- ADULLAM one of the royal cities of the Canaanites, now ‘Aid-el-ma
(Joshua 12:15; 15:35). It stood on the old Roman road in the valley of Elah
(q.v.), which was the scene of David’s memorable victory over Goliath (1
Samuel 17:2), and not far from Gath. It was one of the towns which
Rehoboam fortified against Egypt (2 Chronicles 11:7). It was called “the
glory of Israel” (Micah 1:15).
The Cave of Adullam has been discovered about 2 miles south of the scene
of David’s triumph, and about 13 miles west from Bethlehem. At this
place is a hill some 500 feet high pierced with numerous caverns, in one of
which David gathered together “every one that was in distress, and every
one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented” (1 Samuel
22:2). Some of these caverns are large enough to hold 200 or 300 men.
According to tradition this cave was at Wady Khureitun, between
Bethlehem and the Dead Sea, but this view cannot be well maintained.
- ADULLAMITE an inhabitant of the city of Adullam (Genesis 38:1, 12,
20). - ADULTERY conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had illicit
intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was
an adulteress. Intercourse between a married man and an unmarried woman
was fornication. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a
great sin.
The Mosaic law (Numbers 5:11-31) prescribed that the suspected wife
should be tried by the ordeal of the “water of jealousy.” There is, however,
no recorded instance of the application of this law. In subsequent times the
Rabbis made various regulations with the view of discovering the guilty
party, and of bringing about a divorce. It has been inferred from John
8:1-11 that this sin became very common during the age preceding the
destruction of Jerusalem.
Idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as adultery spiritually
(Jeremiah 3:6, 8, 9; Ezekiel 16:32; Hos. 1:2:3; Revelation 2:22). An
apostate church is an adulteress (Isaiah 1:21; Ezekiel 23:4, 7, 37), and the
Jews are styled “an adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39). (Comp.
Revelation 12.)
- ADUMMIM the red ones, a place apparently on the road between Jericho
and Jerusalem, “on the south side of the torrent” Wady Kelt, looking