far from this village, however, are quarries of building stone, which is exported from here in sufficient quantity to Jerusalem.

Anathoth

— the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 7:8) of the sons of Becher, son of Benjamin; b) (Neh. 10:19) of the chiefs of the people of Israel, in the days of Ezra.

Ancient Musical Trumpets

. See Music.

Andronicus

(conqueror of men) — the name of several persons: a) (Rom. 16:7) one of the Seventy Apostles; by tradition, he was bishop in Pannonia. His relics were found in the reign of Arcadius and Honorius, in the year 396. His memory is celebrated on May 17; b) (2 Macc. 4:31–38) one of the honored dignitaries of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian king; c) (2 Macc. 5:23) one of the officials of the same Antiochus Epiphanes.

Anem

(two springs) (1 Chron. 6:73) — a city in the tribe of Issachar, given to the Levites of the family of Kohath. In the Book of Joshua (19:21; 21:29) it is called En-gannim.

Aner

(according to Gesenius — a youth; according to Fürst — a branch, descendant) — the name of one person and of one city: a) (Gen. 14:24) one of the Canaanite allies of Abraham, who joined him in pursuing the enemy who had carried off his nephew Lot into captivity; b) (1 Chron. 6:70) the name of a city in the half-tribe of Manasseh, given to the Levites of the family of Kohath. In Joshua (21:25), instead of Aner, it reads: Taanach.

Angel

(Gen. 16:7–14). This word, in Greek and Hebrew, means “messenger.” The word “angel” (messenger) is often applied to men as well (Luke 7:24; 9:52). Used in its general sense, it expresses the concept of spiritual beings and their ministry, since through them the Lord makes known His will and makes them instruments for carrying it out. From Holy Scripture and tradition we know, concerning their dwelling-place and ministry, that they possess knowledge and purity far exceeding our understanding.

They are spiritual, bodiless beings, endowed with will, mind, and power, and occupy the highest rank in the order of creation. The expression “who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire” (Ps. 103 [104]:4; Heb. 1:7) directly points to the bodilessness of angels.

Anger

(Ps. 90:11)—a strong movement of displeasure. Scripture distinguishes righteous indignation against evil from sinful anger directed by pride, hatred, or revenge. “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” Paul writes, warning that sustained resentment gives evil an opportunity (Eph. 4:26-27). He also commands believers to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice (Eph. 4:31). Righteous anger is governed by truth, love, proportion, and God’s justice; it must not be used to excuse cruelty or retaliation.

Anim Man Aesam

(springs) (Josh. 15:50) — a city in the hill country of the tribe of Judah. It is now identified with the ruins of the settlement el-Ghuwein, south of Hebron, which agrees with the accounts of Eusebius and Jerome.

Animals.

The animals of the Bible were divided into four classes: land-dwelling animals, both the larger and smaller four-footed beasts (Lev. 11:2), fish of the sea (vv. 9, 10), fowls of the air (v. 13), and creeping things (vv. 20, 29, 41). Within these classes a further distinction was made between the clean, which might be used for food, and the unclean, which were not permitted to be eaten (Lev. 11; Deut. 14). The division of animals into clean and unclean existed even before the Flood.

In the book of Genesis (7:2) we read that God commanded Noah to bring into the ark seven pairs of every clean beast, and two of every unclean beast. Fuller details concerning clean and unclean animals are given in the book of Leviticus (ch. 11 [as given]). Of the land-dwelling animals (both domestic and wild), those with a divided hoof and that chew the cud were reckoned clean, such as: oxen, cows, sheep, goats; while all others lacking these characteristics, or lacking one of them, were unclean, such as: donkeys, camels, and others.

Of the wild animals, the following were eaten and reckoned clean: deer, gazelles, wild ox [bison], hind, and others (Deut. 14:5); unclean were: the hare, the jerboa, the hedgehog, the pig, and all beasts of prey. Of the creatures living in the water, all those having fins and scales were reckoned clean and fit for food; Holy Scripture, however, gives no names for specific kinds of fish. Among birds, unclean were reckoned the birds of prey, such as: ravens, eagles, kites, falcons, hawks, storks, and others (Lev. 11:13–19; Deut. 14:12–18).

Anise

(Matt. 23:23) — a plant of the umbelliferous family, used as a seasoning for food and in medicines. It grew abundantly in Judea. Wild anise grows in abundance in Palestine, Egypt, and Asia Minor. The scribes and Pharisees are condemned by the Lord in the passage cited above for their hypocritical zeal in fulfilling the Levitical law in trivial matters, such as tithing cheap herbs — mint, anise, and cummin — while neglecting the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith.

Anna

(gracious) — the name of three persons: a) (Luke 2:36) a prophetess of the tribe of Asher, daughter of Phanuel. Having reached a great old age, she, according to the Gospel account, did not depart from the Temple, but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. When Simeon, who received God into his arms, took the infant Jesus into his embrace and uttered his wondrous prophecy concerning Him, the prophetess Anna together with him glorified the Lord and spoke of Him to all who awaited redemption in Jerusalem; b) (1 Sam. 1:1, 2; 2:1–10) mother of the prophet Samuel, one of the wives of the devout Levite Elkanah.

Long barren, she at last, by prayer, bore a son, whom she dedicated to the Lord’s service at the tabernacle. On this occasion she uttered a deeply moving prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, in which, for the first time, we encounter the name Christ, the Anointed of God (1 Sam. 2:1–10); c) (Tobit 1:9) wife of Tobit, a devout Israelite who lived in the Assyrian capital, Nineveh.

Annas, Hanan

(gracious) (Luke 3:2). At the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist, the Jewish high priests were Annas and Caiaphas. Annas held the office of high priest before Caiaphas, and it was customary among the Jews to retain the title of high priest for one who had previously held that office, even after he had ceased to serve in it. This same title of high priest was thus retained by Annas as well. He is mentioned first, since he was older than Caiaphas both in years and in office.

Five of his sons held the office of high priest, the first two in succession. He was father-in-law to the high priest of that time, that is, Caiaphas. When the Lord Jesus Christ was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was first brought to Annas, who at that time enjoyed great authority and influence, and he then sent Him on to Caiaphas (John 18:13–24).

Annis. Ananias

See 2 Esdras 5:16.

Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos

(Luke 1:26-38)—when the appointed time for the Savior’s coming had arrived, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin betrothed to Joseph of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Mary. He greeted her: “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Troubled by the greeting, she considered what it might mean. Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Annuus.

See 2 Esdras 9:48. In the parallel place in Nehemiah (8:7) it reads: Bani.

Annuus.

See 2 Esdras 8:47.

Anointing and the Anointed One

. The anointing of persons—kings, high priests, and prophets—and of places and objects with oil or specially compounded holy chrism signified consecration prescribed by the divine Lawgiver. Exodus describes its ingredients and use in detail, and the Lord strictly forbade making or using this holy chrism for ordinary domestic purposes (Ex. 30:23–33).

Anos.

See 2 Esdras 9:34.

Antichrist

(opponent of Christ) (1 John 2:18, 19, 22). In the broad sense, by this name is meant anyone who does not confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God and rejects His teaching. Such are all false teachers, of whom there were already many in the days of the apostles (1 John 2:8 [as given]; 4:1–3); but in the proper and narrower sense, by the name Antichrist is meant a particular person, an especially wicked man, who, before the second coming of the Lord to earth, will oppose Christ and try to destroy Christianity, but will instead himself perish in a terrible manner.

The Lord Jesus will slay him with the spirit of His mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of His coming. His personal qualities and actions are clearly depicted by the Apostle Paul in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (2:8), and in Revelation by John (13:2–10 [as given]). Some have applied the word “antichrist” to the Roman pope, others to Mohammed, and some, finally, even to Napoleon I.

Antigonus

— son of Aristobulus II, high priest and king of Judea. The name of this Antigonus is not found in the biblical books, but his history is notable especially in that at his death the scepter departed from Judah, and the lawgiver from between his feet, as the patriarch Jacob had foretold before his death, blessing his children (Gen. 49:10), and this was a sign of the near approach of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth.

Antilibanus

(Judith 1:7) — a mountain in the north of Palestine, opposite Lebanon. Mount Lebanon extended toward the Mediterranean Sea, and Antilibanus toward the east. South of Antilibanus stretch the mountains of Hermon.

Antioch

(opposing, standing against) (Acts 11:26). A city of this name was for a long time the capital of Syria, and was founded 300 years before Christ by Seleucus Nicator, who named it Antioch after his father, Antiochus. Situated on the banks of the Orontes, almost equidistant from Constantinople and Alexandria, the city was once reckoned very wealthy and commercial.

Antioch of Pisidia

(Acts 13:14) — the name of a city in the province of Pisidia, in Asia Minor, also built by Seleucus. Here the apostles Paul and Barnabas preached. In the Book of Acts is recorded an extensive and especially forceful sermon of the Apostle Paul, delivered by him in one of the synagogues of this city (Acts 13:16–41), on a Sabbath day.

Antiochis

(2 Macc. 4:30) — concubine of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria.

Antiochus

(standing against) — this name was borne by many kings of Syria, especially in the time of the Maccabees. In Holy Scripture the following persons are indicated: a) Antiochus II, surnamed Theos (god), son of Antiochus I Soter, king of Syria. He is not named by name in Holy Scripture, but to him, it is thought, refers the prophecy of Daniel (11:6–9); b) Antiochus III the Great, son of Seleucus Callinicus Theos [as given], king of Syria (1 Macc. 8:6–8), killed by local inhabitants in Elymais while plundering a wealthy temple located there (Dan. 11:13–19); c) Antiochus IV Epiphanes (illustrious) (1 Macc. 1:10; [and] 16:20 [as given]), second son of Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, who plundered the Temple of Jerusalem and destroyed up to 40,000 Jews. During his persecution of believers and his attempt to introduce paganism into Syria, the Maccabees rose up in defense of the faith — Mattathias with his seven sons — who at last saved their fatherland.

Antiochus died in the most grievous and terrible torments, struck with a dreadful disease of the bowels, after a twelve-year reign; thus he came to his end, and there was none to help him, as the Book of the Prophet Daniel testifies (Dan. 11:45); d) Antiochus V Eupator (1 Macc. 3:33; 6:16–17), son of Antiochus Epiphanes, reigned two years. He was killed together with his guardian Lysias by Demetrius Soter, his uncle, who afterward occupied the hereditary throne (1 Macc. 7:1–4); e) Antiochus VI (1 Macc. 11:39, 40; 54–57), son of the Antiochene king Alexander Balas, who ascended the throne while still a youth.

He favored the Jews, but was soon killed by Diodotus, or Trypho, one of his military commanders; f) Antiochus VII Sidetes (from the city of Side, in Pamphylia), second son of Demetrius I; killed on a campaign against the Parthians, in which he lost the greater part of his army.

Antipas

(stubborn, firm) (Rev. 2:13) — bishop of Pergamum, an apostolic man. It is not known when or how he suffered, but by tradition, during the persecution of Domitian, he was burned in a heated brazen bull. The Lord Himself calls him “My faithful witness.” His memory is April 11.

Antipas-Herod

(Matt. 14:1, 3, 6) — son of Herod the Great, otherwise Sosipater, who governed Galilee and Perea, a fourth part of the kingdom of Judea, and was therefore called a “tetrarch” (Luke 3:1). He was self-indulgent and heedless; he took from his brother Philip his wife Herodias, for which he was rebuked by John the Baptist (Mark 6:18–20). Probably to satisfy idle curiosity, hearing of His works, he wished to see the Lord Jesus (Luke 9:7–9). Herod’s wish was fulfilled: during the trial of the Lord, Pilate sent Him to Herod, as one living in his jurisdiction; Herod questioned Him at length, but the Lord answered him nothing. For his claim to royal dignity, Herod, together with his unlawful wife Herodias, was banished by the Roman emperor Caligula to the city of Lyons in Gaul.

Antipater

(in place of a father) (1 Macc. 7:16 [as given]) — son of Jason, one of the envoys of the high priest Jonathan to the Romans and Spartans to renew friendship with them.

Antipatris

(Acts 23:31 [as given]) — a city between Caesarea and Jerusalem, ten or fifteen English miles from Jaffa. It was founded by Herod the Great, and is notable as the place to which the Apostle Paul was brought by the Roman garrison, on account of a Jewish plot against him, when they wished to kill him. Antipatris was built on the ruins of a place called, according to Josephus, Kafar Saba. Among present-day Arabs this place is known by almost the same name: Kefr Saba.

Antothijah

(1 Chron. 8:24) (answer from the Lord) — son of Shashak, one of the heads of the families of the tribe of Benjamin.

Anub Coe Enob

(1 Chron. 4:8) (bound, or strong) — son of Koz, of the lineage of Judah.

Apamea.

A Syrian city. See Trypho.

Apamina.

See 2 Esdras 4:29.

Apelles

(Rom. 16:10) — one of the Seventy Apostles. The Apostle Paul, greeting him in the Epistle to the Romans, calls him “approved in Christ.” By tradition he was bishop in Heraclea of Thrace. His memory is October 31.

Apharsathchites Apharsathachaeans

(Ezra 4:9; 5:6) — the name of peoples settled in Samaria, under the command of the Assyrian Osnappar.

Apharsites Apharsaeans

(this word occurs only in the Book of Ezra 4:9) — the name of a people, probably used to mean the people of Persia.

Aphek

(fortified place) (1 Sam. 4:1–11), according to Robinson, now Nebi Samwil — a city on the border of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, east of Jerusalem, at which the Israelites suffered defeat by the Philistines, and where the Ark of the Covenant was taken from them.

Aphek

— the name of the following cities: a) (1 Sam. 29:1) a city in the tribe of Issachar, located in the valley of Jezreel, not far from Endor and Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan fell in battle with the Philistines; b) (Judg. 1:31) a city in the tribe of Asher. At present there is here an insignificant settlement, Afqa, but one of the most beautiful in its location, on one of the terraces of Lebanon, with the ruins of an ancient temple, with a shrine, surrounded by magnificent walnut groves; c) (1 Kings 20:26; 2 Kings 13:17) a city of the same name as the preceding, located six English miles east of the Sea of Galilee.

Here, during the second battle with Ben-hadad, king of Syria, Ahab, king of Israel, won a victory over the Syrians, in which he [Ben-hadad] was taken captive. At present this city is known among the Arabs by the name Fik; d) (Josh. 15:53) one of the hill-country cities of the tribe of Judah, south or southwest of Jerusalem.

Apherema

(1 Macc. 11:34) — a city, or district, of Samaria, transferred from Samaria to Judea in the time of the Maccabees.

Apherr

(2 Esdras 5:34) — of the heads of families of the sons of Solomon’s servants.

Api

(pursuing something) (1 Sam. 10:1 [as given]) — a Benjamite, one of the ancestors of Kish, Saul’s father.

Apollonia

(Acts 17:1) — a city in Macedonia, lying between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, in the province of Mygdonia. The Apostle Paul passed through this city during his second journey (Acts 16:12–15 [as given]) in the year 52, on the way from Amphipolis to Thessalonica. The coins of Macedonian Apollonia bear on the obverse the head of Apollo, the chief deity of this city, and on the reverse a vessel with the Greek inscription Apollonos, that is, “belonging to Apollo.”

Apollonius

(destroyer). Under this name the books of Maccabees mention the following persons: a) (2 Macc. 3:5; 7:4 [as given]) son of Thraseas, formerly governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, who reported to King Seleucus Philopator on the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem, as a result of which the king sent Heliodorus to seize them, but God did not permit this;

Apollophanes

(2 Macc. 10:37) — a Syrian, killed by Judas Maccabeus.

Apollos, or Apollo

(Acts 18:24; 19:1) — an eloquent Jew, learned in the Scriptures, a native of Alexandria in Egypt. At first he was instructed only in the rudiments of the Christian teaching, and knew only the baptism of John, but afterward received from Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus a detailed instruction in the teaching of the Lord. He labored greatly in Achaia and in Corinth for the conversion of the pagans. In Corinth, love for him among the disciples even caused a certain division in the Church, which was afterward rebuked by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:3, 4–7, 21, 22).

Afterward Apollos was in Crete (Titus 3:13). Tradition says that he was bishop in Smyrna, but this is not evident from history. By another tradition, he was bishop in Caesarea. His memory is celebrated January 4 and December 8.

Apollyon.

See Abaddon, or Avaddon.

Apostle

(Matt. 10:2) (a messenger, one sent) — this word, in the broad sense, is used in Holy Scripture of various messengers of God. Thus the Lord Himself is called the Messenger of God and the Angel of the Covenant (Heb. 3:1; Mal. 3:1), because He was sent by God the Father. In a special sense, however, this name is given to the twelve chosen disciples of the Lord, whom He sent to preach the Gospel. Their names are as follows: Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican, otherwise called Levi; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot; Judas the son of James, brother of James son of Alphaeus, otherwise called Thaddaeus; and Judas Iscariot, who afterward became the betrayer of the Lord. After the Lord’s Ascension, in place of Judas the traitor, Matthias was chosen by lot and numbered among the apostles (Acts 1:15–26).

The instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ to the apostles are contained in chapter 10 (verses 5–42) of the Gospel of Matthew, and are especially notable for their power and force.

Apostolic.

The Church is apostolic because she continuously preserves the apostles’ teaching and the succession of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through ordination. Christians are members of God’s household, built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the cornerstone (Eph. 2:19-20). They must therefore hold fast to apostolic tradition and turn away from teaching that contradicts it (2 Thess. 2:15; Titus 3:10).

Apparition or Phantom

(Matt. 14:26; Job 4:13–16; Wis. 17:3, 6, 14)—an imagined or seeming incorporeal being, an appearance of a spirit or soul as a shadow. The Greek word phantasma itself indicates something that is not substantial reality but the work of an excited imagination.

Apphia

(increasing) (Philem. 1:2) — a Christian woman of Colossae, considered the wife of Philemon. From the apostle’s epistle it appears that they had a house church and were distinguished for hospitality and love toward the saints. She died a martyr together with Philemon in Colossae, in the reign of Nero. Their memory is February 19 and November 22.

Apphus

(1 Macc. 2:5) — the surname of Jonathan, brother of Judas Maccabeus.

Appii Forum

(Acts 28:15) — the place where the Apostle Paul was met by Roman Christians, as he traveled this road from Puteoli to Rome as a prisoner under the guard of a centurion. It was situated 43 Roman miles from Rome. This place is identified with the present-day Tre Ponti, and stands on the road to Naples. Its name is explained by the fact that it lay on the famous Appian Way, leading from Rome to Capua and built by Appius Claudius, and that it contained a forum, or marketplace, with inns for travelers, where sellers and small traders gathered in great numbers.

Apple; Apple Tree

(Song 2:3; Joel 1:12)—the Hebrew tappuach has traditionally been rendered “apple,” though interpreters have also proposed citron, apricot, quince, or another fragrant fruit. The source preferred a citron or orange because the ordinary apple seemed to it too rare and insufficiently fragrant in the East to fit the Song of Songs. The exact species remains uncertain, and the biblical poetry emphasizes beauty, fragrance, sweetness, and refreshment rather than botanical classification.

Aqueducts

(Isa. 7:3; 2 Chron. 32:30). The Bible speaks of the aqueducts of the upper pool. Under Hezekiah certain changes were made in the construction of the aqueducts. Solomon says of himself in the Book of Ecclesiastes that he made himself pools of water, to irrigate from them a grove that produced trees (2:6). Perhaps it was these very waters and gardens that the author of the Song of Songs had in mind when he compared his bride to “a garden enclosed,” a “spring shut up” (4:12). Pontius Pilate either built a new aqueduct, or, more probably, restored Solomon’s aqueduct, and it has survived even to the present day, though only a part of it now serves to convey water.

The numerous ruins now found by travelers testify that aqueducts in antiquity were in general very numerous in the East, and were usually built above ground with sturdy vaults, since the ancients did not know that water could be raised to the same height from which it fell. Herod, king of Judea, not only had aqueducts built from Mount Carmel to Caesarea, but also had underground channels built in that city for the discharge of waste; for this reason the public reservoirs were always full of water, and there was such an abundance of water in Jerusalem that, according to the testimony of Eusebius, the whole of Jerusalem was, as it were, literally washed with water, and the barren, rocky soil of the city seemed a flourishing garden of Jehovah.

Aquila

(eagle) (Acts 18:2) — a Jew, by birth a native of Pontus, in Asia Minor. Expelled from Rome by the decree of the Emperor Claudius, which commanded all Jews to leave that city, he came with his wife Priscilla to Corinth, and lived there during the Apostle Paul’s first visit to that city (Acts 18:1), working at tentmaking. The Apostle Paul, upon arriving in Corinth, was hospitably received into Aquila’s house. He, together with his wife, also accompanied the apostle from Corinth to Ephesus, on his way to Syria.

In general they rendered important services to the Apostle Paul on several occasions; between them and him there existed a close friendship (Rom. 16:3–5). The house of Aquila and Priscilla, both in Corinth, in Ephesus, and in Rome, was a house church, where believers gathered for worship (1 Cor. 16:19). Nothing further is known of Aquila’s later fate. Greek mythology [i.e., hagiographic tradition, as given] says only that he was beheaded, and the Latin martyrologies mark his memory on July 8. His memory is kept by the Orthodox Church on July 14.

Ar, Ar-Moab

(Num. 21:28) — once the chief Moabite city; it was located twenty English miles south of the river Arnon. It is also called Rabbah, and by the Greeks Areopolis. It was once conquered and burned by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num. 21:28); afterward it belonged to the tribe of Reuben, and around the time of Jerome, in the year 342 A.D., it was destroyed by an earthquake. It is now called er-Rabba, and travelers have quite recently discovered here, near the ruins of the ancient city, two abundant springs.

Ara

(1 Chron. 7:39) — son of Ulla, of the tribe of Asher.

Ara

(1 Chron. 5:26) — the name of a city, and perhaps a region, in Media, in which, as in some other cities, captive Israelites were settled. It is placed in the present-day Persian region of Iraq [as given], between Baghdad and the Caspian Sea.

Arab Aerem

(ambush) (Josh. 15:52) — a city of the tribe of Judah, south of Hebron.

Arabah, or Araba

(dry, barren land) (Deut. 1:1, 7; 2:8; 3:17; 4:49) — a vast plain extending on both sides of the Jordan, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, and south of the Dead Sea to Elath. At present the name Arabah plain is applied only to the southern half of it, that is, the plain between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. Through its northern part flows the river Wadi el-Sheib, which empties into the Dead Sea. The largest river is four miles away. South of Akrabbim there is a spring (Ain, or el-Weibeh).

The wilderness of Arabah is mentioned, among others, by Moses and Jeremiah. The former calls it a great and terrible wilderness (Deut. 1:19), and the latter calls it a waste and uninhabited land, the shadow of death (Jer. 2:6). It is also very notable that the sacred writer, describing the condition of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Arabah, represents the Hebrews as extremely weary and murmuring at the hardship of their journey. The Hebrews twice encamped in this plain, namely at Kadesh (Ain el-Weibeh), as appears from Deuteronomy (1:19) and Numbers (20:1).

At present, amid this desert valley, here and there, oases with shrubs and palms show green. Mirages often occur in it, and dangerous venomous serpents are found there, such as long scorpions and others. Vast heaps of rubble mark the site where once stood the city of Hormah (accursed) (Num. 21:4–6).

Arabbah

(Josh. 15:60) — a city of the tribe of Judah, evidently in the hill country, but now unknown.

Arabia

(a barren, desolate land) (1 Kings 10:15), called by the natives the Arabian Peninsula, lies in western Asia, south and southwest of Judea. Its extent from north to south is 1,500 English miles, and from east to west 1,200 English miles; it borders on the north with Syria, on the east with the river Euphrates and the Persian Gulf, on the south with the Indian Ocean, and on the west with the Red Sea, Palestine, and part of Syria. It has, since ancient times, from the days of the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy, been divided into three parts:

Arabia Deserta

— a vast, sandy steppe with scattered oases of palm trees and springs of brackish water. It was once the land of the Ishmaelites, and is now inhabited by the Bedouin, nomadic and predatory tribes;

Arabia Felix

— was considered, and was, a very fertile land. Its inhabitants, who considered themselves descendants of Shem, bore little resemblance to the nomadic shepherds and marauders who populated the rest of Arabia. They had permanent dwellings, lived by agriculture and trade, and once possessed considerable wealth and learning. The famous ancient kingdom of Sheba, or the Sabaeans (the Queen of Sheba) lay on the elevated, fertile plateau of the southwestern end of Arabia, in present-day Yemen.

The land abounded in perfumes, spices, balsam, gold, and precious stones; it carried on extensive trade with Tyre, India, and all of western Asia. The Queen of Sheba, or the South, hearing of Solomon’s fame, came with great gifts to Jerusalem to hear him (1 Kings 10:2), a fact to which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself refers (Matt. 12:42).

Arabia Petraea

— occupies the region of the former land of Midian. Here dwelt the Idumeans and the Amalekites, as well as the powerful and independent tribe of the Ishmaelites. It was the land of shepherds, and the setting of several of the most important events in the history of the Old Testament Church. Here, in the Arabian wilderness — that is, in Arabia Petraea — the Hebrews, after crossing the Red Sea, wandered forty years; here, on the Sinai Peninsula, are the biblical mountains Sinai, the mount of the giving of Moses’s law, and Horeb (see these names).

It is thought that many of the precious items mentioned in chapter 30 of the Book of Exodus (23, 24), especially the balsam, were exported from Arabia, and even at the present time merchant caravans, of the descendants of the Cushites, Ishmaelites, and Midianites, often travel across this same wilderness, with almost the same articles of trade and in exactly the same manner as in the days of Moses.

Arabians

(2 Chron. 9:14; Neh. 2:19; Isa. 13:20; Acts 2:11). The Arabians were in antiquity called generally the sons of the East (Gen. 29:1); in Arabic they were afterward called Sharkiyin, that is, “Easterners,” from which the word “Saracens” was formed. They all lived in Arabia and formed a people partly nomadic, partly settled. Both in antiquity and to this day they are reckoned as one people, but by their original descent they traced their lineage from various patriarchs, such as Joktan, son of Eber, Ishmael, son of Hagar, and others.

Arad

(Judg. 1:16) (place of wild donkeys) — a city on the southern border of Palestine, whose king prevented the children of Israel from passing through his territory and even took some of them captive (Num. 21:1–3), for which the inhabitants of the city were cursed, and the city itself destroyed. According to Robinson, this is the present-day Tell Arad — a hill located eight hours’ journey south of Hebron.

Arad.

See 1 Macc. 15:23.

Arah

(traveler) — the name of three persons: a) (Ezra 2:5) a contemporary of Zerubbabel; b) (1 Chron. 7:39) son of Ulla, of the tribe of Asher; c) (Neh. 6:18) father of Shechaniah, father-in-law of Tobiah, in the days of Nehemiah.

Aram

(exalted) — the name of four persons: a) (Gen. 10:22) youngest son of Shem; b) (Gen. 22:21) grandson of Nahor, Abraham’s brother; c) (1 Chron. 7:34) son of Shemer, of the tribe of Asher; d) (Ruth 4:19; Matt. 1:3, 4; Luke 3:33) of the sons of Hezron, son of Perez — a person mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Aram, Aramea

(highland country) (Gen. 24:10; 25:10) — under this name is generally meant Syria, in the sense not of Syria alone, but of Syria and Mesopotamia together. This is an elevated plateau, 2,000 feet above sea level, extending from the sources of the Jordan to the Euphrates. The word Aram is often joined with other words, as for instance Aram-maachah, Aram-hamath [as given], Aram-naharaim, and signifies Syria together with certain other kingdoms belonging to it in antiquity.

Aran

(mountainous) — the name of the following persons: a) (Gen. 11:26–29) elder brother of Abraham, son of Terah. “And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees,” notes the sacred writer. Lot was his son; b) (Gen. 36:28) son of Dishon, a Horite; c) (Num. 26:36) of the sons of Shuthelah, an Ephraimite.

Ararat

(holy ground) (Gen. 8:4) — a region, or country, lying near the center of Armenia. It once had several cities that were the seats of successive kings and rulers of Armenia, and for this reason the word Ararat is often used to designate the whole region (Armenia). In Holy Scripture (2 Kings 19:37; Isa. 37:38) it is called the land of Ararat. In the northeastern part of Armenia, on the borders of Russia with Turkey and Persia, on the elevated plain of the Araxes, rises one of the highest mountains of Armenia, with two peaks: Great and Little Ararat.

The former is called by the Persians Koh-i-Nuh, that is, “Mountain of Noah.” It is supposed that Noah’s ark came to rest on this mountain. Among the Turks it is called Agri Dagh. The summits of these peaks (one of which rises 15,000 feet above sea level) are constantly covered with snow. One recent traveler says: if one looks up from the plain, one cannot help thinking that these highest mountains in the world have been piled one upon another solely to form a vast mass of earth, rock, and snow — this majestic, awe-inspiring monument of the antediluvian world, this striking boundary line in the history of mankind before and after the Flood.

It was here that, once, the whole population of the world was gathered in one small family of eight persons, which alone was saved in the ark from the universal Flood. Representatives of every kind and species of animal were gathered here in the ark. Here God’s covenant with mankind was established, and the rainbow in the clouds was set as the sign of the covenant; here too Noah built the first altar to the Lord after the terrible catastrophe of the destruction of the face of the earth by the Flood.

Araunah, or Ornan Orna

(living, vigorous, according to Gesenius; strong, firm, according to Fürst) (2 Sam. 24:16, 18, 25)—a Jebusite who owned a threshing floor at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. During the plague David saw there the angel with his sword stretched out over Jerusalem, and through the prophet he was directed to build an altar to God upon the site. Araunah offered the place freely for sacrifice, but David would not offer to the Lord a sacrifice obtained without cost; he bought the threshing floor and oxen for fifty shekels of silver. After sacrifice was offered, the plague among Israel ceased. David later designated this site for the building of the Jerusalem temple (1 Chron. 21:25).

Arba

(square, or fourfold) — the name of a person, and of a city: a) (Josh. 14:15) a Canaanite prince, forefather of the giants, according to Phoenician and Babylonian mythology; b) (Josh. 15:13) a Canaanite city founded by the aforesaid person, also called Kirjath-arba, otherwise Hebron (see Hebron). Here Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt after their return to Canaan. It was originally assigned to the tribe of Judah, but was afterward given to Caleb (Josh. 15:13), and later, without depriving Caleb of his right of ownership over the city’s fields and villages, was given to the sons of Kohath, of the priestly line of Aaron, and became a city of refuge (Josh. 21:11–13).

Arbathite, or Arbite

(2 Sam. 23:35) (native of Arabah [as given]) — this name is given to Paarai, one of David’s mighty men.

Arbattis

(1 Macc. 5:23). By common opinion, this is the region of Narbata, situated sixty stadia from Caesarea, on the road to Samaria.

Arbela, otherwise Arbel

(1 Macc. 9:2) — a place in Galilee, where stood the settlement of Mesaloth, taken by Bacchides in the reign of Demetrius Soter. This locality, as described by Josephus, corresponds exactly to the present-day fortification of Kalaat Ibn Ma’an, with the ruins of Irbid lying to its south, in which Robinson recognized the ancient Arbela.

Archangel

(chief of the angels, highest angel) (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 1:9). Nine different ranks, or degrees, of angels are indicated in Holy Scripture, namely: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Authorities, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. The names of the Archangels known from Holy Scripture are as follows: Michael, meaning “Who is like God” (Dan. 10:13; Jude 9); Gabriel (strength of God) (Dan. 8:16; Luke 1:26); Raphael (help, healing of God) [continued in next installment].

(Tobit 3:16), Uriel (fire and light of God) (2 Esdras 4:1), and Salathiel (prayer to God) (2 Esdras 5:16). Among the Archangels are also counted Jehudiel (praise of God) and Barachiel (blessing of God), whose names do not occur in Holy Scripture. In 2 Esdras (4:36) the Archangel Jeremiel (height of God) is also mentioned.

Archelaus

(ruler of the people) (Matt. 2:22) — son of Herod the Great. After his father’s death, in the very year of the Lord Jesus’s birth in the flesh, Archelaus took over the government of Judea and reigned there at the time when Joseph and Mary, with the divine Infant Jesus, were about to return from Egypt, where they had withdrawn to escape Herod’s fury. Archelaus, however, closely resembled his father in cruelty and malice of character; for this reason the Holy Family was afraid to return to Bethlehem and settled for a time in the Galilean town of Nazareth.

In the tenth year of his rule Archelaus was deposed and exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he died. The cause of this was his excessive cruelty and pride, which drove the Jews to complain of him before the emperor: thus, once, at the feast of Passover, he had 3,000 Jews killed in the Temple and the city (Antiquities IX, 2, 3 [as given]).

Archi

(Josh. 16:2) (length) — a city on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim, between Bethel and Ataroth. It is known as the birthplace of Hushai, David’s friend (2 Sam. 16:16). The city’s present location is unknown.

Archiereus.

See Bishop.

Archippus

(ruler, master of horses) (Col. 4:17; Philem. 1:2) — the name of one of the Seventy Apostles, a fellow-worker of the Apostle Paul. He was bishop in Laodicea of Phrygia, or, by another account, in Colossae, and suffered under Nero together with Philemon and Apphia. His memory is January 4, February 19, and November 22.

Architanin

(2 Sam. 15:32; 1 Chron. 27:33) — an inhabitant of the city of Archi. This was the name of David’s friend, Hushai.

Ard

(flight) — the name of two persons: a) (Num. 26:40) son of Bela, grandson of Benjamin; b) (Gen. 46:21) son of Benjamin.

Ardat.

See 2 Esdras 9:26 [as given] — a field in Babylon, where, after prayer, various revelations were sent to Ezra from God.

Ardon

(descendant) (1 Chron. 2:18) — son of Caleb by his wife Azubah.

Areli

(born of a hero) (Gen. 46:16) — one of the sons of Gad.

Ares.

See 2 Esdras 5:10. In Ezra (2:5) — Arah.

Aretas

(virtuous) — the name of two persons: a) (2 Cor. 11:32) king of Syria, father-in-law of Herod Antipas, who ruled Damascus. The governor of Damascus, when the Apostle Paul was in this city, wished, in order to favor the Jews, to seize him; but the apostle escaped danger, being let down from a window in a basket by believers, over the city wall — an event which the Apostle Paul mentions in this passage of his epistle; b) (2 Macc. 5:8) Aretas — king of Arabia. This name was borne by the kings of the Nabateans, whose capital was the city of Petra.

Areus

(1 Macc. 12:7–19 [as given]) — king of Sparta, in the time of the Maccabees.

Arge.

See 2 Esdras 5:13. In the Book of Ezra (2:12) it reads: Azgad.

Argob

(heap of stones) (Deut. 3:4) — a wild region beyond the Jordan, in Bashan, belonging to Og, king of Bashan. This region, and the whole land of Bashan, was given by Moses to the half-tribe of Manasseh. This country, consisting of black basalt, around the time of Jesus Christ was called Trachonitis, lay east of the Jordan, near the Sea of Galilee, and once had sixty large cities with walls and bronze gates (1 Kings 4:13). It is now called Lejjah, south of Damascus.

Argob

(2 Kings 15:25) — one of the persons involved in the conspiracy against Pekah, king of Israel.

Ariarathes

(1 Macc. 15:22) — Ariarathes VI Philopator, king of Cappadocia, properly Mithridates.

Aridai Arsaeus

(a Persian word) (Esther 9:9) — of the sons of Haman.

Aridatha Sarbaca

(Esther 9:8) — of the sons of Haman.

Ariel

(lion of God). This word is one of the allegorical names given to Jerusalem by the prophet Isaiah (29:1, 2–7). Since Jerusalem was the chief city of Judea, and the lion was the emblem of Judah, it is thus called allegorically Ariel. The same word is also the name of the following persons: a) (2 Sam. 23:20) a Moabite. His two sons, distinguished for extraordinary strength, were killed by Benaiah, David’s commander; b) (Ezra 8:16) a Jewish elder under Ezra in Babylon, before his return to Jerusalem. In 2 Esdras (8:43) he is called Idulus [as given].

Arii

(lion) (2 Kings 15:25) — a nobleman of Pekah, king of Israel, killed together with Pekahiah, who afterward occupied Pekah’s throne.

Arimathea

(heights) — a city in Palestine, from which, according to the unanimous testimony of the four evangelists (Matt. 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51; John 19:38), came Joseph, a rich and righteous man, who asked Pilate for the body of the crucified Jesus for burial. In the New Testament the name of this place is mentioned only in connection with this event, and it is probably identical with Ramah, or Ramathaim-zophim, in the tribe of Ephraim, not far from Lydda, or Diospolis (1 Sam. 1:1–19), known as the birthplace and burial place of the prophet Samuel, where in his time there was also a school of the prophets.

Near ancient Ramah, Rachel was buried, whom the prophet Jeremiah represents as weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted (Jer. 31:15; 1 Sam. 1:11; 4:19, 20; 7:17). In the Middle Ages it was called Saint-Samuel, and at present is called er-Ram, and is located near Hebron, but more to the north of it, at a distance of about two hours’ journey north of Jerusalem.

Arioch

(lion-like) — the name of three persons: a) (Gen. 14:9) name of the king of Ellasar, a contemporary of Abraham, defeated by the latter in the valley of Siddim; b) (Dan. 2:14, 15) captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s guard; c) (Judith 1:6) ally of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Elymaeans.

Arior [as given].

See Elior. [Translator’s note: this entry as printed is unclear; possibly a misprint.]

Arisai Ruphaeus

(Esther 9:9) — of the sons of Haman. He, like the aforementioned Aridai and Aridatha, was killed together with his brothers by the Jews, in the days of Mordecai.

Aristarchus

(best ruler) (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2) — a Macedonian of Thessalonica, companion and fellow-worker of the Apostle Paul, and sharer in his sufferings at Ephesus (Col. 4:10; Philem. 1:24 [as given]). Being with the apostle in this city, he nearly perished on account of the popular uprising raised by Demetrius the silversmith (Acts 20:4 [as given]). By tradition, he was bishop in Apamea of Syria and was beheaded in Rome. His memory is January 4 and April 13.

Aristobulus

(excellent counselor) — the name of the following persons: a) (2 Macc. 1:10) son and successor of John Hyrcanus; b) Aristobulus II, son of King Alexander Jannaeus, brother of Aristobulus I, who waged a civil war with his brother Hyrcanus for the right to the throne of Judea, and thereby placed Judea under the power of the Romans (64 B.C.); c) Aristobulus III, grandson of Aristobulus II, the last high priest of the Hasmonean line, drowned by Herod’s servants in a pool where he was bathing with them; d) (Rom. 16:10) a resident of Rome. In the passage cited, some of his household are greeted by the Apostle Paul. The Greek menologion counts him among the Seventy and says that he preached the Gospel in Britain. His memory is January 4 and March 16.

Arkite, Arukite

(Gen. 10:17; 1 Chron. 1:15) — of the sons of Canaan, son of Ham, from whom descended the Canaanite tribe of the Arkites, who dwelt, it is supposed, in the northern part of Phoenicia. Arka, according to Josephus, its chief city, is often mentioned by ancient writers, and some of its ruins can still be seen today on the western slope of Mount Lebanon, under the name Tell Arka.

Armageddon

(Rev. 16:16) (height of Megiddo) — a city at the foot of Mount Carmel, which became known as the site of bloody battles and the slaying of Josiah (2 Kings 23:29; Judg. 5:19). The name of this city, because of its earlier history and events, is also used in the Revelation of St. John as a symbolic designation of some dreadful event in the future fate of Christ’s Church.

Armenia

(see Ararat) (2 Kings 19:37) — an inland country at the eastern end of Asia Minor, extending 430 English miles from east to west and 300 English miles from north to south; it borders the Mediterranean Sea on the southwest, the Black Sea on the northwest, the Caspian Sea on the east; its western border lies 600 English miles west of Constantinople. The Euphrates, the Tigris, and other rivers have their sources within the bounds of Armenia. It is divided into 15 regions, of which the central one is called Ararat.

In this last region stood the biblical mountain on which, it is supposed, Noah’s ark came to rest. In the sacred books Armenia is usually called the land of Ararat. The Armenians are Christians, differing little from the Christians of the Greek Eastern Church, except for a minority of them — Roman Catholics, who acknowledge the supremacy of the pope; all of them consider their spiritual lord and head to be the Patriarch of Etchmiadzin, who usually resides in Etchmiadzin, near Tiflis, in the Caucasus.

Armon

(born in the palace) (2 Sam. 21:8–9) — son of Saul by Rizpah his concubine, hanged, together with his brother Mephibosheth and five other sons of Saul by Michal [as given], by the Gibeonites, to atone for Saul’s guilt against the Gibeonites.

Arna

(2 Esdras 1:2) — an ancestor of Ezra. In Ezra (7:4) he is read as Zerahiah, and in 2 Esdras (8:2) as Zaraias.

Arnan

(swift, agile) (1 Chron. 3:21) — a descendant of David.

Arnon

(noisy, murmuring stream) (Deut. 2:24) — a river or stream in the southeast of Palestine, which once formed the border between Moab and the Ammonites, and later between Moab and the tribe of Reuben. Rising in the mountains of the Arabian desert, at one of the stations on the pilgrim road to Mecca, the stream flows into the Dead Sea opposite En-gedi. At present the Arnon is known by the name el-Mojib. In winter the stream is full of water and flows very swiftly, but in summer it almost completely dries up.

Arod, otherwise Arodi

(wild donkey, according to Gesenius; but according to Fürst, offspring) (Num. 26:17; Gen. 46:16) — one of the descendants of Gad, forefather of the tribe called the Arodites.

Aroer, Aroir

(bare, poor) — the name of two cities: a) (Deut. 2:36; 4:48) a city on the northern bank of the stream Arnon, now called Araeer. The expression “the city that is in the midst of the river” (Josh. 13:9) is explained by the fact that the city stood partly on an islet formed by the river; b) Aroer, that is before Rabbah (of the Ammonites) (Josh. 13:25) — a city, it is thought, situated in the middle of the valley of Gad, near Jazer, and given by Moses to the tribe of Gad. At present this may be Kalat ez-Zerka; c) (1 Sam. 30:28) a city of the tribe of Judah, to which David sent gifts from the spoil taken from the Amalekites.

This may be the present-day Ar-Arah, standing on the road from Petra to Gaza. In Isaiah (17:2), under “the cities of Aroer” is generally meant the whole land beyond the Jordan, with its cities, which, by his prophecy, would one day be abandoned by their inhabitants and remain only a resting place for flocks and their shepherds.

Arom.

See 2 Esdras 5:16.

Arpad

(strength, support) (Isa. 10:9) — a Syrian city, always mentioned in connection with Hamath, and probably located near Damascus. Its name is still preserved in the name of the settlement Arfad, in northern Syria, seven hours north of Aleppo.

Arphaxad

— the name of two persons: a) (Gen. 10:22–24; 11:10; 1 Chron. 1:17–24) third son of Shem, son of Noah, from whom Abraham descended. He was born two years after the Flood and was the father of Shelah. The name of the patriarch Arphaxad is mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ given by the Evangelist Luke (3:35, 36); b) (Judith 1:1–13) king of Media, who reigned in Ecbatana and was killed by Nebuchadnezzar on the mountains of Ragau during the war against him.

Arsa

(earth) — steward of the household of Baasha, king of Israel, in Tirzah (1 Kings 16:9). In his house Zimri murdered the drunken King Elah.

Arsaces

(1 Macc. 14:2, 3, 15) — a common name of the Parthian kings. In the passages indicated, it probably means Arsaces IV, otherwise Mithridates I.

Arsareth

(2 Esdras 13:45) — a land beyond the Euphrates, apparently very vast, mentioned only in the passage cited.

Arsinoe

(3 Macc. 1:1–4) — sister and wife of Ptolemy IV Philopator, king of Egypt.

Arsiphurith. Azephurith

See 2 Esdras 5:16. In Ezra (2:18) it reads: Jorah.

Artaxerxes

— an honorary title of the kings of Persia. In the Russian translations of the Old Testament books, three Medo-Persian kings appear under this name:

Artemas

(healthy, unharmed) (Titus 3:12) — a fellow-worker of the Apostle Paul, one of the Seventy Apostles, who by tradition was bishop in Lystra. Nothing further is known of him. His memory is October 30 and January 4.

Artemis, otherwise Diana

(chastity) (Acts 19:28 [as given]) — a well-known pagan goddess among the Greeks, according to mythology daughter of Jupiter and Latona, usually depicted with a tower on her head and a bow in one hand, the other holding a stag by the horns. Worship of her was conducted with special magnificence and splendor, especially in Ephesus. The temple dedicated to her in this city was so vast and beautiful that it was reckoned among the seven wonders of the world. Pliny says it was 425 feet long and 220 feet wide, and was supported by a hundred richly ornamented columns.

In 356 B.C. the temple of Artemis, whose construction had occupied 220 years, employing, among others, the most celebrated artists — Praxiteles and Apelles — was burned by the madman Herostratus, and rebuilt with even greater magnificence by the Greeks of Asia Minor. Small silver models of the temple, with an image of the pagan goddess in the middle, were made for sale, and sold in such quantity that they formed a very profitable occupation for many hands, such as, for instance, the well-known Demetrius the silversmith and others.

The Apostle Paul became hateful to the idolaters of Ephesus for his preaching that “they be no gods, which are made with hands” (Acts 19:26). As a result, the silversmiths, fearing that their craft would lose its worth, rose up themselves and stirred up the people against the Apostle Paul, crying: “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” This popular uprising was, however, quelled by the prudent explanation given to the people by the “town clerk” (Acts 19:35, 40). From his words it appears that the cause of the uprising was simply the greed of the craftsmen, and that the preachers of the Gospel, though showing the pagans the worthlessness of their idols, did not, however, revile their gods or mock them. The temple of Diana, burned under Nero, was afterward destroyed by the Goths under Gallienus.

Arts, Crafts, and Fine Arts.

The beginnings of the various arts, crafts, fine arts, and other inventions are hidden in remote antiquity. From Genesis 4:21 we see that Jubal, the son of Lamech and Adah, was the father of all who play the harp and pipe, and that Tubal-cain, the son of Zillah, was a smith of every implement of bronze and iron (v. 22). The building of Noah's ark required knowledge of many arts and crafts, such as architecture, mathematical calculation, and the like. In Exodus 30:25 the word art is connected with the preparation of holy chrism and other precious ointments; verses 23 and 24 of that chapter make it clear that their preparation required special knowledge and experience.

This chrism was used both to anoint the sanctuary and to anoint persons of high rank, such as kings, high priests, and prophets. Other precious ointments were required at the burial of kings and other honored persons. Thus, according to 2 Chronicles 16:14, the burial couch of King Asa was filled with spices and various ointments prepared by the perfumer's art, and 'they made a very great burning for him.' The long-lasting preservative power of these latter preparations may be judged from the Egyptian mummies found in the catacombs of Egypt and in various European museums.

In Acts 17:29 the word art is connected with the careful and delicate fashioning of works from gold, silver, and precious stones. The art of engraving precious stones and making various objects of gold already existed in remote antiquity (Exod 28:9-14). Many beautiful monuments of the ancient goldsmith's art are still preserved in the British Museum in the form of rings, earrings, bracelets, chains, and the like. The holy apostle Paul's description of the idols at Athens closely resembles the words of the Psalmist, Isaiah, and the other prophets (Ps 115:4; Isa 44:9-20).

The majestic satire upon the makers of idols in the cited passage of Isaiah vividly shows the level attained by the various arts more than seven hundred years before the birth of Christ. In the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon 14:4-5, the word art is connected with the construction of seagoing vessels and navigation. This art too is among the most ancient. A haven for ships is mentioned in Jacob's prophecy concerning Zebulun (Gen 49:13) and in Judges 5:17; ships are mentioned in Numbers 24:24, Psalm 107:23, and Ezekiel 27. Indeed, this last passage also points generally to the many ingenious inventions and arts with which the ancient Hebrews were acquainted.

Arubboth Araboth Socho

(window, lattice) (1 Kings 4:10) — a city of the tribe of Judah, in which lived one of the twelve officers who provided food supplies for Solomon’s palace, namely Ben-hesed; its location is unknown.

Aruma, Ruma

(elevation, height) (Judg. 9:41) — a city or settlement near Shechem, in which Abimelech lived.

Arvad, Arad

(place of wanderers, fugitives) (Ezek. 27:8–11), also called Arpad and Arphad, and by the Turks Ruad — a city, according to Strabo, built by fugitive Sidonians, in Phoenicia, on the island of the same name, near the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, twenty or thirty English miles north of Tripoli. In antiquity it was a wealthy Phoenician city, and especially flourished under the Seleucids. It was afterward destroyed by the general of Muawiyah [under Umar (Omar)], and never rose again. It is now a small, poor settlement, consisting of ruins.

Arvadites

(Gen. 10:18) — a Canaanite tribe inhabiting the city of Arad and other nearby islands of Phoenicia, and, in the days of the prophet Ezekiel, reckoned skilled in seafaring and warlike in the service of the kings of Assyria (Ezek. 27:8–11).

Asa

(physician) (1 Kings 15:8) — son and successor of Abijah, a devout king of Judah. He began his reign 955 years before Christ and reigned 41 years. Though raised amid the beginnings of paganism, he showed from his youth a firm aversion to idolatry, and even deprived his mother Maachah of her royal dignity for worshiping Asherah, and himself cut down and burned the idol of the pagan goddess by the brook Kidron (2 Chron. 14:9–15; 15:1–19). The early years of his reign passed in peace, and he used this peaceful time to purge his kingdom of idolatry and to build and fortify many cities.

When Zerah, king of Ethiopia, invaded his territory with a million-man army and 300 chariots, Asa went out against him with 600,000 men and utterly defeated him. This remarkable battle took place at Mareshah (2 Chron. 14). Convinced by the prophet Azariah, who was specially appointed by God for this purpose, Asa zealously set about eradicating all abuses in his kingdom, and established a special solemn service of thanksgiving, to which the whole people gathered, and after offering numerous sacrifices they all entered into a sworn covenant with the Lord.

Asa

(1 Chron. 9:16) — father of Berechiah, of the Levites.

Asadia

(Baruch 1:1) — son of Hilkiah, an ancestor of the prophet Baruch.

Asahel

(created by God) — the name of three persons: a) (2 Sam. 2:18–22) brother of Joab, “light of foot as a wild roe,” according to the sacred writer, killed by Abner, Saul’s commander, and buried in Bethlehem; b) (2 Chron. 31:13) a Levite, appointed by King Hezekiah to serve in the house of the Lord; c) (Ezra 10:15) father of Jonathan, who was appointed by Ezra to examine the cases of Israelites who had married foreign wives.

Asaiah

(created by God) (2 Kings 22:12–14) — one of those sent by King Josiah to inquire of God, through the prophetess Huldah, concerning the Book of the Law found in the Temple. Of other persons of the same name are known: a) (1 Chron. 4:36) one of the princes of the tribe of Simeon; b) (1 Chron. 6:29, 30; 15:6–11) chiefs of the singers in the days of King David; c) (1 Chron. 9:5) firstborn of the Shilonites, of the tribe of Judah; d) (2 Esdras 9:32) of the Israelites married to foreign women. In Ezra (10:31) it reads: Malluch.

Asalimoth.

See 2 Esdras 8:36. In Ezra (8:10) it reads: Shelomith.

Asaph

(Josh. 19:27) — a city or region of the tribe of Asher.

Asaph

(gatherer) — the name of three persons: a) (1 Chron. 6:39) son of Berechiah, of the line of Gershon, son of Levi, the most celebrated singer, one of the chiefs of the singers under David. He was also a seer. To him are ascribed the following psalms: 49 [50], 72 [73], 80 [81], and 82 [83]. The office of choir leader appears to have remained hereditary in his family (1 Chron. 25:1). Some psalms may have been written by one of his descendants, since their content points to later times (see Ps. 73 [74], 78 [79], 79 [80]); b) (2 Kings 18:18) father of Joah, the recorder under King Hezekiah; c) (Neh. 2:8) keeper of the royal forests under King Artaxerxes.

Asar.

See 2 Esdras 5:31. This name does not occur in Ezra (2:49).

Asareel

(bound by God) (1 Chron. 4:16) — son of Jehallelel.

Asarelah

(upright before God) (1 Chron. 25:2) — of the sons of Asaph, appointed by David, together with others, to prophesy with harps, psalteries, and cymbals.

Asavia.

See 2 Esdras 1:9. In 2 Chronicles (35:9) it reads: Hashabiah.

Ascent of Ziz Assis

(2 Chron. 20:16)—a rise before the Wilderness of Jeruel, probably west of the Dead Sea between En-gedi and Tekoa, near the border of Judah and Edom. Jehoshaphat’s forces went out toward this ascent when the LORD delivered Judah from the allied armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir.

Asebia

— the name of two persons: a) 2 Esdras 8:47. In Ezra (8:19) it reads: Hashabiah; b) 2 Esdras 9:26. In Ezra (10:25) it reads: Malluch.

Asebibei.

See 2 Esdras 8:46. In Ezra (8:16) it reads: Jarib [as given].

Asenath Aseneth

(handmaid of Neith, the Egyptian goddess of wisdom) (Gen. 41:45, 50) — daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On, given by Pharaoh in marriage to Joseph, mother of Manasseh and Ephraim, who were adopted by the patriarch Jacob. According to Josephus, the patriarch Joseph married her at the age of thirty.

Asfaras.

See 2 Esdras 5:8. In Ezra (2:2) it reads: Mizpar.

Ash Tree

(Isa. 44:14)—a traditional identification in the description of a craftsman planting a tree that rain causes to grow. The source called it an ash and connected it with Arabic avan and Latin ornus, but then incorrectly described it as a conifer. The Hebrew tree name is uncertain; modern versions variously give ash, pine, fir, or another forest tree. The passage’s point is that the idol-maker uses wood sustained by God’s rain to fashion an object of worship.

Ashan

(smoke, vapor) (Josh. 15:42) — a city in the lowlands of the tribe of Judah, afterward given to the tribe of Simeon (19:7). In 1 Chronicles (6:59) it is named, together with Beth-shemesh, as a priestly city.

Ashareth

(villages) (Num. 11:35; 12:16; 33:17) — an encampment of the Hebrews in the wilderness during their forty years’ wandering there. It is supposed to be the present-day el-Hudeira, eighteen hours’ journey from Sinai, west of the Gulf of Aqaba, abounding in palm trees. Here Aaron and Miriam spoke disrespectfully of Moses, for which they were rebuked by God, and Miriam was punished with seven days of leprosy.

Ashbea Esoba

(oath, adjuration) (1 Chron. 4:21) — head of a family among the descendants of Shelah, engaged in the manufacture of fine linen.

Ashbel

(man of Bela) (Gen. 46:21; Num. 26:38) — second son of Benjamin; from him the family of the Ashbelites.

Ashdod

(fortified place) (Josh. 11:22; 13:3; 15:47; Judg. 1:18; Acts 8:40) — one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, between Ekron and Ashkelon, fifteen or twenty English miles north of Gaza. Here stood the temple of Dagon, in which the Philistines placed the Ark of the Covenant. Ashdod was repeatedly destroyed (2 Chron. 26:6; Isa. 20:1). One recent traveler says that Ashdod can still be seen today from a certain height near Jaffa, and that the city abounds in old olive trees, as well as the most varied fruits and plants of every kind.

Christianity was planted in Ashdod as early as apostolic times, and probably owes its beginning to the Apostle Paul (Acts 8:40). Afterward there were bishops here. Today there is a small settlement here, Esdud, with a population of about 500.

Ashel

(2 Esdras 1:2). In 2 Esdras (8:2) it reads: Uzziah.

Asher

(happy) — A) the name of four persons: a) (Gen. 30:13) son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah’s maid, forefather of the tribe of Asher. His portion was the northern part of the land of Canaan, which included the especially fertile and productive land near Mount Carmel, in accordance with the blessing given by the patriarch Jacob to Asher: “Blessed be Asher above the other sons,” said the prophet Moses in his blessing of Asher; “let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:24, 25). “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat,” said Jacob as he was dying, “and he shall yield royal dainties” (Gen. 49:20). The boundaries of the land of Asher were: on the west, Phoenicia; on the north, the mountains of Lebanon; Mount Carmel and the territory of the tribe of Manasseh on the south; on the east, the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar. St. Anna the prophetess was of the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36).

In the Revelation of John (7:6), among the sealed servants of God are represented some sealed also from the tribe of Asher. b) (Exod. 6:24) son of Korah. c) (1 Chron. 6:23) an ancestor of Samuel, son of Ebiasaph. d) (1 Chron. 3:17) son of Jeconiah, of the descendants of David.

Ashes

(Gen. 18:27)—a biblical sign of humility, grief, mourning, and repentance. Abraham calls himself “dust and ashes” before God; mourners put ashes on their heads or sat among ashes (2 Sam. 13:19; Esth. 4:1-3; Job 2:8). The sufferer of Psalm 102 says, “I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink.” Ashes are not spiritually nourishing in themselves; their force lies in bodily confession of frailty and sorrow. Later Jewish mourning practices surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem are historical developments and should not be treated as commands of Scripture.

Ashhur

(bright) (1 Chron. 2:24; 4:5) — father of Tekoa, son of Hezron.

Ashima Asimath

(2 Kings 17:30) — a household deity of the people of Hamath, represented among later Jews in the form of a hairless goat and worshiped in Egypt by the inhabitants of the city of Mendes. Some identify this with Osiris, others with the Greek Pan, and others still with Mercury.

Ashkelon

(removal) (2 Sam. 1:20) — one of the five chief fortified cities of the Philistines, situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, twenty English miles south of Gaza, and 520 stadia southwest of Jerusalem. After Joshua’s death it again fell under the dominion of the tribe of Judah (Judg. 1:18), to which it was originally assigned. It was known in antiquity for the worship of Astarte, otherwise known by the name [of Derceto], to whom the dove was sacred, and under whom some understand the Greek Aphrodite, or Venus, and for the growing of garden onions in the city and its surroundings.

It was here, that is, to Ashkelon, that Samson went from Timnah, after killing thirty Philistines (Judg. 14:19). Ashkelon is mentioned in David’s lament over the death of Saul (2 Sam. 1:20). The prophets repeatedly foretold its future fate (Jer. 25:20; Amos 1:8; Zech. 9:5), predictions all fulfilled with literal exactness. In later times Ashkelon was known as the birthplace of Herod and as the site of many bloody battles between Crusaders and Saracens. In 1270 it was finally destroyed by Sultan Baibars.

Not far to the north there is a small village called Jura [as given] (onion), nestled almost among the ruins of the once ancient and glorious Philistine city. Ashkelon wine was famous for its excellence; and Ashkelon in general was famous for its cypresses, figs, pomegranates, and bees. Turtledoves, once sacred to Astarte, still to this day fill with their cooing the gardens in the sandy hollows of ruined Ashkelon (Stanley, 257).

Ashkenaz

(family of the Ases, or Yases) (Gen. 10:3) — grandson of Japheth, and probably forefather of the Ashkenazic peoples (Jer. 51:27), who inhabited the country lying on the eastern and southeastern shores of the Black Sea. However, the exact location of this country is unknown. Some more recent writers suppose that this people gave its name to Scandia, or Scandinavia.

Ashnah

— the name of two cities in the tribe of Judah. One was among the fourteen cities in the lowlands (Josh. 15:33), and the other among the nine cities near Libnah (Josh. 15:43). In Fürst’s opinion, in one of the passages cited, the city of Jeshanah is meant.

Ashpenaz Asphanez

(overseer of drinks) (Dan. 1:11, 16) — an overseer who watched over the food from the royal table for the prophet Daniel and the three youths — Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael; he was appointed over them for supervision by the chief of the eunuchs of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Ashpenaz Asphanez

(horse’s scent [as given]) (Dan. 1:3) — chief of the eunuchs at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Ashtaroth

(Josh. 9:10), — called Ashteroth-karnaim in the Book of Deuteronomy (1:4) [as given] — was one of the chief cities of Og, king of Bashan. From here came Uzzia [as given], one of David’s thirty mighty men (1 Chron. 11:44). The name Tell Ashtereh, it seems, has been retained to this day for a certain place lying six Roman miles from Edrei. Others think it identical with the more recent settlement Mezareib, situated on the route of pilgrims traveling from Damascus to Mecca.

Ashteroth-karnaim Astaroth Carnain

(dwelling place of the two-horned goddess) (Gen. 14:5). This city is mentioned as the chief dwelling place of the Rephaim, who were struck down by Chedorlaomer and his allies. The same city is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (12:4) as the dwelling place of giants (men of extraordinary strength, in Hebrew Rephaim). The addition to the city’s name — Karnaim (two-horned) — was made, according to Hebrew tradition, because it lay between two hills, but more likely it was an addition to the name of the moon goddess (Astarte), to distinguish her from other deities.

This city was called Karnaim even in the time of the Maccabees (1 Macc. 5:33 [as given]); it lay beyond the Jordan, in the half-tribe of Manasseh, and was a Levitical city. Its ancient location has still not been precisely determined, but it probably lay near the city of Edrei, at a distance of about six miles. According to Ritter and Porter, this is the present-day settlement Tell Ashtarah.

Ashur

(blackness) (Gen. 10:11 [as given]) — second son of Shem. From him, probably, Assyria took its name, with its capital city Nineveh (Hos. 14:4 [as given]; Micah 5:6 [as given]).

Ashurim

(1 Chron. 1:32) — of the sons of Dedan, son of Jokshan, son of Abraham by Keturah.

Ashurim

(Gen. 25:3) — an Arabian tribe, descended from Dedan and, thus, from Abraham, through Keturah.

Ashvath Asith

(strong) (1 Chron. 7:33) — one of the sons of Japhlet, a descendant of Asher.

Asia

(Acts 2:9) — the name of a country then unknown to the ancients, as one of the four great continents. This name was originally applied only to a small Lydian region, including perhaps Ionia and Aeolis. The name gradually broadened in meaning, until it came to designate the whole of Asia Minor, and at last, under this name, the entire vast eastern continent of the globe came to be understood. This vast part of the world was undoubtedly the setting of the most wondrous events, closely bound up with the origin, history, and destiny of the human race.

It is the place of man’s creation and his fall, the wanderings of the first patriarchs and the founding of the first colonies, planted upon the earth after the confusion of tongues at Babel, the various journeys, temptations, and glory of Abraham, the establishment, glory, and fall of the Hebrew kingdom; it is the most sacred place of the birth, life, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. In Asia was Eden, and in it too the Divine Sufferer bore His cross to Golgotha.

Asia Minor is a peninsula on the western, or southwestern, shore of Asia, jutting into the Mediterranean, or Great Sea, extending eastward as far as the Euphrates, westward to the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, northward to what is now called the Black Sea, southward to the Mediterranean, or Great Sea. It consisted of the following twelve provinces: Bithynia, Pontus (Galatia), Cappadocia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Pisidia (Lycaonia), Paphlagonia, Lycia, Phrygia, Mysia (Troas), Lydia, and Caria, and along the coast the Greek colonies of the Aeolians, Ionians, and Dorians.

But in the sense in which this word is used in the Book of Acts (2:9; 6:9; 19:10, 22, 26, 27, and elsewhere), it already means the Roman proconsular province of Asia, and encompasses only the concept of that part of Asia Minor which included Phrygia, Mysia, Caria, and Lydia. Within its bounds were the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 1:4–11). In the Book of Acts (27:2), the name Asia may refer to Asia Minor, but even then only to its southwestern shores. In all other mentions it is so distinguished from the other parts of Asia Minor, or so closely connected with Ephesus, that one cannot help thinking that under this name is meant precisely that Asia whose chief city was Ephesus, or, in other words, proconsular Asia.

Asia.

See Asia [as cross-referenced in the original].

Asiel

— the name of three persons: a) (1 Chron. 4:35) an Israelite of the tribe of Simeon, whose descendant Jehu lived in the reign of Hezekiah; b) (2 Esdras 14:24) one of five swift scribes of Ezra, employed, by Ezra’s command, in copying the Law and compiling a history of the world; c) (Tobit 1:1) a Naphtalite, forefather of the tribe from which Tobit traced his lineage.

Asiph.

See 2 Esdras 5:29. In Ezra (2:43) it reads: Hasupha.

Asmodeus

(Tobit 3:8–17) — an evil spirit, the devil. This was the name of the evil spirit who destroyed several bridegrooms of Sarah, daughter of Raguel. In the opinion of later Jews, he is the chief of the demons, or king of the demons.

Asna

(thorn, prickle) (Ezra 2:50) — of the Nethinim; his descendants returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel.

Asom.

See 2 Esdras 9:33. In Ezra (2:19) and in Nehemiah (10:18) it reads: Hashum.

Asomin

(1 Chron. 1:32) — of the line of Keturah, son of Dedan.

Aspalathus

(Sirach 24:17) — a small tree of the thorn family, very fragrant, resembling a rose in color; it grows in Syria, Egypt, and on the island of Rhodes.

Aspatha Phasga

(horse) (Esther 9:7) — third son of Haman.

Asphalt

(pitch) (Gen. 14:10; Exod. 2:3) — a mineral, otherwise called Jew’s pitch. It is extracted in liquid and soft form from mines and from the surface of the Dead Sea, from which the latter is sometimes called the Asphalt Lake. This liquid pitch becomes dry and hard in the air, like lime mortar exposed to the air. At present it is found in abundance during excavations of ruins in the environs of Babylon; asphalt is still used in that region in place of lime, or cement, in laying stone walls, houses, and the like.

It seems, however, that the plain of Shinar was especially rich in asphalt, as Strabo attests in the sixteenth book of his Geography. This asphalt, or pitch, was used by the ancients, among other things, for caulking ships, and in place of lime for laying stone walls; with the help of this cement the walls of Babylon were built; with it too was caulked the basket in which Moses’s mother placed him, setting the basket among the reeds on the bank of the river Nile. In medicine, too, the use of mineral pitch was not unknown among the Jews, as Josephus attests.

Asphar

(1 Macc. 9:33) — a lake, or rather a cistern, in the wilderness of Tekoa. Near it the camp of Jonathan and Simon Maccabeus was pitched before their battle with Bacchides.

Asriel

(according to Jerome — fortune, well-being of God) (Num. 26:31) — head of one of the families of the tribe of Manasseh, of the sons of Gilead.

Ass; she-ass

(Gen. 22:3; Num. 22:21)—a domestic animal very often mentioned in Holy Scripture and an important form of wealth among the ancient Hebrews. Job, for example, possessed five hundred she-asses (Job 1:3). Herds were sometimes so numerous that they required special keepers (Gen. 36:24). The domestic ass is undoubtedly one of the animals best suited for household labor and in some places is preferred even to the horse. Its skin is remarkably thick and durable and was used for parchment, drumheads, bookbindings, and other purposes.

Its coat is usually ash-gray with a brown stripe along the back, though sometimes reddish or silvery white. In the days of the Judges, persons of rank especially rode white asses (Judg. 5:10).

Assan.

See 2 Esdras 5:31. In Ezra (2:55) it reads: Asna.

Assapheth.

See 2 Esdras 5:33. In Ezra (2:55) it reads: Hassophereth.

Assos, Assa

(Acts 20:13, 14) (captive) — a city and harbor in Mysia, on the shore of the Aegean Sea, below Troas, opposite the island of Lesbos. The Apostle Paul, on his way back to Jerusalem for the last time after his third journey, went here on foot from Troas and from there sailed to Mytilene. A chief feature of Assos was the absence of any Roman element in it: it was an entirely Greek city. The remains of the city, built for the most part of granite, are very numerous and well preserved, such as, for instance, the citadel, situated on the ruins of the theater. The street of tombs, leading to the great gate, was reckoned the most beautiful street of the city of Assos.

Assyria

(from Ashur) (2 Kings 15:19) — the mightiest empire in Asia, whose fate, in its greatness and glory as well as in its calamities and destruction, was most strikingly foretold by the prophet (Ezek. 31). In all likelihood Assyria was founded by Ashur, who built Nineveh and other cities, but according to others by Nimrod, 120 years after the Flood. In its broadest sense the word Assyria embraced all the lands and peoples as far as the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the river Indus to the east.

It is worth noting that in Holy Scripture, by the word “Assyrians” is properly meant the Assyrian people, or empire, whose chief city was Nineveh; by the designation “Babylonians,” or “Chaldeans,” is meant the people of the country whose chief city was Babylon; and finally by the name “Syrians” —

Astarte

(Judg. 2:13) — the chief female deity of the Phoenicians and Syrians, as Baal was their chief male deity, worshiped by the Philistines and other peoples. The worship of Astarte dates from ancient times and was very widespread. Even Solomon introduced the worship of this idol in Jerusalem itself (1 Kings 11:5–33). It is thought that the 400 prophets of the groves who ate at Jezebel’s table (1 Kings 18:19) were in the service of this goddess. Astarte was also called the Queen of Heaven, the goddess of the moon, just as Baal was worshiped as the god of the sun, and was deified as the goddess of love, fortune, war, and so on; she was depicted with a crescent moon on her head, or with horns.

In Holy Scripture she is usually mentioned together with the name Baal. Holy Scripture calls Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians (2 Kings 23:13), since her worship was accompanied by the most disgraceful orgies and depravity.

Astusim

(1 Chron. 1:32) — of the sons of Dedan, son of Jokshan, son of Abraham by Keturah.

Astyages

(Dan. 14:1) — last of the kings of Media (595–560 B.C.), son of Cyaxares, father of Mandane, mother of Cyrus, king of Persia.

Asuv.

See 2 Esdras 5:31. In Ezra (2:51) it reads: Harhur.

Asvakathas, Asvasareth

(see 2 Esdras 2:66) — king of Assyria. In Ezra (4:2) he is called Esarhaddon.

Asyncritus

(incomparable) (Rom. 16:14) — one of the Seventy Apostles, greeted by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans. By tradition he was bishop in Asian Hyrcania. His memory is January 4 and April 8.

Atach

(shelter) (1 Sam. 30:30) — one of the places frequently visited by David and his men during their stay at Ziklag. Its location is unknown.

Atad, otherwise Goren-ha-Atad, or Abel-mizraim

(a place overgrown with thorny bramble — “the mourning of the Egyptians”) (Gen. 50:10, 11) — a place, probably located in the valley by the Jordan, in the land of Canaan, and placed by ancient writers between Jericho and the Jordan. Here was the threshing floor of Atad, and the name Goren-ha-Atad, or Abel-mizraim, arose from the circumstance that Joseph and his companions stopped here for seven days to mourn during their journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan, at the burial of Jacob (Gen. 50:10, 11).

Atar Jatal

(2 Esdras 5:28). In Ezra (2:42) it reads: Ater.

Atargatis

(2 Macc. 12:26) — the name of a fortified place with a temple in Gilead, in the tribe of Manasseh, in which the Syrian commander Timotheus had a fortified camp; but Judas Maccabeus, having taken the city, set fire to the temple and the fortress with all who were in it (1 Macc. 5:37–44; 2 Macc. 12:26), putting 2,500 Syrians to death in the process. Atargatis, to whom the temple was dedicated, was a Babylonian-Philistine deity, depicted in the form of a woman with a fish’s tail instead of legs. Ponds with fish were usually dedicated to her.

Ataroth

(crowns, wreaths) — the name of several cities and localities on the eastern and western sides of the Jordan, mentioned in Holy Scripture: a) (Num. 32:34) a city in the tribe of Gad, built by the Gadites; b) (Num. 32:35) a city of the same tribe, otherwise Atroth-shophan. Its location is given in the Book of Numbers as between Aroer and Jazer; c) (Josh. 16:7) a city on the borders of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, probably, as is thought, the same place as Ataroth-addar, where there is now a large settlement, Atara; d) Eusebius and Jerome mention, besides these, another Ataroth, in the tribe of Ephraim, four miles north of Sebaste. Robinson supposes this to be the same place as the aforementioned settlement Atara, seen along the road from Jerusalem to Bethel.

Ater

(mute, closed) — the name of three persons mentioned in Holy Scripture, namely: a) (Ezra 2:16) descendants of Ater, among the 98 who returned from captivity with Zerubbabel; b) (Ezra 2:42) descendants of Ater, gatekeepers of the Temple, who returned from captivity with Zerubbabel. In 2 Esdras (5:28) they are called the sons of Atar; c) (Neh. 10:17) of the chiefs of the people, who gave a pledge to be faithful to God.

Atetha.

See 2 Esdras 5:32. In Ezra (2:54) and in Nehemiah (7:56) it reads: Hatipha.

Athach (source form: Thimath)

(1 Sam. 30:30)—one of the places in Judah to whose elders David sent a share of the spoil after defeating the Amalekites. Its location is unknown.

Athaiah Athaia Azia

(Jehovah is a helper) (Neh. 11:4) — son of Uzziah, of the tribe of Judah, who lived in Jerusalem after the captivity. In 1 Chronicles (9:4) he is called Uthai.

Athaliah

(Hebrew Gathaliah) (oppressed by God) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 8:26) of the sons of Jeroham, a Benjamite; b) (Ezra 8:7) of the descendants of Elam, father of Jeshaiah.

Athara

(crown, wreath) (1 Chron. 2:26) — one of the wives of Jerahmeel and mother of Onam, of the tribe of Judah.

Atharim Atharin

(places, lands) (Num. 21:1) — a region located in the south of Palestine, thought to be not far from Mount Hor.

Athasia.

(2 Esdras 5:40) — the same as Atvarat.

Athasub.

See 2 Esdras 9:44. In Nehemiah (7:22 [as given]) it reads: Hashum.

Athenobius

(1 Macc. 15:28, 32 [as given]) — an envoy of Antiochus (VII) Sidetes to the Jewish high priest Simon — a person mentioned in the Bible only once.

Athens

(city of Minerva) (Acts 17:15) — the ancient capital of Attica, in Greece, situated on the Saronic Gulf, 46 English miles east of Corinth, 5 English miles from the coast. The city was famous not only politically and for its military might, but also for the eloquence, literature, and learning of its inhabitants. The city of Athens was, by tradition, founded by Cecrops 1,500 years before Christ. St. Paul the Apostle visited Athens around the year 52 A.D. and found the population sunk in idolatry and idleness.

He preached here and rebuked their superstitions, for which he was brought to trial before the Areopagus. In the Book of Acts the Athenians are described as people who most delighted in spending their time telling or hearing something new (Acts 17:21).

Athlai

(Ezra 10:28) — son of Bebai, one of those who married foreign wives in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. In 2 Esdras (9:29) he is called Amatheis. ## Б.

Atith.

See 2 Esdras 5:28. In Ezra (2:42) it reads: Hatita.

Attai

(according to Gesenius, timely; according to Fürst, born at a favorable time) — the name of two persons: a) (1 Chron. 2:35, 36) grandson of Sheshan the Jerahmeelite, through his daughter, wife of the servant Jarha; b) (2 Chron. 11:20) second son of Rehoboam, king of Judah, father of Maachah, daughter of Absalom.

Attalia

(Acts 14:25) — a city of Asia Minor, in Pamphylia, near Perga, not far from the Mediterranean Sea, on the river Cataractes [as given]. From here the apostles Paul and Barnabas sailed back to Antioch after their first journey to preach the Gospel. At present there is here the fortified place of Antalya, or Satalia, with 8,000 inhabitants.

Attalus

(1 Macc. 15:22) — the name of three kings of Pergamum, all bearing the name Attalus. In the passage cited, Attalus II, Philadelphus, is meant, known for building Attalia, Philadelphia, and other cities.

Atvarat

— one of the persons mentioned in 2 Esdras (9:49). In Nehemiah (7:65) he is read as Tirshatha.

Augustus Caesar

(Luke 2:1) (majestic, noble) — nephew and successor of Julius Caesar, who was Roman emperor at the time of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; he reigned 41 years and was succeeded by Tiberius Caesar. After the murder of Julius Caesar, he shared administrative power for a time with Antony and Lepidus, but at last became sole emperor, receiving around the year 27 B.C. from the Senate the title of Augustus. After his brilliant victories a general peace ensued, and the gates of the pagan temple of Janus were closed.

He died in the year 14 A.D., in the 76th year of his life, in the city of Nola, in Campania, in the month of August, named after him. The word “Caesar” was a royal title of the Roman emperors; for this reason the succeeding emperors Tiberius and Nero are also called by this name (Matt. 22:21; Acts 25:11). The title “Augustus,” however, was a personal distinction, though after the death of the emperor who received it, this title continued to be regarded and used as an addition to the imperial title. Among the poets of the Augustan Age, called the golden age of Roman literature, especially famous are Virgil, Horace, and Ovid.

Aulon.

See Arabah.

Auranitis

(land of caves) (Ezek. 47:16–18) — a region on the eastern side of the Jordan, south of Trachonitis and Damascus. The Greeks called it Auranitis. In ancient times, together with the land of Trachonitis, Batanaea, and Gaulanitis, it formed the kingdom of Bashan (Deut. 3:1–3). It is now known by the name Hauran, with its chief city Bosra. In antiquity this whole country was covered with cities and villages, but now in their place are seen everywhere heaps of ruins of cities and houses.

Some of these cities and houses have been so well preserved that they may be compared to the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, buried beneath the ashes of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Autaeus

(see 2 Esdras 9:48). In Nehemiah 8:7 he is called Hodijah.

Avaran

(1 Macc. 2:5) — the name of Eleazar, one of the sons of Mattathias, the brother of Judas Maccabeus.

Avaran

(1 Macc. 6:43)—the surname of Eleazar, son of Mattathias.

Avatzinii, otherwise Hovatzinii

(a gathering of …) (Jer. 24:3 [more probably Jer. 35:3]) — Rechabites, descended from Jaazaniah, who appears to have been head of the Rechabites in the days of the prophet Jeremiah.

Aven

(vanity, emptiness) (Amos 1:5) — a valley in Syria of Damascus, also called the valley of Lebanon, as it lay between two ranges of the Lebanon mountains; at present called el-Bukaa (Josh. 11:17). Here once stood the famous cities of Baalbek, or Heliopolis, in the north, and Baghdad [as given in the source] in the south, where once the worship of Baal reigned and many pagan temples stood; for this reason, probably, the prophet, foretelling the coming disasters upon the Syrians for their transgressions, calls their famous valley the valley of Aven, that is, the valley of vanity — pointing thereby, on the one hand, to the emptiness of their idols, and on the other, to the vanity of hopes placed in them. Its location, it is supposed, is marked by the ruins now found at Baalbek, some thirty English miles north of Damascus.

Aven

(Hos. 10:8) — the name given by the prophet to Bethel, also sometimes called Beth-aven, “house of vanity,” on account of the extreme depravity and idolatry that prevailed there. Here the golden calves were set up for worship by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28).

Avva Seppharvaim

(destruction, desolation) (2 Kings 17:24) — the name of a city taken by Sargon (Sennacherib), whose inhabitants he transferred to the depopulated cities of Samaria, according to the general custom of the Assyrian kings regarding conquered peoples. It is supposed that it was located not far from Babylon. Some identify it with the city of Ivvah (2 Kings 18:34; 19:13).

Avvim

(ruins) — a city in the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:23). Some think that the inhabitants of Avvim are identical with the Avvites who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, and in whose place the Philistines afterward settled.

Avvites Evites

(dwellers in desolate places) — an ancient Canaanite people, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:23 and in Joshua 13:3, who lived in villages as far as Gaza and, after being driven out from there by the Caphtorim, occupied various parts of Palestine. It is thought that the Hivites, often mentioned in Holy Scripture, are one and the same as the Avvites.

Avvites Evites

(2 Kings 17:31) — inhabitants of the Assyrian city of Avva, resettled by Shalmaneser in the cities of Samaria. These settlers honored the Lord, but at the same time also served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from which they had been removed. The Avvites had their own gods, or idols: Nibhaz and Tartak.

Axe

(Matt. 3:10; 2 Kings 6:5)—a tool for cutting trees and wood and, at times, a weapon. Ancient axe heads of stone, bronze, or iron were fastened to wooden handles; Deuteronomy describes the danger of an iron head flying from the handle and accidentally killing a neighbor (Deut. 19:5). John the Baptist’s declaration that the axe lies at the root of the trees warns that unfruitful lives face imminent divine judgment. It is a call to repentance, not an ethnic prediction of the destruction of the Jewish people, as the source phrases it.

Azal

(side, slope) (Zech. 14:5) — a place near Jerusalem, to its east, probably the same place mentioned by the prophet Micah (1:11) under the name Beth-ezel.

Azal, or Asil

(side, slope) (Zech. 14:5). Thus the prophet Zechariah names the boundary to which the ravine, or gorge, of the Mount of Olives extends, when God goes forth to war against the nations that rise up against Jerusalem. Here is this very expressive passage in the Book of the Prophet Zechariah: “And ye (the Jews) shall flee to the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.”

Azaliah Ezelias

(whom God protects) (2 Kings 22:3) — father of Shaphan the scribe, in the reign of Josiah.

Azar.

See 2 Esdras 5:15.

Azariah

(whom God helps) — the name of the following persons: a) (1 Chron. 12:6) one of the mighty men who went over to David at Ziklag; b) (1 Chron. 25:18) one of those appointed under David to be among the singers; c) (1 Chron. 27:22) son of Jeroham, chief of the tribe of Dan, one of the princes of Israel; d) (Neh. 11:13) father of Amashsai, one of the outstanding men chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem after the captivity; e) (Neh. 12:36) one of the priestly sons present at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem; f) (Ezra 10:41) one of those who had foreign wives.

Azariah

(help of the Lord) (2 Kings 14:21) — tenth king of Judah, son and successor of Amaziah. In 2 Chronicles (26:1, 3–5) he is called Uzziah. In many respects he was, on the whole, a king of a godly life; but when he had grown strong, his heart was lifted up, and he transgressed against the Lord his God. He went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense, though he was not a priest. The priests opposed him. Uzziah grew angry, and while the censer was in his hand for burning incense, behold, leprosy broke out on his forehead, and he remained a leper to the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house, and was cut off from the house of the Lord (2 Chron. 26).

Azariah

(Dan. 1:6 and elsewhere). One of the Babylonian youths, companions of the prophet Daniel, named in Babylon Abednego.

Azaz Azuz

(fortified by God) — the name of three persons: a) (1 Chron. 27:20) father of Hoshea, appointed by David chief over the tribe of Ephraim; b) (1 Chron. 15:21) one of the Levite singers under David who accompanied the Ark of the Covenant; c) (2 Chron. 31:13) overseer of the people’s offerings and contributions to the Temple, in the days of King Hezekiah, for the support of the priests and Levites.

Azaz Azuz

(strong) (1 Chron. 5:8) — one of those mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Reuben.

Azaziah

(heard by Jehovah) (Neh. 10:9) — a Levite, father of Jeshua, one of those who set their seal to the written covenant to be faithful to God and not to intermarry with foreign women.

Azazimeh.

(See Seir.)

Azbuk Azabuch

(perhaps: forsaken) (Neh. 3:16) — father of Nehemiah, ruler over the district of Beth-zur, one of those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem after the captivity.

Azekah

(Josh. 15:35) (newly tilled field) — a place in the lowlands of the tribe of Judah, twelve English miles east of Bethlehem and ten south of Jerusalem. Joshua pursued the Canaanites as far as this place in the war with Adonizedek and his allies, whose armies were miraculously destroyed by a hailstorm from heaven; near this city the Philistine army encamped before the single combat of David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17:1). The city was fortified by Rehoboam after the division of the kingdoms (2 Chron. 11:9), and it still existed at the time of the Babylonian invasion; it is also mentioned after the Jews’ return from captivity (Neh. 11:30).

Azel Esel

(departure, separation) (1 Sam. 20:19) — a stone, or perhaps a heap of stones, near the hill of Gibeah of Benjamin, between Ramah and Nob, at which Jonathan appointed a secret meeting with David, when the latter fled from Saul’s court, and at which these two friends parted.

Azel Esel

(noble) (1 Chron. 8:37) — a descendant of Saul.

Azgad

(strong in fortune) — the name of two persons: a) (Ezra 2:12; Neh. 7:17) — one of those whose sons returned from captivity with Zerubbabel; b) (Neh. 10:15) — one of those who, in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, gave written testimony to be faithful to God.

Aziel

(comfort of God) (1 Chron. 15:20) — one of the second-rank Levites who took part in playing the harps in a high voice when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem into the newly built tabernacle from the house of Obed-edom, in the days of David. In verse 18 this name is given more fully, namely: Jaaziel.

Azijan.

See 2 Esdras 5:15.

Aziza Oziza

(strong, hero) (Ezra 10:27) — son of Zattu, who married a foreign woman. In 2 Esdras 9:28 he is called Zaraiah.

Azmaveth

(strong even unto death) — the name of persons mentioned in the following places of Holy Scripture: a) (2 Sam. 23:31; 1 Chron. 11:33) — one of David’s mighty men; b) (1 Chron. 8:36; 9:40) — a descendant of Saul; c) (1 Chron. 12:3) — father of Jeziel and Pelet, skilled archers who went over to David at Ziklag; d) (1 Chron. 27:25) — son of Adiel, appointed keeper of David’s royal treasuries.

Azmaveth

(Ezra 2:24) — a city in the tribe of Judah or Benjamin, near Jerusalem (Neh. 12:29), also called Beth-azmaveth (Neh. 7:28). Forty-two men of its inhabitants, called the sons of Azmaveth, were among those who returned with Zerubbabel from the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:24); some of them, sons of singers, had their own settlements near Azmaveth and were present at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:29). One recent English traveler (Finn) identifies Azmaveth with the present-day Hizmeh, a village in the hill country of the tribe of Benjamin, southeast of Jeba.

Azmon

(stronghold, fortress) (Num. 34:4; Josh. 15:4) — a city on the southern border of Palestine, between Kadesh and Barnea, apparently near the Brook of Egypt, within the bounds of the tribe of Judah (Wadi el-Arish). This place has not yet been precisely determined.

Aznoth-tabor Athabor

(peaks of Tabor) (Josh. 19:34) — a city on the southern border of the tribe of Naphtali, the northernmost of the twelve tribes. Its connection with Mount Tabor, which lies on the southern border of the tribe of Zebulun, is not entirely clear. Some suppose it to be the Azanoth near Diocaesarea mentioned by Eusebius. This opinion is not altogether plausible.

Azor

(helper) (Matt. 1:13–14) — one of those mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord, son of Eliakim and father of Zadok.

Azriel

(help of God) — the name of three persons: a) (Jer. 36:26) father of Seraiah, one of those whom Jehoiakim king of Judah commanded to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; b) (1 Chron. 5:24) one of the chiefs of the half-tribe of Manasseh who lived beyond the Jordan; c) (1 Chron. 27:19) father of Jerimoth, appointed by David chief over the tribe of Naphtali.

Azrikam

(help against the enemy): a) (1 Chron. 3:23) a descendant of Solomon; b) (1 Chron. 8:38) one of the sons of Azel, a descendant of Jonathan; c) (1 Chron. 9:14) father of Hashub, one of the Levites who lived in Jerusalem; d) (2 Chron. 28:7) steward of Ahaz’s household, slain by Zichri.

Azubah

(ruins) — the name of the following persons: a) (1 Kings 22:42) daughter of Shilhi, mother of King Jehoshaphat; b) (1 Chron. 2:18, 19) wife of Caleb.

Azur

(helper): a) (Neh. 10:17) one of those under Nehemiah who set their seal to the covenant to be faithful to God; b) (Jer. 28:1) father of Hananiah, the false prophet; c) (Ezek. 11:1) father of Jaazaniah, one of the wicked princes of Israel.

Azzan Oza

(sharp) (Num. 34:26) — father of Paltiel, one of the princes of Issachar, appointed together with the princes of other tribes to help divide the Promised Land among the Israelites.