A dictionary of the most important names, objects, and terms, found in the Holy Scriptures

Preface

PRODUCTIONS that are the result of labor, more than of genius, lie under two great disadvantages: — the pleasure of composing is Incomparably less, and the composition itself is held in far less estimation. The author's motive in undertaking the diudgery of preparing this volume was, that such a work seemed to him not only eminently needed for youth, but almost indispen sable; while nothing of the kind existed within his knowledge It was chiefly prepared at small intervals of leisure, while travelling as General Agent of the American Sunday School Union, and has now been retained nearly three years, in the hope that some more perfect work of the kind would appear. During this time, it has been kept at hand for the purpose of inserting whatever seemed appropriate in the current religious periodicals, missionary reports, Sec. The chief sources of aid, however, have been the works of Calmet, Whitby, Wells, Carpenter, Brown, Wood, Paxton, and Harmer. Extracts have in some instances been taken, as well as facts or thoughts; but references seemed unnecessary

In most Dictionaries of the Bible, a large proportion of the matter consists of Scripture narrative, digested under heads, or verbal definitions. It is believed that the reading of the Bible itself is now so general among the classes of persons for whom this book is intended, as to make that plan undesirable in this instance. The object here is, in reference to Scripture names, to throw light on the sacred page, rather than to borrow it from thence. While, therefore, a great number of persons and places, of which nothing is known, except from Scripture, is omitted, more Scripture illustration, adapted to youth, will, it is hoped, be found here than in any one of the larger works above named. In regard to doctrinal terms, &x. the usual course was necessarily pursued. As some of the articles may seem hardly comprehensible to children, it is proper to remark, that the work was intentionally graduated to the common level of Sabbath school teachers; who, it is hoped, will find it a convenient and useful manual. Only by bringing the book to this standard, could it be made itself a teacher, which was the great object. It was hoped by this plan to make it useful to parents, also, in answering the numerous questions of intelligent children who read the Bible.

It is now issued to serve a necessity; and if the "Father of lights" do but make it useful in the dissemination of heavenly tiuth, the desires of the Author will be fully realized.

ADVERTISER! EN T

TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

THE interval which has elapsed since the first publication oi this work, has been diligently improved to render it more worthy of its favorable reception by the public. In addition to the works named in the Preface, Home's Introduction, Robinson's Greek Lexicon, Harris's Natural History, Jones's Biblical Cyclopaedia, Jahn's Archaeology, Ingraham's Geographical Index, the Missionary Herald, Parish's Bible Gazetteer, Rees's Cyclopaedia, and other sources, have been resorted to with diligence. Important aid has also been derived from various reviews and notices of the successive editions, and still more from learned friends, who have privately communicated their remarks.

As this work, at its first publication, was the only help of the kind ever printed, the Author considered it a duty to make it neutral as to those points which distinguish his sect from the great body of orthodox Christians. Since that time, similar Dictionaries have been published, and are circulated extensively. It seemed proper, therefore, not only to the Author, but to many distinguished brethren, who kindly offered their opinion, that this work should now be made to speak more fully our sentiments. The requisite alterations and additions have accordingly been made.

The references to Scripture have all been carefully examined, by which numerous typographical errors, derived from works which were consulted, have been discovered and rectified. While the references have by this means been made correct, care has been taken to make them sufficiently copious. These references are regarded as forming one of the most important features in the book. If parents would make it an occasional Sabbath evening's exercise to read a few articles, while each young person sat with a Bible, and turned to the text, great interest and light would be thrown over the quoted Scripture, as well as the article itself; and a pleasing opportunity would be thus afforded for the inculcation of religious truth.

The labors of preparing this work, though unexpectedly arduous, have been exceedingly useful to the Author as a biblical student j and the hope of their being useful to others has added pleasure to the task. The result of his toil is now commended to those whom it was intended to assist, in the belief that it will be found far more valuable than any similar help they can obtain.

Damascus

BIBLE DICTIONARY.

DanL Noble. Johnson.

A.

ION, a prince of the family of Levi, born in Egypt, r ne } r ear before the edict for destroying Hebrew male children, and three years before Moses. By divine direction he was consecrated to the office of High Priest. After the schism of Korah, Numb. xvi. the Lord evidenced his appointment, by the miracle of the budding rod and other signs. He died in Mount Hor 40 years after coming out of Egypt, i. e. a.m. 2552, aged 123 years, and was succeeded by his son Eleazar. See Priesthood.

ABADDON, literally The Destroyer , is " the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek, Apollyon." Rev. ix. 1 .. Writers on the prophecies greatly differ in their interpretation of the above text. Some would apply the name exclusively to Satan. Others regard it as being also applied to Mahomet, and to the Pope of Rome.

AB'ANA and Pharpar, two rivers of Syria, which Naaman the leper thought

" better than all the waters of Israel." Abana is probably the Barraddy, which rises in Lebanon, and runs towards the south. Perhaps the Pharpar is the same with the Orontes, which, rising a little to the north-east of Damascus, passes Antioch, and, after a course of 200 miles to the north-west, loses itself in the Mediterranean Sea. 2 Kings v. 12.

AB'BA, a Syriac word,signifying a beloved father. The word is used by our Lord in his agony, Mark xiv. 36, and by Paul, when he recounts to the believers of Rome and Galatia, their glorious privileges 3 foremost of which he places " the spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iv. 6. We thus perceive, both in the term itself, and the manner of using it, how endearing and consoling is the access to God, which the Christian enjoys.

ABEL, literally inanity, tho second son of Eve. The story of his life isbettertold in Scripture than we can do here. The

ABE

ABI reason why his offering was accepted rather than Cain's is explained, Heb. xi. 4, where it is said to have been because Abel held faith, that is, had respect to the Messiah to come and to the divine appointment. It is said that being 1 dead he yet speaketh, i. e. his example and sufferings are a lesson to us.

ABEL, otherwise called the field of Joshua, was near Bethshemesh, and was probably so called from the mourning of the Hebrews for those who were struck dead for looking into the ark. 1 Sam. vi. 18, 19.

ABEL-MAIM, or Aeelbeth-Maacha, acity in the north of the canton of Naphtali, where Sheba was beheaded. 2 Sam. xx. 14. Eighty years after, it was ravaged by Benhadnd. 1 Kings xv. 20. In the days of Christ, it was called Abila.

ABEL-MIZRAIM, literally the mourning of the Egyptians, so called from their lamentation over Joseph's corpse when they carried it to Machpelah. It is the same place which is called " the floor of Atad. ,; Gen. 1. 11.

ABEL-MEHOLAH,acity west of Jordan, 10 miles south of Bethshan, in the tribe of Manasseh. 1 Kings iv. 12. It was the birth-place of Elisha. 1 Kings xix. 16. Near this city Gideon defeated the Midianites.

ABEL-SHITTIM a town beyond Jordan, in the plain ol Moab. Here 24,000 Israelites were destroyed in one day for falling into the sins of Moab. Numb. xxv. It was probably the mourning for this event that gave the name of Abel to the spot.

ABFA, second son Samuel, and brother to When the priests were.d&j£JJ|(L into twenty-four courses,' life 8th was called after him 3 or, as some suppose, after Abijah, mentioned 1 Chron. xxiv. 10 Luke i. 5.

A'BIB, or NisAtf, the name of the first sacred, and seventh civil month of the Jewish year. It answered to our March and April. The word signifies ripe, fruit, and was given to this month, because in the middle of it, the Jews generally began their harvest. On the 14th day of this month, the Passover was eaten. Their civil year com menced in September} and therefore their jubilees, and other civil matters, were regulated in that way ; see Levit. xxv. 8, 9, 10. This change of beginning, as to the sacred year, took place at the redemption of Israel from Egvpt. Ex. xii. 2.

ABILE'NE, a small canton in Syria, between Lebanon and Antilibanus. It took its name from the city Abila, which probably was the same with Abel-Maim. Lysanias was governor here in the 15th year of Tiberius. Luke iii. 1.

ABR

ACC

ABIM'ELECH, the title of the kings of Philistia, as Ptolemy was of the kings of Egypt, and Cesar of the emperors of Rome. Gen. xxi. and xxxvi. It was also the name of a very wicked ruler in Israel, in the time of the Judges, Jud. ix. 5 and of a high priest in the time of David, 1 Chron. xviii. 16, who was the same as AJiimelech, 2 Sam. viii. 17, and probably the same as Abiathar, 1 Sam. xxii. 20.

ABOMINATION, a thing hateful. Sin is called an abomination, because detestable to God and good beings. Various gross practices are so called. Wearing the dress of the opposite sex, Deut. xxii. 5. Lying, Prov. xii. 22. False weights, Isa. Ixvi. 3. False doctrines, Rev. xvii. 4. Idols, Deut. vii. 26. Proud persons, Prov. xvi. 5. The sacrifices, ways, and even thoughts, of the wicked, are an abomination to the Lord. Prov. xv. 8,9,26. And "he that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination," because, in that case, evidently hypocritical, Prov. xxv'ii.9. In Dan. xii. 11, and Matt. xxiv. 15, the allusion is to the Roman armies, which, as heathen, were hateful to the Jews.

ABRAHAM, a wandering shepherd of vast wealth and preeminent piety. He was born a. m. 2008, only two years after the death jf Noah, though there were nine generations between them. Being the progenitor of all the Jews, and the brightest example of justifying faith, he was called the " Father of the faithful." His name, which was originally Abram, or "high father," was changed, when God promised him a. great posterity, into Abraham, or " father of a multitude." Gen. xvii. 4, 5. His history is one of deep interest, and is given in Genesis at great length.

ABYSS', a word used in Scripture, sometimes to mean hell, and sometimes the depths of the ocean, and the waters which flow under the earth.

AC'CHO, a seaport of Canaan, belonging to the tribe of Asher, but not conquered by them. Jud. i. 31. It first became an important city in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who greatly enlarged and beautified the place, and from whom it was long called Ptolemais. It became famous during the crusades, and was then called St. Jean-de-Acre. The Christians were expelled from it, as their last hold in Palestine, abott 1291 and it has since been heiu byAhe'Tur^s The French, under Napoleon, met a repulse here, in i799. The population, in 1825, was about 5,000, according to Mr. Jowett. It is erroneous!/

AC II

ADA stated in some works to be from 18 to £0,000. It is now called Acre.

ACEL'DAMA, a field lying a little south of Jerusalem, where potters dug" their clay. The money which Judas threw back to the Jewish rulers, being the price of blood, as they called it, they would not put into the Lord's treasury, but with it purchased this field 5 wherefore it was called " Aceldama, pr The Field of mood." Acts i. 18, 19. Zech. xi. 12, 13. It was then appropriated as a place to bury strangers, from which the burial-ground for this purpose is, in some cities, called the Potters' Field. Malt, xxvii. 8. The spot Still is used by the Armenians for a grave-yard. It is now about ICO feet long- and 70 broad, and is called Caviyo Sancto. It is surrounded by a wall, and is in fact a vast vault arched over, into which bodies arc lowered through seven apertures from above.

ACHA'IA, in the largest sense, comprehended all Greece Proper } now called Liretain. This seems the meaning, 2 Cor. xi. 10. Thus, what is Achaia, Acts xix. 21, is Hellas } i. e. Greece, Acts xx. 2. In the strict use of the term, Achaia was that northern part of the Peloponnesus, the capital of which was Corinth. 2 Cor. i. 1.

A'CHOR. This word signifies trouble, and was the name of a valley near Jericho, given to it because of the tribulation produced by the theft of Achan, who was stoned here. Josh. vii. 24?— 26

ACRE. The English acre is 4840 square yards, the Roman 3200, and the Egyptian 3698 j but the Hebrew acre appears to mean as much as one yoke of oxen could plough in a day. Ten acres of vineyard yielding one bath, and the seed of an homer producing an cphah, Isa. v. 10, means that the land should be afflicted with dreadful sterility, for such a crop is scarcely a tenth part of the seed sown.

ACTS of the Apostles, the history of the primitive church, written by Luke. It does not contain a full account of the labors of ail the apostles, but only of a few as a specimen ; chiefly those of Paul. The narrative commences at the ascension of Christ, and extends to Paul's arrival at Rome, on his appeal to Caesar, a period of about 30 years.

ADAD-RllYPMON, a city in the valley of Jezreel, famous for a dreadful battle. 2 Kings xxiii. 29. Zech. xii. 11. It was afterward called Maximianopolis in honor of the emperor JMaximian.

ADAMANT, a beautiful stone, of the hardest kind, generally called diamond. Sinners' hearts are compared to adamant. Zech. vii. 12 See Diamond.

AD D

ADR

A'DAR, the twelfth month of the Jewish sacred year, and the sixth of the civil ; corresponding to February. The intercalary month added at the end of every third year was called Vc-Adar, or second Adar.

ADDER, a venomous reptile, brought forth alive, and not hatched from eggs, as are most serpents. It is often called a viper. The term occurs five times in our translation. In Gen. xlix. 17, the original word is shephi- PHON, thought by critics to be the cerastes, a. viper which lurks in the sand, the color of which it resembles. In Ps. lviii. 4, and xci. 13, the Hebrew word is pethen, an asp. In Ps. xl. 3, it is ACHSUB, which is also rendered asp. InProv. xxiii. 32, the term is TZiPHO.\i,which in Isa. xiv. 29, and Jer. viii. 17, &c. is rendered cockatrice, or basilisk, a serpent said to kill with its breath. Serpents, like most other creatures, are attracted by music. Many authors, both ancient and modern, confirm this fact. This is called charming them j and while their delight in the music continues, they are perfectly harmless, and will go after the person playing. The deaf adder or asp, mentioned Ps. lvi. 4, probably means one so full of venom as to be insensible to sweet sounds. To which other allusions agree. See Ecc. x. 11. Jer. viii. 17.

ADJURE. It was a cus

torn among the Jews to ad jure, which was by a form of execration laid on the person if he did not answer truly. It was the same as administering an oath is now; so that though Jesus held his peace when merely interrogated, he acknowledged, when adjured, or put on oath, that he was the Son of Cod. Matt. xxvi. C3.

ADONIRAM, one of Solomon's overseers on Lebanon,

1 Kings v. 14. He is also called Adoram by contraction, 2 Sam. xx. 24, and Hadoram,

2 Chr. x. IB.

ADOPTION, the act of taking one into the family for a child. Pharaoh's daughter adopted Moses. Mordecai thus received Esther. Many other instances occur in Scripture. The double parentage thus created, has greatly confused chronologers, and caused unlearned objections to scripture genealogies. True believers in Christ, who rely upon the efficacious atonement of his precious blood, and the sure merit of his perfect righteousness, for the pardon of their sins and reconciliation to Cod, being regenerated by the Spirit, and freely justified by grace, through the redemption of Jesus Christ, arc said to be brought into this state of adoption. 2 Cor. vi. 18.

ADRAM'MELECH, a deity of the Sepharvaites, who

ADU

AHA seems to have been worshipped as the god of flocks and herds.

This was also the name of a son of Sennacherib, who, with his brother Sharezer, slew their father in the temple of Nisroch. Isa. xxxvii. 38.

ADRAMYT'TIUM is by some geographers affirmed to be ihe same with Thebes in Egypt. Others maintain, with more probability, that this city was in Mysia, opposite Lesbos. The latter was situated at the foot of Mount Ida, and was founded by a colony from Athens. It was a place of much commerce, Acts xxvii. 2 j but it is now a poor fishing village, and is called Dramiti.

A'DRIA, a sea now called the Gulf of Venice, on the coast of Italy. Paul, in going to Rome, suffered an extreme tempest in this sea. Acts xxvii. 27.

ADUL'LAM was once a noble town in the north part of the lot of Judah. Near it was the place of David's concealment. 1 Sam. xxii. 1. It continued to be an important place for several centuries after Christ, but is now extinct.

ADULTERY, a general term for every species of unchastity, but now generally restricted to the crime of violating the bed of a married person. In a spiritual sense, it means idolatry, or the act of paying that homage to the creature, which is due only to the Creator. Jer. iii. 9. Ezek. xxiii. 37.

ADVOCATE, a title of Jesus, showing his intercession for his people. We have a specimen of the manner in which he acts as such, in John xvi. and xvii.

AFFINITY, relation. For the degrees of affinity which obstructed matrimony, see Leviticus xviii.

AG'ATE, a gem of various colors and degrees of transparency. It is found in the form of rounded nodules, from the size of a pin's head to more than a foot in diameter, in the river Wolga, in Germany, in the pudding-stone of Siberia, in Ceylon, Scotland, &c. Those of the lastnamed country are commonly called Scotch pebbles. It is a stone of great beauty, and is only cheap because found in abundance. It was the second stone in the lower row of the high priest's breast plate. Ex. xxviii. 19.

AGRIP'PA. See Herod.

AHASUE'RUS. There were several kings of this name.

1. Astyages the Mede, son of Cyaxares. Dan. ix. 1.

2. Cambyses, king of Persia, during whose reign the rebuilding of the temple was suspended. Ezra iv. 6,7.

3. Darius Hystaspes, the husband of Esther. Est. i. 1. He died a.m. 3519. Prideaux thinks/with Severus and

AIR

ALE many others, that Artaxerxes Longimanus was the person 5 Scaliger, Jahn, and others, that it was Xerxes.

AHA'VA, a river on the banks of which Ezra assembled the Jews who were returning' with him to their own land. Ezra viii. 15. It is probably the country called Ava, 2 Kings xvii. 24, whence the king of Assyria drew settlers for Palestine, and where he colonized the Israelites. 2 Kings xviii. 34, and xix. 13.

AIR, a fluid which surrounds the earth to the height of about fifty miles. Air has a considerable weight. About 2160 pounds weight of it presses on every square foot 5 and, allowing the surface of a human body to be 15 square feet, the pressure of air on it must amount to 32,400 pounds weight. But this pressure is not felt, because our bodies contain such a portion as serves to buoy them up. Air is necessary not only to the existence of man, but of all animals and plants. The winds keep it pure. Creatures inhabiting the water need air as much as land animals. Some of these come often to the surface to breathe, and those which have gills manufacture air for themselves out of water. If there were no air, we could neither see, hear nor speak ; there could be neither clouds nor Fain. Indeed, the whole 2 world would be destroyed, if the air were to be destroyed, or even become stagnant.

« To beat the air," 1 Cor. ix. 26, xiv. 9, is to speak or labor to no purpose. In Eph. ii. 2, " the power of the air" means those who exercise that power, viz. evil spirits who are under the control of Satan, here called their prince. The word " heaven" is used to signify the air. Gen. xix. 24. 2 Kings i. 10.

AL'ABASTER, a name now applied to a soft, fine, white species of marble, or sulphate of lime, found near Thebes in Egypt, and Damascus in Syria. The word is derived from the name given by the Greeks to an urn or vessel without handles, especially those made narrow at the top, so as to be easily stopped, and thus especially proper for ointments and perfumes. Alabasters were of glass, silver, or gold. It was customary at feasts among the great to anoint the hair of the guests with costly perfume. Ps. xxiii. 5, and xlv. 7. Matt, xx vi. 7.

ALBE'IT, an old word for nevertheless, or although.

ALEXANDRIA, a celebrated city in Lower Egypt ; situated between Lake Mareotis and the western branch of the Nile, near its mouth 5 founded by Alexander the Great, b. c. 331. After the destruction of Carthage, it

ALE

ALM was, for ages, the chief city of the world, next to Rome. Its commerce extended to every part of 1he then known world. The Ptolemies made it their royal residence, and each successive monarch .abored to embellish it. When the Romans, at the death of Cleopatra, b. c. 26, annexed Egypt to their empire, they respected and preserved the beauties of this city, and it continued to flourish. In a ship belonging to Alexandria, Paul sailed for Rome. Acts xxvii. 6. Christianity was early planted in this place. Mark is said to have founded the church here, A. d. 60, and was here martyred, a. d. 68. Here Apollos was born. Acts xviii. 24. Numerous Jews resided here, engaged in trade and commerce j 50,000 of whom were murdered, under the Emperor Nero. Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Athanasius, and other eminent ministers, flourished here. Under the Saracens, who conquered it A. D. 646, it soon began to decay. They stupidly burnt its famous library of 700,000 volumes. The famous version qf the O. T. called the Septuagint was made here nearly 300 years before Christ. It then contained 4000 baths and 400 theatres. It is now dwindled to a village, with nothing remarkable but the ruias of its ancient'grandeur, and is called by the natives Skanderia.

ALEXANDRIANS, a class of Jews, natives of Alexandria, and so speaking that language. They were very numerous at Jerusalem. Acts vi. 9.

ALL, every creature or person. Sometimes this epithet is used indefinitely, expressing a great many, or the greatest part, Matt. iii. 15 ; sometimes for every class and condition of men. 1 Tim. ii. 4. Titus ii. 11.

AL'LEGORY, a similitude carried out to more- length than a metaphor. Gal. iv. 24, 31 . They greatly abound in the Bible, and all oriental writings. Christians have often fallen into error by interpreting them too closely, of treating plain passages as such.

ALMOND, a tree bearing: the well-known fruit, so called. Its blossoms are white. Ecc. xii. 5. In size and shape it resembles the peach-tree.

ALMS. Bounty to the poor. Matt. vi. 1.

AL 'MUG-TREE. It is thought to be the same with the Shittah, or Shittim-tree. 1 Kings x. 11. Some have supposed it to be the sandal wood, much used in the East for costly purposes. A species of this wood found in Siam, Japan, &c. yields a beautiful red dye. This resemblance in color to coral may have given it the name al-

ALO

ALT mug, which, in Rabbinic, signifies coral, and then the meaning of the term would be coral-wood.

AL'OES. Tournefort reckons fourteen kinds of the aloe. Some are trees, others shrubs or herbs. The American aloe is famous for its fine flowers, which are of the lily kind ; the Asian for the drug prepared from it, famed for its purgative qualities. It is made by expressing the juice from the leaves, and hardening it in the sun to the consistence of a gum. That which is most nicely prepared is called the succotrine, the next is called hypatic, and the coarsest is the horse aloe. The fragrant wood of a species growing in China, Cochin China and Siam is so precious as to be worth more than its weight in gold. Compare Canticles iv. 14, and Prov. vii. 17 Aloes were anciently used for the embalming of dead bodies, and as a perfume. John xix. 39. Prov. vii. 17.

AL'PHA, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. It is used in connection with Omega, which is the last letter, to express the eternity of Jesus Christ. Rev. i. 8, 11.

ALTAR, among the Jews, a mound or large stone table where sacrifices were laid and offered. After the erection of the tabernacle, two altars were appointed, one for sacrifices, the other for incense, and on no others were offerings lawful. The annexed picture represents the " altar of burnt offering/ 1 as made by Solomon, which was thirty feet square, and fifteen feet high. It stood not in the tabernacle, but in the court. The

AMA

AME

H altar of incense" was a table about two feet square and four feet high, plated with gold, which stood in the Holy Place. Some Christians still apply the name to the table where the communion is administered 5 but Christ is the only Christian altar to which we bring all our sacrifices and services. Heb. xiii. 19.

AM'ALEKITES, a nation dwelling between the Red and Dead Seas. About a.m. 2091, Chedorlaomer ravaged their country, at which time multitudes left it. It is thought by some, that these poured themselves on Egypt, and were the shepherds mentioned by Manetho. For their great wickedness, God utterly ruined this people by the hand of Saul. 1 Sam. xv. Afterward a remnant gathered again, which was finally destroyed by the Simeonites, in the days of Hezekiah. 1 Chron. iv.

AMBASSADOR, a legate or apostle. A person sent on behalf of another, with powers to act according to general instructions. 2 Cor. v. 20.

AMBER, a yellow, inflammable substance, transparent if pure, which seems to have been originally in a fluid state, as leaves and insects are cften found in it. It is obtained from Turkey, Germany, Poland, &c, but chiefly from Prussia, where it is so abundant, that mines are regularly worked for it. It was formerly cut into various ornaments, and ranked among the precious stones. Ezek. i. 4, and viii. 2.

AMEN, true, verily, be it so. Christ is called The Amen, because be is the God of truth. Rev. iii. 14. The promises are said to be " Yea and Amen," in Christ, because that by him they will infallibly be all accomplished. 2 Cor. i. 20. When used in devotion, it means be it so. When repeated in affirmation, it is equivalent to our phrase, indeed, indeed.

Among the Jews and early Christians, the whole assembly responded an audible Amen at the close of a public prayer. Jerome says that when the Christians said Amen at the close of a prayer, &c, the sound was like a clap of thunder.

AMETHYST, a very rare gem, generally of a purple or violet color. It is

A M O

ANG found in Germany, Spain, and other countries, but the most valuable are obtained in Asia and Russia.

AMMON, or No-Ammon, see No.

AMMONITES, a people descended from Lot through Ammon or Ben-Ammi. They oppressed Israel 18 years, and were then overcome by Jephthah. Jud. x. &c. At various times in after ages, they were permitted to scourge the Hebrews. 2 Chron. xx. At length Judas Maccabeus overcame them, ravaged their country, and burnt their cities. The poor remains were afterward mingled among the Arabs, and the name was lost from among nations. Amos i. 11 — 14. Zeph. ii.9— 11.

AM'ORITES, inhabitants of that part of Syria which was given to Israel. They occupied the portion which afterwards constituted the lots of Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, Dan, Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. As they were the most powerful of the devoted tribes, all the Canaanites sometimes went under their name. Jud. vi. 10. 2 Kings xxi. 11.

AMOS began to prophesy a little before Hosea, and continued a while cotemporarywith that prophet, during the reign of Uzziah. His prophecy relates chiefly to the ruin and restoration of &b Jews.