dria is situated in Lat. 31, 11, N. long. 30, 16, E. To this I may add that the city is built over against the little island of Pharos, which has been joined to the land, and for the security of the port, the Turks have here built a fort. In this isle the SEVENTY-two Interpreters are said to have translated the Hebrew bible into Greek, in so many distinct cells or apartments. This work, from the number of persons employed, is called the Septuagint.

ALMON, a city belonging to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. xxi, 18) Calmet takes it to be the same with Alemeth. It was given to the priests of Aaron's family (1 Ch. vi, 60.

ALUSH, one of the Hebrew encampments in the wilderness; it was in the region of the Edomites, near the city Petra.

AMAD, a city belonging to the tribe of Asher, (Josh. xxix, 26.) Lat. 33, 1.

AMALEK, a mountain of Palestine in the tribe of Ephraim, on which the town of Pirathon was built, and where Abdon, the son of Hillel, judge of Israel, was buried, 1156 B. C. Lat. 28, 30.

AMALEKITES, a powerful people, who dwelt in Arabia Petrea, between the Dead

sea, and the Red sea; or between Havilah and Shur, 1 Sam. xv, 7, sometimes in one canton and sometimes in another. It does not appear, that they had cities; there is but one, mentioned in the scriptures; they lived generally in hamlets, caves, and tents, and seem to have had the same ferocious character with the modern Arabs. The Israelites had scarce passed the Red sea on their way to the wilderness, before the Amalekites came to attack them in the deserts of Rephidim, Exod. xvii, 8, &c. and put those to the sword, who were obliged, either through fatigue or weakness, to remain behind. Moses by God's command, directed Joshua to fall upon this people; to record the act of inhumanity, which they had committed, in a book in order to have it always before his eyes, and to avenge it, in the most remarkable manner. Joshua therefore fell upon the Amalekites and defeated them, while Moses was upon the mountain, with Aaron and Hur in company. During the time of the engagement, Moses held up his hands, to which the success of the battle was owing, for as often as he let down his hands Amalek pre

vailed, but Moses's hands being tired, Aaron, and Hur supported his arms, and held them extended, while the battle lasted, which was from morning, till the approach of night, when the Amalekites were cut in pieces. This happened in the year of the world 2513 before Christ 1491.

The ground of the enmity of the Amalekites, against the Israelites, is generally supposed to have risen from the remembrance of Jacob's depriving their progenitor, both of his birthright and blessing. Their falling upon them, however, and that without any provocation, when they saw them reduced to so low a condition, by the fatigue of their march, and the excessive drought under which they labored, was an inhuman, barbarous action, and justly deserved the attack which Joshua gave them. But the reason why God thought fit to denounce a perpetual war against them is to be resolved into this. Knowing that the Israelites were preordained by God, to be put in possession of the land of Canaan, they came against them, with an armed force in hopes of frustrating the designs of Providence, concerning them. Under the Judges (v, 3,) we see

the Amalekites. joined with the Midianites and Moabites in a design to oppress Israel: but Ehud delivered the Israelites from Eglon, king of the Moabites; Judges iii, and Gideon chap. viii, delivered them from the Midianites and Amalekites. About the year of the world 2930 the Lord said to Samuel, "Go to Saul, 1 Sam. xv, 1, &c. and say, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." Saul marched, therefore, against the Amalekites, advanced as far as their capital, and put all the people of the country to the sword; but spared the best of all the cattle and moveables, and so violated the command of God. This act of disobedience was the cause of Saul's misfortunes, and his being rejected by God. After this war, the Amalekites scarce appear any more in history; however, about the year of the world 2949, a troop of Amalekites came and pillaged Ziklag, which belonged to David, 1 Sam. xxx,

where he had left his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. But he returning from an expedition, which he had made in the company of Achish into the valley of Jezreel, pursued them, overtook and dispersed them, and recovered all the booty, which they had carried from Ziklag. The Arabians maintain Amalek to have been the son of Ham, and grandson of Noah, that he was the father of Ad, and grandfather of Schedad. Calmet thinks that this opinion is by no means to be rejected; as it is not very probable that Amalek, the son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau should be the father of a people, so powerful and numerous as the Amalekites were, when the Israelites departed out of Egypt. Moses in the book of Genesis xiv, 7, relates, that in Abraham's time, long before the birth of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz, the five confederate kings carried the war into Amalek's country, about Kadesh; and into that of the Amorites, about Hazezon-tamar. The same Moses, Numb. xxiv, 20, relates that the diviner Baalam, observing at a distance the land of Amalek, said in his prophetic style, 'Amalek is the first, the head, the original of the nation, but his

latter end shall be, that he perish for ever." Our commentator observes that this epithet, "the first of nations cannot certainly agree with the Amalekites, descended from the son of Eliphaz, because the generation then living was but the third from Amalek. Besides, Moses never reproaches the Amalekites with attacking their brethren the Israelites as an aggravating circumstance, which he would not have omitted, were the Amalekites descended from Esau, in which case they had been the brethren of the Israelites. Lastly, we see the Amalekites, almost always joined in scripture, with the Canaanites and Philistines, and never with the Edomites; and when Saul made war with the Amalekites and almost utterly destroyed them, we do not find that the Edomites, made the least motion toward their assistance, or to revenge them afterwards. Thence it is thought probable, that the Amalekites, who are so often mentioned in scripture, were a people, descended from Canaan, and devoted to the curse, as well as the other Amorites, and very different from the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau. The account which the Arabians give us, of

the Amalekites, destroyed by Saul, are as follows. Amalek was the father of an ancient tribe in Arabia, exterminated in the reign of Saul. This tribe contained only the Arabians, who are called pure, the remains of which were mingled with the posterity of Joktan and Adnan, and so become Mosarabes or Monstaarabes, that is to say, Arabians blended with foreign nations, they farther believe that Goliah, who was overcome by David, was king of the Amalekites, and that the giants, who inhabited Palestine in Joshua's time, were of the same race; that finally part of the Amalekites retired into Africa, while Joshua was yet living, and settled upon the coast of Barbary, and along the Mediterranean sea. The son of Amalek was Ad, a celebrated prince among the Arabians. Some make him the son of Uz, and grandson of Aram, the son of Shem. Let this be as it will, the Mahometans say, that Ad was the father of Ad, who was the father of an Arabian tribe, called Adites, who were exterminated, as they tell us, for not hearkening to the patriarch Eber, who preached the Unity of God to them. Ad was the father of two sons Schodad and Shedid.

Notwithstanding the length of this article, it would be unpardonable not to notice the remarkable fulfilment of prophecy respecting this people. Balaam prophesied, "Amalek was the first of nations, but his latter end shall be, that he perish forever." This most

potent kingdom shall be blotted from existence. This was only confirming what Moses had said before, Exod. xvii, 14. "Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly put out the rememberance of Amalek from under heaven."

Saul in a great measure executed this sentence. After this, David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive. Where is now the name of Amalek? Where does this people live? Where are the records of their exploits? They have "perished for ever," "the remembrance of them is put out from under heaven."

AMAN, a city belonging to the tribe of Judah. Josh. xv, 26. Lat. 31, 7.

AMANA, a valley of Canaan, between the two seas, where Gog and his congregat. ed hosts will be buried, after their discomfiture in the battle of the great day of God Al.

mighty, which some learned men expect will take place fifty-four years from this time, 1812. In this valley of passengers, lying east of the great sea, the stench of the putrefying hosts will be such, that travellers will stop their noses; all the people of Israel will be employed seven months in burying the slain; after this many individuals will be appointed to search for what remains. Ezek. xxxix, 11-15.

AMANA, a mountain mentioned in the song of Solomon; Lat. 31, 7: some are of opinion that it was in Cilicia, to which country the government of Solomon did extend. Some suppose the following

mountain is intended.

Amana, a mountain east of Jordan in the half tribe of Manasseh, nine miles from lake Meron. The mountain was three leagues in circuit, and at the base is a fine vineyard; the top is always covered with snow, for which reason the Arabs call it the old man's mountain. Sanson says, it was not far from the fountains of Jordan. Lat. 33, 26.

AMATH, or EMATH, a city of Syria; the same with Emesa on the Orontes.

AMATHUS, a city east of Jordan, twenty-one miles to Pella on the south. Reland

conjectures that Amathus and Ramoth-Gilead are the same.

AMATHEANS, a people descended from Amath, a son of Canaan. It is supposed they inhabited Amath in Syria.

AMANAH, in the Jewish writers is the same as mount Hor, which rose in the northern boundary of their country.

AMMAH, a hill of Palestine, near Hebron, mentioned 2 Sam. ii, 24. It signifies the hill of two ways, where two roads turn off. At the foot of the hill was a pool of water.

AMMAN, the capital city of the Amonites in Arabia, called in Scripture Rabbath Ammon, but in profane authors, Philadelphia. In the time of Eusebeus, he says it was an illustrious city. See RABBATH.

AMMON, See No-AM

MON.

AMMONITES, a people descended from Ammon, the son of Lot. The Ammonites destroyed those giants, which they called

called Zamzummims, (Deut. ii, 19-21) and seized upon their country. God forbad Moses, and by him the children of Israel (ib. 19) to attack the Ammonites, because he did not intend to give their lands to the Hebrews. Before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, the Ammorites had