Israelites entered Palestine they were forbidden to enter into alliances with
the inhabitants of the country (Leviticus 18:3, 4; 20:22, 23).
Solomon formed a league with Hiram (1 Kings 5:12). This “brotherly
covenant” is referred to 250 years afterwards (Amos 1:9). He also appears
to have entered into an alliance with Pharaoh (1 Kings 10:28, 29).
In the subsequent history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel various
alliances were formed between them and also with neighbouring nations at
different times.
From patriarchal times a covenant of alliance was sealed by the blood of
some sacrificial victim. The animal sacrificed was cut in two (except birds),
and between these two parts the persons contracting the alliance passed
(Genesis 15:10). There are frequent allusions to this practice (Jeremiah
34:18). Such alliances were called “covenants of salt” (Numbers 18:19; 2
Chronicles 13:5), salt being the symbol of perpetuity. A pillar was set up
as a memorial of the alliance between Laban and Jacob (Genesis 31:52).
The Jews throughout their whole history attached great importance to
fidelity to their engagements. Divine wrath fell upon the violators of them
(Joshua 9:18; 2 Samuel 21:1, 2; Ezekiel 17:16).
- ALLON oak. (1.) The expression in the Authorized Version of Joshua
19:33, “from Allon to Zaanannim,” is more correctly rendered in the
Revised Version, “from the oak in Zaanannim.” The word denotes some
remarkable tree which stood near Zaanannim, and which served as a
landmark.
(2.) The son of Jedaiah, of the family of the Simeonites, who expelled the
Hamites from the valley of Gedor (1 Chronicles 4:37).