Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
•In northern and western Arabia are other peoples, which, from their geographical position and
mode of life are sometimes classed with the Arabs, of these are Amalek, the descendants of Esau,
etc. (Productions— The productions are varied. The most noted animal is the horse. Camels, sheep,
cattle, asses, mules and cats are common. Agricultural products are coffee, wheat, barley, millet,
beans, pulse, dates and the common garden plants. In pasture lands Arabia is peculiarly fortunate.
In mineral products it is singularly poor, lead being most abundant.—Encyc. Brit.) Religion .—
The most ancient idolatry of the Arabs we must conclude to have been fetishism. Magianism, an
importation from Chaldaea and Persia, must be reckoned among the religions of the pagan Arabs;
but it never had very numerous followers. Christianity was introduced into southern Arabia toward
the close of the second century, and about a century later it had made great progress. It flourished
chiefly in the Yemen, where many churches were built. Judaism was propagated in Arabia,
principally by Karaites, at the captivity. They are now nominally Mohammedans. Language .—
Arabic the language of Arabia, is the most developed and the richest of Shemitic languages, and
the only one of which we have an extensive literature; it is, therefore, of great importance to the
study of Hebrew. Government .— Arabia is now under the government of the Ottoman empire.
Arabians
the nomadic tribes inhabiting the country to the east and south of Palestine, who in the early
times of Hebrew history were known as Ishmaelites and descendants of Keturah.
Arad
a royal city of the Canaanites, named with Hormah and Libnah. (Joshua 12:14) The wilderness
of Judah was to the south of Arad.” (Judges 1:16) It may be identified with a hill, Tel ’Arad, an
hour and a half northeast by east from Milh (Moladah), and eight hours from Hebron.
(a wild ass), a Benjamite, son of Beriah, who drove out the inhabitants of Gath. (1 Chronicles
8:15) (B.C. 536.)
Arah
(wayfaring).
•An Asherite, of the sons of Ulla. (1 Chronicles 7:39)
•The sons of Arah returned with Zerubbabel in number 775 according to (Ezra 2:5) but 652 according
to (Nehemiah 7:10) (B.C. 536.) One of his descendants, Shechaniah, was the father-in-law of
Tobiah the Ammonite. (Nehemiah 6:18)
Aram
(high).
•The name by which the Hebrews designated, generally, the country lying to the northeast of
Palestine; the great mass of that high tableland which, rising with sudden abruptness from the
Jordan and the very margin of the Lake of Gennesaret, stretched at an elevation of no less than
2000 feet above the level of the sea, to the banks of the Euphrates itself. Throughout the Authorized
Version the word is, with only a very few exceptions, rendered, as in the Vulgate and LXX., Syria.
Its earliest occurrence in the book of Genesis is in the form of Aram-naharaim, i.e. the “highland
of or between the two rivers.” (Genesis 24:10) Authorized Version “Mesopotamia.” In the later
history we meet with a number of small nations or kingdoms forming parts of the general land of
Aram; but as Damascus increased in importance it gradually absorbed the smaller powers, (1
Kings 20:1) and the name of Aram was at last applied to it alone. (Isaiah 7:8) also 1Kin 11:24,25;
15:18 etc.
•Another Aram is named in (Genesis 22:21) as a son of Kemuel and descendant of Nahor.
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William Smith