- ALMUG (1 Kings 10:11, 12) = algum (2 Chronicles 2:8; 9:10, 11), in the
Hebrew occurring only in the plural almuggim (indicating that the wood
was brought in planks), the name of a wood brought from Ophir to be used
in the building of the temple, and for other purposes. Some suppose it to
have been the white sandal-wood of India, the Santalum album of
botanists, a native of the mountainous parts of the Malabar coasts. It is a
fragrant wood, and is used in China for incense in idol-worship. Others,
with some probability, think that it was the Indian red sandal-wood, the
pterocarpus santalinus, a heavy, fine-grained wood, the Sanscrit name of
which is valguka. It is found on the Coromandel coast and in Ceylon. - ALOES (Hebrews ‘ahalim), a fragrant wood (Numbers 24:6; Psalm 45:8;
Proverbs 7:17; Cant. 4:14), the Aquilaria agallochum of botanists, or, as
some suppose, the costly gum or perfume extracted from the wood. It is
found in China, Siam, and Northern India, and grows to the height
sometimes of 120 feet. This species is of great rarity even in India. There
is another and more common species, called by Indians aghil, whence
Europeans have given it the name of Lignum aquile, or eagle-wood.
Aloewood was used by the Egyptians for embalming dead bodies.
Nicodemus brought it (pounded aloe-wood) to embalm the body of Christ
(John 19:39); but whether this was the same as that mentioned elsewhere
is uncertain.
The bitter aloes of the apothecary is the dried juice of the leaves Aloe
vulgaris.
- ALPHAEUS (1.) The father of James the Less, the apostle and writer of
the epistle (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), and the
husband of Mary (John 19:25). The Hebrew form of this name is Cleopas,
or Clopas (q.v.).
(2.) The father of Levi, or Matthew (Mark 2:14).