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seat of an independant Arab chief, named Sheik Daher, and was improved by his successor Djezzar, who, in 1799, assisted by some English sailors, defended it successfully against the French army under Buonaparte. It gradually became a place of great trade, but suffered severely from a siege by the troops of the pacha of Egypt in 1832; it was also bombarded by the allied British and Turkish fleet in November, 1840, when it was reduced to a heap of ruins, and it is now but slowly recovering.

A-CEL'-DA-MA, (X.) a piece of ground without the south wall of Jerusalem, on the other side of the pool of Siloam. It was called the Potter's field, (Matt. | xxvii. 7,) because an earth or clay was dug in it, of which pottery was made. But, it having been bought with the money by which the High Priest and rulers of the Jews purchased the blood of Jesus, it was thenceforward called "Aceldama," or "the Field of Blood."

A-CHA'-I-A - Romana Alta, (XI.) properly signifies a small territory in the neighbourhood of Corinth, but is by St. Paul, as well as by profane writers, used as a general appellation of Greece. (Acts xix. 21; 2 Cor. xi. 10.) See JAVAN.

ACH'-ME-THA-Hamadan, a city of Persia, midway between Tehraun and Bagdad, (VIII.) the summer residence of the Persian monarchs, in Media, where was found the decree of Cyrus, permitting the rebuilding of the Temple and city of Jerusalem. (Ezra vi. 2.)

Achmetha, better known by the name of Ecbatana, was a very splendid city, being only surpassed in extent and magnificence by Babylon and Nineveh; but Hamadan is a miserable place, only remarkable for possessing two ancient tombs, said to be those of Esther and Mordecai, to which the Jews of Persia make pilgrimages.

ACH'-ZIB-Zib, 10 miles N. of Acre, (VII.) a sea-port of Palestine, assigned to the tribe of Asher, (Josh. xix. 29,) but which did not come into their possession. (Judges i. 31.) It is now a

small town standing in a grove of palms on a hill near the sea.

A'-CRA. See JERUSALEM.

an

A'-DRI-A, (XI.) That part of the Mediterranean Sea which lies between Crete, Libya, and Sicily, was ciently called the Adriatic Sea, though the term Adriatic is now restricted to the gulf which runs northward from the Mediterranean, between Italy and Greece. The vessel in which the Apostle Paul suffered shipwreck was for some time before that event "driven up and down in Adria." (Acts xxvii. 27.)

A-DUL'-LAM,

12 miles s. w. of Jerusalem? (V.) a city of Canaan, whose king was killed by the Israelites under Joshua, (xii. 15,) and near which David concealed himself in a cave. (1 Sam. xxii. 1, 2.) It was a considerable city even after the Christian era, but no traces of it now exist. E-GE-AN SEA Archipelago, (XI.) that part of the Mediterranean Sea which lies to the north of Candia, between Greece and Asia Minor; it is thickly studded with small islands, several of which, as Chios, Coos, Patmos, Rhodes, and Samos, are mentioned in the New Testament, particularly in the narrative of St. Paul's voyages.

AF-RI-CA, (I.) one of the three great divisions of the world known to the ancients, lying south of Europe and west of Asia. It is very extensive, but is little known, and its present inhabitants are in a very low state of civilization, though some of the most striking monuments of early art are met with in African countries. The principal regions mentioned in the Scriptures are, Cyrene, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya; which see.

AI. See HAI.

AI-JA-LON-Yalon, 14 miles s.w. of Gibeon, (VII.) one of the scenes of the miracle recorded in the Book of Joshua, (x. 12-14,) when, in a battle between the Israelites and the five kings of the Canaanites, "the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies."

AL-EX-AN-DRI′-A—Iskenderiah, 115

ALEXANDRIA

miles N.w. of Cairo, (XI.) a city of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great. It was situated on the shore of the Mediterranean, a little westward of the most western mouth of the Nile, became the residence of the Grecian rulers of Egypt, and was long celebrated both for learning and commerce. It was in a ship of Alexandria that St. Paul made his voyage to Rome after his shipwreck at Melita. (Acts xxviii. 11.)

The modern town, which is the chief arsenal of the pacha of Egypt, is built upon an artificial isthmus which connects a small isle (on which once stood the celebrated Pharos or lighthouse) with the mainland, where the ruins of the ancient city extend for miles along the shore, but are totally uninhabited. Its population and trade are both considerable, and many European merchants reside in it. AM-A-LEK-ITES, (IV.) a people residing in the desert country between Canaan and Arabia, who are supposed to have resembled, in their wandering life and predatory habits, the people of that region at the present day. They were defeated by the Israelites at Rephidim, (Exod. xvii. 8-13,) and afterwards by Gideon, (Judges vii. viii.) and by Saul. (1 Sam. xv.) From the time of David, (1 Sam. xxx.) nothing is mentioned of them as a people, thus fulfilling the denunciation of the Lord, "I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." (Exod. xvii. 14.) AM'-MON-ITES, (V.) a nation descended from Lot, who possessed the country east of Jordan, and north of the Dead Sea. (Gen. xix. 38; Deut. iii. 16.) They were hostile to the Israelites, by whom they were conquered under David, (2 Sam. xii. 31,) but they regained their independence after a time, and occupied the lands of Reuben and Gad, when those tribes were carried into captivity. They have since become confounded with the dwellers in the desert of Euphrates, and their principal city, Rabbath-Ammon, has long since become, in the language of prophecy, a desolate heap." (Jerem. xLix. 2.)

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AM'-O-RITES, (III.) the descendants of Amor, son of Canaan, (Gen. x. 16,) were a powerful people of Canaan at the time of the conquest of that country by the Israelites. Their original settlement seems to have been in the mountainous country about Jerusalem, but they afterwards gained, by conquest, large possessions on the eastern side of the Dead Sea by Jordan. They were in their turn subdued by Moses, and, in accordance with the Divine denunciation, were to be 66 utterly destroyed,' (Deut. xx. 17,) lest they, with the other idolatrous nations of Canaan, should teach the Israelites to "sin against the Lord their God;" but by craft, the Gibeonites, who belonged to the Amoritish race, (2 Sam. xxi. 2,) escaped the general destruction.

The word "Amorites," is sometimes used in Scripture as an appellation for the Canaanites in general. (1 Sam. vii. 14.)

AM-PHIP'-O-LIS-Jenikevi, 50 miles E. of Thessalonica, 25 s.w. of Philippi, (XI.) a city of Thrace, through which St. Paul and Silas passed after their injurious treatment at Philippi. (Acts xvii. 1.) The city was once an important military post, the possession of which was an object of contention between Philip of Macedon and the Athenians, but only a few ruins now remain.

AN-AK-IM, or AN'-AK-IMS, (III.) The Anakim were probably a tribe of Cuthite wanderers from Babel. They were a gigantic race, and when the Israelites approached Canaan they were found dwelling in Hebron, Debir, Anab, &c., in the hill-country of Judea. The Jewish spies were terrified at their appearance, (Numb. xiii.) but Joshua conquered them, when some retired to the sea-coast, and others who still held Hebron and Debir were expelled by Caleb and his nephew Othniel. (Josh. xi. xiv. xv.)

AN'-TI-OCH - Antakia, 320 miles N.E. of Jerusalem, (XI.) a very celebrated city in the north of Syria, long the capital of the empire of the Seleucidæ, the "kings of the North," mentioned by the prophet Daniel,

(xi. 6,) but especially claiming notice as being the place where the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts xi. 26.) It was visited by St. Paul and St. Barnabas, and is said also to have been the birth-place of St. Luke.

Antioch, which stands on the river Orontes (now called Aaszy,) about twenty miles from the sea, was one of the most splendid cities of antiquity, and even now, when viewed from a distance, it has a majestic appearance, being placed upon two craggy hills surrounded by lofty walls; but when approached it is discovered that the modern city occupies but a small part of the space included within the walls, the rest being either gardenground or covered with ruins, the place having been more frequently desolated by fire, earthquake, or war, than almost any other city. Antioch was one of the earliest conquests of the Crusaders, being captured in 1097 by Godfrey of Bouillon, and it remained the capital of a Christian principality for nearly two hundred years, but at last was recovered by the Mohammedans in 1268, and has never since been a place of any importance. Its present population is less than 12,000, being not one-twentieth of what it once was.

AN'-TI-OCH OF PI-SID'-I-A - Yalobach, 80 miles N. w. of Iconium, (XI.) a city in the central part of Asia Minor, where St. Paul preached to the Jews, who answered him only with blasphemies, and being irritated at his declaration that the Messiah should be preached to the Gentiles, procured his expulsion from the place. The Apostle and his companion Barnabas retired upon this to Iconium. (Acts xiii.) See PISidia.

AN-TIP-A-TRIS, 22 miles s.E. of Cesarea? (XI.) a town which having been rebuilt by Herod, was so called by him in honour of his father, Antipater. To this place St. Paul was brought by the Roman soldiers in his way to the governor of Judea at Cesarea. (Acts xxiii. 31.)

A-PHEK,6 miles s. w. of Jerusalem? (VII.) a place in the tribe of Judah, where the Philistines en

ARABIA.

camped before the battle in which the ark was taken by them. (1 Sam. iv. 1.)

A'-PHEK, 10 miles s.w. of Mount Tabor? (VII.) another encampment of the Philistines, in the valley of Jezreel, previous to the battle of Gilboa. (1 Sam. xxix. 1.)

A'-PHEK, 25 miles N.E. of Tyre? (VII.) a city granted to the tribe of Asher, (Josh. xix. 30,) but afterwards possessed by the Syrians, who were defeated near it by Ahab. (1 Kings xx. 26-30.)

AP'-PI-I FO-RUM,

-near Piperno, 45 miles S. E. of Rome, (XI.) At this place St. Paul, when on his way as a prisoner to Rome, was met by some of the Christians of that city. (Acts xxviii. 15.)

AR. See RABBATH MOAB.

A-RA'-BI-A, (II.) a large country of Asia lying to the south of Palestine and to the east of Egypt, memorable as the scene of numerous remarkable events recorded in the Scriptures. It is of a peninsular form, 1800 miles in length and 1200 in breadth, and is bounded by the river Euphrates and the Persian Gulf on the east, the Red Sea on the west, and the Indian Ocean on the south, while on the north it is scarcely distinguishable from the southern and eastern parts of Palestine.

It was in Arabia that those wonderful manifestations of the Divine power took place, which are recorded in the Pentateuch,-as the miracles of the burning bush, the passage of the Red Sea, the supply of quails and manna, and the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai. Its inhabitants, too,—who even at this day present the lively image of the patriarchal life, afford a most striking instance of the literal fulfilment of prophecy. It was foretold of their ancestor Ishmael," he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren," (Gen. xvi. 12,) and accordingly we find in every age the Arabs living by the plunder of the neighbouring nations; though surrounded by powerful states and in constant contact with