Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
feet above Nablus in the valley; and they are so near that all the vast body of the people could hear
the words read from either mountain. The experiment has repeatedly been tried in late years.—Ed.)
The modern name of Ebal is Sitti Salamiyah, from a Mohammedan female saint, whose tomb is
standing on the eastern part of the ridge, a little before the highest point is reached.
Ebed
(a servant). (Many MSS. have Eber.)
•Father of Gaal, who with his brethren assisted the men of Shechem in their revolt against Abimelech.
(Judges 9:26,28,30,31,35) (B.C. 1206).
•Son of Jonathan; one of the Bene-Adin who returned form Babylon with Ezra. (Ezra 8:6)
Ebedmelech
(a king’s servant), an Ethiopian eunuch in the service of King Zedekiah, through whose
interference Jeremiah was released from prison. (Jeremiah 38:7) ff.; Jere 39:15 ff. (B.C. 1589).
Ebenezer
(stone of help), a stone set up by Samuel after a signal defeat of the Philistines, as a memorial
of the “help” received on the occasion from Jehovah. (1 Samuel 7:12) Its position is carefully
defined as between Mizpeh and Shen.
Eber
(the region beyond).
•Son of Salah, and great-grandson of Shem. (Genesis 10:24; 1 Chronicles 1:19) (B.C. 2277-1813.)
[For confusion between Eber and Heber see Heber]
•Son of Elpaal and descendant of Sharahaim of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 8:12) (B.C.
1400).
•A priest in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua. (Nehemiah 12:20) (B.C. 445.)
Ebiasaph
(1 Chronicles 6:23,37) [See Abiasaph]
Ebony
(Ezekiel 27:15) one of the valuable commodities imported into Tyre by the men of Dedan; a
hard, heavy and durable wood, which admits of a fine polish or gloss. The most usual color is black,
but it also occurs red or green. The black is the heart of a tree called Diospyros ebenum . It was
imported from India or Ceylon by Phoenician traders.
Ebronah
(passage), one of the halting-places of the Israelites in the desert, immediately preceding
Ezion-geber. (Numbers 33:34,35)
Ecbatana
Ezra 6:2 margin. In the apocryphal books Ecbatana is frequently mentioned. Two cities named
Ecbatana seem to have existed in ancient times, one the capital of northern Media—the Media
Atropatene of Strabo—the other the metropolis of the larger and more important province known
as Media Magna. The site of the former appears to be marked by the very curious ruins at
Takht-i-Suleiman.
Ecclesiastes
(the preacher). The title of this book is in Hebrew Koheleth, signifying one who speaks publicly
in an assembly. Koheleth is the name by which Solomon, probably the author, speaks of himself
throughout the book. The book is that which it professes to be,—the confession of a man of wide
experience looking back upon his past life and looking out upon the disorders and calamities which
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William Smith