employed in its service (1 Kings 18:19). It was called the “queen of
heaven” (Jeremiah 44:25).
- ASHURITES mentioned among those over whom Ish-bosheth was made
king (2 Samuel 2:9). - ASIA is used to denote Proconsular Asia, a Roman province which
embraced the western parts of Asia Minor, and of which Ephesus was the
capital, in Acts 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10,22; 20:4, 16, 18, etc., and probably
Asia Minor in Acts 19:26, 27; 21:27; 24:18; 27:2. Proconsular Asia
contained the seven churches of the Apocalypse (Revelation 1:11). The
“chiefs of Asia” (Acts 19:31) were certain wealthy citizens who were
annually elected to preside over the games and religious festivals of the
several cities to which they belonged. Some of these “Asiarchs” were
Paul’s friends. - ASNAPPER probably the same as Assur-bani-pal (Sardanapalos of the
Greeks), styled the “great and noble” (Ezra 4:10), was the son and
successor (B.C. 668) of Esar-haddon (q.v.). He was “luxurious, ambitious,
and cruel, but a magnificent patron of literature.” He formed at Nineveh a
library of clay tablets, numbering about 10,000. These are now mostly in
the British Museum. They throw much light on the history and antiquities
of Assyria.
Assur-bani-pal was a munificent patron of literature, and the conqueror of
Elam. Towards the middle of his reign his empire was shaken by a great
rebellion headed by his brother in Babylon. The rebellion was finally put
down, but Egypt was lost, and the military power of Assyria was so
exhausted that it could with difficulty resist the hordes of Kimmerians
who poured over Western Asia. (See NINEVEH.)
- ASP (Hebrews pethen), Deuteronomy 32:33; Job 20:14, 16; Isaiah 11:8.
It was probably the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), which was very
poisonous (Romans 3:13; Gr. aspis). The Egyptians worshipped it as the
uraeus, and it was found in the desert and in the fields. The peace and
security of Messiah’s reign is represented by the figure of a child playing
on the hole of the asp. (See ADDER.) - ASS frequently mentioned throughout Scripture. Of the domesticated
species we read of, (1.) The she ass (Hebrews ‘athon), so named from its
slowness (Genesis 12:16; 45:23; Numbers 22:23; 1 Samuel 9:3). (2.) The