The last betrayed his Master; and, having hanged himself, Matthias was chosen in his place, Acts 1:15-26. APPII FORUM, a city or market town, founded by Appius Claudius, on the great road (Via Appii) which he constructed from Rome to Capua. It is most probably to be found in the present Casarillo di Santa Maria, situated 56 miles from Rome, in the borders of the Pontine marshes, where are the remains of an ancient city. The Three Taverns were about eight or ten miles nearer Rome. Acts 28:15. APPLE-TREES are mentioned Cant. 2:3. 8:5. Joel 1:12. Many suppose the citron,|| or lemon-tree, to be here meant. AQUILA, a Jew born in Pontus, a tent-maker by occupation, who, with his wife Priscilla, joined the Christian church at Rome. When the Jews were banished from that city by the emperor Claudius, Aquila and his wife retired to Corinth, and afterwards became the companions of Paul in his labors, by whom they are mentioned with much commendation. Acts 18:2, &c. Rom. 16:3. 1 Cor. 16:19. 2 Tim. 4:19: ARABIA is a country of Western Asia, lying south and south-east of Judea. It extends 1500 miles from north to south, and 1200 from east to west. On the north it is bounded by part of Syria, on the east by the Persian gulf and the Euphrates, on the south by the Arabían sea and the straits of Babelmandel, and on the west by the Red sea, &c. Arabia is distinguished by geographers into three parts-Arabía Deserta, Petræa, and Felix. ans, hends the country of the Iturethe Edomites, the Nabathaans, the people of Kedar, and others, who led a wandering life, having no cities, houses or fixed habitations, but wholly dwelling in tents; in modern Arabic, such are called Bedouins. When Paul says he "went into Arabia and returned again to Damascus," he means, doubtless, the northern part of Arabia Deserta, which lay adjacent to the territories of Damascus. Gal. 1:17. Arabia Petraa lies south of the Holy Land, and had Petra for its capital. (See SELA.) This region contained the southern Edomites, the Amalekites, the Hivites, &c. people at present known under the general name of Arabians. In this country was Kadesh-barnea, Gerar, Beersheba, Paran, Arad, Hasmona, || Oboth, Dedan, &c. also the peninsula of mount Sinai. As Arabia Felix lies still farther south, being bounded east by the Persian gulf, south by the ocean between Africa and India, and west by the Red sea. this region did not immediately adjoin the Holy Land, it is not so frequently mentioned as the former ones. The queen of Sheba, who visited Solomon, 1 K. 10:1, was probably queen of part of Arabia Felix. This country abounded with riches, and particularly with spices; and is now called Hedjaz. It is much celebrated in modern times, by reason of the cities of Mecca and Medina being situated in it. There are two races of Arabs; those who derive their descent from the primitive inhabitants of the land, and those who claim Arabia Deserta has the moun- Ishmael as their ancestor. They tains of Gilead west, and the are all divided up into different river Euphrates east; it compre-tribes; the Arabs are also di vided into those who dwell in cities, and those who live in the fields and deserts. The latter are migratory, dwelling in tents, and removing according to the convenience of water and pasturage, and are often robbers. Each tribe is divided up into little communities, of which a sheikh or patriarch is the head. Such are the Bedouins. ARARAT, the name of a province of Armenia, and sometimes used to denote the whole country. Jer. 51:27. On the mountains of Ararat, the ark rested. Gen. 8:4. In 1831, Messrs. Smith and Dwight, American missionaries, visited Armenia, and traversed the province of Ararat. Mr. Smith describes the mountains as follows: "We passed very near the base of that noble mountain, which is called by the Armenians Masis, and by Europeans generally Ararat; and for more than twenty days had it constantly in sight, except when obscured by clouds. It consists of two peaks, one considerably higher than the other, and is connected with a chain of mountains running off to the north-west and west, which, though high, are not of sufficient elevation to detract at all from the lonely dignity of this stupendous mass. From Nakhchewan, at the distance of at least 100 miles to the south-east, it appeared like an immense isolated cone, of extreme regularity, rising out of the valley of the Araxes. Its height is said to be 16,000 feet. The eternal snows upon its summit occasionally form vast avalanches, which precipitate themselves down its sides with a sound not unlike that of an earthquake. When we saw it, it was white to its very base with snow. And certainly not among the mountains of Ararat or of Armenia generally, nor those of any part of the world where I have been, have I ever seen one whose majesty could plead half so powerfully its claims to the honor of having once been the stepping-stone between the old world and the new. I gave myself up to the feeling, that on its summit were once congregated all the inhabitants of the earth, and that, while in the valley of the Araxes, I was paying a visit to the second cradle of the human race." ARAUNAH, a Jebusite. 2 Sam. 24:18. În 1 Chr. 21:18, he is called ORNAN. ARBA, the ancient name of Hebron, which see. ARCHANGEL, one of the seven principal angels who surround the throne of God. 1 Thess. 4:16. Compare Rev. 8:2.-In Matt. 26:53. 2 Thess. 1:7, &c. hosts of angels are spoken of, in the same manner as human armies. These the Deity is said to employ in executing his commands, or in displaying his dignity and majesty, in the manner of human princes. These armies of angels are also represented as divided into orders and classes, having each its leader; and all these are subject to one chief, or archangel. Dan. 10:13. The archangels are seven in number, Rev. 8:2, of whom the names of three are found in the Jewish writings, viz. Michael, the patron of the Jewish nation, Dan. 10:13,21. 12:1. Jude v. 9. Rev. 12:7. Gabriel, Dan 8:16. 9:21. Luke 1:19,26. Raphael, in the Apocrypha, Tob. 3:17. 5:4, &c. ARCHELAUS, a son of Herod the Great, by his Samaritan wife Malthace. He was edu cated with his brother Antipas at without any interference on their part. Acts 17:19,22, &c. But ARETAS, the name of several kings of Arabia Petræa. The only one mentioned in Scripture gave his daughter in marriage to Herod Antipas; but she being repudiated by Herod, Aretas made war upon him (A. D. 37) and destroyed his army. In consequence of this, the emperor Tiberius, indignant at the audacihety of Aretas, and being entreated by Herod to give him assistance, ARCTURUS signifies, prop-directed Vitellius, then proconsul erly, the Bear's Tail, and denotes of Syria, to make war upon the a star in the tail of the Great Arabian king, and bring him Bear, or constellation Ursa Ma- alive or dead to Rome. jor. The sons of Arcturus are, while Vitellius was in the midst probably, the smaller stars adja- of preparation for the war, and cent. Job 9:9. 38:32. had already sent forward some AREOPAGUS, the place, or of his troops, he received intellicourt of Mars, in which the Are- gence of the death of Tiberius; opagites, the celebrated and on which he immediately recalled supreme judges of Athens, as- his troops, dismissed them into sembled. It was on an eminence, winter quarters, and then left the formerly almost in the middle of province, A. D. 39. Aretas, the city; but nothing remains by taking advantage of this supinewhich we can determine its formness, seems to have made an inor construction. The Areopa-cursion and got possession of gites took cognizance of murders, Damascus ; over which he then impieties and immoralities; they appointed a governor or ethnarch, punished vices of all kinds, idle- who, at the instigation of the ness included; they rewarded or Jews, attempted to put Paul in assisted the virtuous; they were prison. 2 Cor. 11:32. Comp. peculiarly attentive to blasphe-Acts 9:24,25. Under Nero, howmies against the gods, and to the ever, (A. D. 54 to 67,) Damascus performance of the sacred mys- appears again on coins as a Roteries. It was, therefore, with man city. the greatest propriety, that Paul was questioned before this tribunal. Having preached at Athens against the plurality of gods, and declared that he came to reveal to the Athenians that God whom they adored without knowing him, the apostle was carried before the Areopagites, as the introducer of new deities, where he spoke with so much wisdom, that he converted Dionysius, one of the judges, and was dismissed ARIMATHEA, or RAMAH, a city whence came Joseph the counsellor, mentioned Luke 23:51. But as there were at least two cities of this name in Palestine, it is somewhat uncertain which of these is meant. Most probably, however, it was the Ramah of mount Ephraim, the birth-place and residence of Samuel. This was called, also, Ramathaim-Zophim, 1 Sam. 1:1, comp. vs. 19, from which name the form Arimathea is readily | derived. See RAMAH. bit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. On the top of it, all round, ran a kind of gold crown; and two cherubim were over the cover. It had four rings of gold, two on each side, through which staves were put, by which it was carried. Ex. 25:10-22. After the passage of the Jordan, the ark continued some time at Giigal, Josh. 4:19, whence it was I. ARK of Noah, the vessel in which the family of Noah was preserved during the deluge, when all the rest of our race perished for their sins. The form and dimensions of the ark have given rise to an infinite amount of useless speculation, and volumes have been written on the subject; but all such specula-removed to Shiloh. 1 Sam. 1:3. tion is vain, and we can only draw the conclusion from the Scripture account, that the ark was not a ship, but a building in the form of a parallelogram, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high. The ark is called in Hebrew, in the Septuagint, and by Josephus, a chest. So far as this name affords any evidence, it goes to show that the ark of Noah was not a regularly built vessel, but merely intended to float at large upon the waters. We may, therefore, probably with justice, regard it as a large, oblong, floating house, with a roof either flat, or only slightly inclined. It was constructed with three stories, and had a door in the side. There is no mention of windows in the side, but above, i. e. probably, in the flat roof, where Noah was commanded to make them of a cubit in size. Gen. 5:16. That this. is the meaning of the passage, seems apparent from Gen. 8:13, where Noah removes the covering of the ark, in order to behold whether the ground was dry; a labor surely unnecessary had there been windows in the sides of the ark. II. ARK of the Covenant, the sacred chest or coffer in which the tables of the law were deposited. It was of shittim-wood, covered with plates of gold; two cubits and a half in length, a cu Hence the Israelites took it to their camp; but when they gave battle to the Philistines, it was taken by the enemy. c. 4. The Philistines, oppressed by the hand of God, however, returned the ark, and it was lodged at Kirjath-jearim. c. 7:1. It was afterwards, in the reign of Saul, at Nob. David conveyed it from Kirjath-jearim to the house of Obed-Edom; and from thence to his palace on Zion, 2 Sam. c. 6; and, lastly, Solomon brought it into the temple at Jerusalem. 2 Chr. 5:2. It remained in the temple, with all suitable respect, till the times of the later idolatrous kings of Judah, who profaned the most holy place by their idols, when the priests appear to have removed the ark from the temple. At least, Josiah commanded them to bring it back to the sanctuary, and forbade them to carry it about, as they had hitherto done. 2 Chr. 35:3. The ark appears to have been lost or destroyed at the captivity; as we hear nothing of it afterwards. Beside the tables of the covenant, placed by Moses in the sacred coffer, God appointed the blossoming rod of Aaron to be lodged there, Num. 17:10. Heb. 9:4; and the omer of manna which was gathered in the wilderness, Ex. 16:33,34. ARMAGEDDON, (mountain of Megiddo,) a place mentioned Rev. 16:16. Megiddo is a city in the great plain at the foot of mount Carmel, which had been the scene of much slaughter. Under this character it is referred to in the above text, as the place in which God will collect together his enemies for destruction. ARMENIA, a large country of Asia, having Media on the east, Cappadocia on the west, Colchis and Iberia on the north, Mesopotamia on the south, and the Euphrates and Syria on the southwest. 2 K. 19:37. ARMS and ARMOR. The Hebrews used in war offensive arms of the same kinds as were employed by other people of their time, and of the East; swords, darts, lances, javelins, bows, arrows, and slings. For defensive arms, they used helmets, cuirasses, bucklers, armor for the thighs, &c. The preceding figure is intended to illustrate the armor of the champion Goliath. 1 Sam. c. 17. It is, however, drawn merely from the description, and may or may not resemble the original. The next is a Roman soldier in armor, from Antonine's column at Rome. On p. 25, the first engraving, from an ancient gem, shows the parts of a complete suit of armor, separately. (1.) The Leg-pieces, or greaves; (2.) the Spear, stuck in the ground; (3.) the Sword, in this instance in its sheath; (4.) the Cuirass, or defence of the body; this appears to be made of leather or some pliant material, capable of taking the form of the parts; (5.) the Shield; upon which is placed (6.) the Helmet, with its flowing crest. The next is among the most curious statues of antiquity remaining, being a portrait of Alexander the Great fighting on horseback; and probably, also, a portrait of his famous horse Bucephalus. |