The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

SUPPLEMENTAL ENCYCLOPEDIAAholiab A skillful artificer of the tribe of Dan, whowas appointed, together with Bezaleel, to construct thetabernacle in the wilderness a|dthe ark of the covenant.Amalekites A nomadic and warlike people, occupying,at the time of the Exodus, the Sinaitic peninsula andthe wilderness between Egypt and Palestine. They livedgenerally in migrating parties, in caves or tents, like theBedaween Arabs of the present day. The Israelites hadscarcely passed the Red Sea when the Amalekites attackedthem at Rephidim, and slew those who, through fatigueor weakness, lagged behind, but were signally defeated inthe final attack. They came again into conflict with a partof the Israelites on the border of the promised land; andafter four hundred years Saul attacked and destroyed thegreater part of them. The remnant that escaped, Daviddefeated on several occasions ;and finally they were blottedout by the Simeonites in the time of Hezekiah.Ammonites They were the descendants of Ammon,or Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot by his youngest daughter(Gen. xix. 38). They destroyed an ancient race of giantscalled Zamzummim, and seized their country, which layeast of the Jordan between the rivers Arnon and Jabbok,and adjoining the northern part of Moab. Their chiefcity was Robbah, which stood on the Jabbok, fifty-five milesE. NE. of Jerusalem. Yet in the time of Moses they hadbeen driven out of this region, toward the east, by theAmorites. About the year 1187 B. C. the Ammonitesgreatly oppressed the Israelites, and Jephthah, who hadbeen expelled from home by his brothers on account oihis illegitimate birth and gone to the land of Tob, a districtbeyond the Jordan, where he had become the chief ofa band of brigands, was invited by the Israelites to becometheir commander. He accepted the invitation on the conditionthat he should remain their ruler if he defeated theAmmonites. The victory was complete, and hence he ruled163