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ters of men. This opinion they founded, likewise, upon the text of the Septuagint, which in some copies stand thus, Gen. vi, 2, The angels of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and fair, and all which they chose. But Moses in this place means nothing else, but that the men of Seth's family, which was the family of the righteous, and the sons of God, were corrupted by their affections to the women of Cain's race, who are here described under the name of the daughters of men. Thus St. Chrysostom, Theodoret, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Austin and many more, have explained it.

As to the existence of Giants, several writers, ancient and modern, have imagined, that the giants spoken of in scripture, were indeed men of an extraordinary stature, but not so much above what was common as some have fancied, 'who describe them as three or four times larger, than men are at present. They were, say they, men famous for the violences, which they committed, and for their crimes rather than their strength, or the greatness of their stature. But it cannot be denied, that formerly there were men of a stature,

men,

much above common without contradicting scripture, and the most certain histories and traditions of all people. Moses, Deut. iii, 11, speaks of Og, the king of Baashan's bed, which was 9 cubits long, and four wide, that is fifteen feet four inches and an half long. Goliah, was six cubits and a span in height, that is to say, ten feet seven inches; 1 Sam. xvii, 4. These giants were still common in Joshua's and David's times, when the life of men was already so much shortened, and as may be presumed, the size and strength of human bodies very much diminished. Calmet's Dict.

The ancient writers, who make mention of giants, are Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Plutarch, &c. Mr. Whiston in his Original Records, has a supplement concerning the old giants, where, according to the apocryphal book of Enoch he divides the giants into three kinds and in this division thinks himself countenanced by the words of Moses, Gen. vi, 2, &c. the first and lowest kind of which are in stature from 4 cubits to 15, the second are called Nephilim, from 15 to forty, and the third or great

giants 40 cubits at least and many times above.

ANAMIM, whether this be the name of an individual or a nation or tribe of men has been doubted. But as this and many other words of the same species, have plural terminations in Hebrew, it may be presumed they signify a people, or nation. The Anamim were descend ants of Mizraim, a son of Ham, who settled in Egypt. Lat. 26, N.

ANATHOTH, a city of Palestine belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, Josh. xxi, 18. About three miles distant from Jerusalem, according to Eusebius and St. Jerome; or twenty furlongs according to Josephus. This was the birth place of the prophet Jeremiah. It was given to the Levites of Koath's family, for their habitation, and to be a city of refuge. After the death of his father, Solomon ordered Abiathar the priest, who had joined the party of Adonijah, to retire to Anathoth. Lat. 31, 47.

ANEM, a city of Palestine, belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, given by lot to the Levites of Koath's family, 1 Chr. vi, 10.

Anem, a city belonging to the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv, 50. It was eight or ten miles east of Hebron.

ANER, a Levitical city on the west of Jordan in the half tribe of Manasseh.

ANGE, a mountain mentioned in the Latin text of Judith ii, 21. The text, says this mountain lies to the left of Cilicia; it is the highest in these parts. Strabo says, it is always covered with snow, and that from its summit the Euxine and sea of Cilicia are both visible.

ANTARADA, a city of Syria, lying on the continent, opposite to the island Aradus, or Arada. Though this town is not mentioned in scripture; yet mention is made of Arada, or Arva, or the Arvadites. Antarada is now called Tortosa, and is noted for its fine harbor. ANTHEDON, see AGRIP

PIAS.

ANTIOCH, according to Mr. Wells, there were no less than sixteen cities of that name in Syria and other countries; but the Scripture speaks only of the greater Antioch, which was the capital of Syria; and of another Antioch of Pisidia; Antioch the capital of Syria was frequently called Antiochia Epidaphne, from its neighborhood to Daphne, a village where the temple of Daphne stood. Antioch of Syria, if we believe St.Jerome, was formerly called Riblath or Riblatha, of which

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there is mention in the book of Numbers xxxiv, 11; in the 2 book of Kings xxiii,33;xxvii, 6; xxix, 21; and in Jeremiah xxxix, 5; lii, 9; x, 26, 27. Theodoret says, that in his time, there was a city called Riblath, near Emesa in Syria, which is very contrary to St. Jerome's opinion. However this may be, it is certain Antioch was not known under this name, till after the reign of Seleucus Nicanor, who built it,and called it Antioch, in memory of his father Antiochus in the year 301 before the Christian era. Hence there is no mention of this Antioch in Scripture,' ex. cepting in the book of Macca. bees, and in the New Testament. Here resided the kings of Syria, successors of Alexander the Great. Then it was a beautiful, flourishing, and illustrious city, though at present scarce any thing remains, but a heap of ruins. However, the walls are still standing; but within these walls, there is nothing but gardens, ruins, and shattered houses. The river Orontes runs near the city on the outside. The Bishop of Antioch has the title of Patriarch, and at all times has had a great share in the affairs of the eastern church. The city of Antioch was in form almost square; it had a great number

of gates, and part of it on the north side was raised upon a high mountain. It was adorned with galleries and fountains, palaces and magnificent temples; it was strongly fortified by art and nature. Ammianus Marcellinus says, that it was celebrated throughout the world, and that no other city exceeded it either in fertility of soil, or in richness of trade. The emperor Vespasian Titus, and others granted it very great privileges; but sometime afterward it underwent several revolutions, having been almost totally demolished bytwo successive earthquakes, one of which happened in the fourth, the other in the fifth centuries. In 548, it was taken and burned by the Persians, and all the inhabitants put to the sword; four years af ter this, Justinian rebuilt it, in a more beautiful and regular manner, than it was before. The Persians however took it a second time in 574, and destroyed its walls. In-588, it suffered again by a dreadful earthquake, by which upwards of 60,000 persons perished. It was once more rebuilt, but taken by the Saracens in 637. Nicephoras Phocas retook it in 966, but afterwards it was again taken by, the Saracens. The Christians in the crusades took it in 1098; but it was tak

en and demolished by the Saracéns in 1268 As to its situation Mr. Wells says it lay on both sides the river Orontes, about 12 miles distant from the Mediterranean sea. The place is worthy of remembrance on account of several interesting events, which here took place Here the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians, having before been called, by way of derision, Nazarenes, as the Jews scornfully call them to the present time, and as the Pagans called them Galileans. Here was the frequent residence of several Roman emperors, especially Verus and Valens, who spent a great part of their time in Antioch. Here was the birth place of St. Luke the Evangelist, of Theophilus, Antiochenu's. The celebrated martyr Ignatius was bishop of this place. Here St. Paul and Barnabas preached a whole year. Josephus says it was the third city of the Roman provinces; it was in fact for a long time, the most pow. erful city of the East. It was famous among the Jews for the jus civitatis, or right of citizenship, which Seleucus had given to them in common with the Greeks and Macedonians. This consideration, involving privileges, dear to their hearts, rendered this place so desirable

to the early Christians, who were at first considered as a sect of Jews, and who, therefore, could here perform public worship, and enjoy all religious privileges without any persecution or disturbance. This also accounts for the zeal of the apostles in introducing the gospel here. The present state of this city is thus described by Mr. Volney. "This city," saith he, "anciently renowned for the luxury of its inhabitants, is now no more than a ruinous town, whose houses, built with mud and straw, and whose narrow and miry streets, exhibit every appearance of misery and wretchedness. It is situated on the southern bank of the Orontes, at the extremity of an old and decayed bridge, and is covered to the south by a mountain, upon the` slope of which a wall was built by the Crusaders. The distance between the present town and mountain, may be about four hundred yards, which space is occupied by gardens and heaps of rubbish, but presents nothing interesting." Such is the condition of the celebrated Antioch. So transient is the glory of this world., Lat. 35, 30.

Antioch of Pisidia, mentioned in Acts xiii, 14. St. Paul and Barnabas preached here,

and the Jews, concerned to see that some of the Gentiles had received the gospel, raised a sedition against St. Paul and Barnabas, and obliged them to leave the city. Lat. 38, 50. ANTIPATRIS, (Acts xxiii, 31,) a town of Palestine on the border of Samaria, anciently called Caphar-Saba, according to Josephus, but of this Jerome expresses strong doubts; it was named Antipatris by Herod the Great, in honor of his father Antipater. It was situated in a pleasant valley, near the mountains, in the way from Jerusalem to Cæsarea. Josephus places it about seventeen miles from Joppa; it was 42 from Jerusalem, and 26 from : Cæsarea. Here Paul and his guard made a halt on their way to Cæsarea. Lat. 32, 19.

ANTONIA, a tower or for tress of Jerusalem, situated towards the west and north angle of the temple, and built by Herod the Great in honor of his friend M. Anthony. It stood upon an eminence cut steep on all sides, and enclosed with a wall, three hundred cubits high. It was built in the form of a square tower, with a tower at each corner to defend it; there was a bridge or vault, whereby a communication was kept up between this tower and the temple, so that as the tem

ple was in some sort the citadel of the town, the tower of Antonia was the citadel of the temple. The Romans generally kept a garrison in this tower; and from thence it was, that the tribune ran with his soldiers to rescue St. Paul out of the hands of the Jews, (Acts xxi, 31, 32,) who had seized him in the temple, designing to put him to death.

ANUA, a village" fifteen miles from Neapolis, otherwise called Shechem, in the way to Jerusalem.

APAMEA, a city of Syria on the Orontes, probably the same place called Shepham.

Apamea, a city of Phrygia; this city was called Kibotos, the ark, and on its medals is an ark, with a man receiving a dove flying to him, and part of the inscription is Noe, hence it has been supposed, that the ark rested near this place.

APHÆREMA, a place, mentioned I Macab. xi, 34, taken from Samaria, and added to Judah, being so called because its name signifies in the Greek language, a thing taken from another. It may here be observed with advantage to the reader, that the books of the Maccabees, being written in Greek, several names are varied according to the Greek form. This being re

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