Ararat came to an end, and the country was occupied by a people who are
ancestors of the Armenians of the present day.
- ARAUNAH agile; also called Ornan 1 Chronicles 21:15, a Jebusite who
dwelt in Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. The destroying
angel, sent to punish David for his vanity in taking a census of the people,
was stayed in his work of destruction near a threshing-floor belonging to
Araunah which was situated on Mount Moriah. Araunah offered it to
David as a free gift, together with the oxen and the threshing instruments;
but the king insisted on purchasing it at its full price (2 Samuel 24:24; 1
Chronicles 21:24, 25), for, according to the law of sacrifices, he could not
offer to God what cost him nothing. On the same place Solomon
afterwards erected the temple (2 Samuel 24:16; 2 Chronicles 3:1). (See
ALTAR.) - ARBA four, a giant, father of Anak. From him the city of Hebron derived
its name of Kirjath-arba, i.e., the city of Araba (Joshua 14:15; 15:13;
21:11; Genesis 13:18; 23:2). (See HEBRON.) - ARBATHITE a name given to Abi-albon, or, as elsewhere called, Abiel,
one of David’s warriors (2 Samuel 23:31; 1 Chronicles 11:32), probably as
being an inhabitant of Arabah (Joshua 15:61), a town in the wilderness of
Judah. - ARCH an architectural term found only in Ezekiel 40:16, 21, 22, 26, 29.
There is no absolute proof that the Israelites employed arches in their
buildings. The arch was employed in the building of the pyramids of
Egypt. The oldest existing arch is at Thebes, and bears the date B.C. 1350.
There are also still found the remains of an arch, known as Robinson’s
Arch, of the bridge connecting Zion and Moriah. (See TYROPOEON
VALLEY.) - ARCHANGEL (1Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9), the prince of the angels.
- ARCHELAUS ruler of the people, son of Herod the Great, by Malthace,
a Samaritan woman. He was educated along with his brother Antipas at
Rome. He inherited from his father a third part of his kingdom viz.,
Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, and hence is called “king” (Matthew 2:22). It
was for fear of him that Joseph and Mary turned aside on their way back
from Egypt. Till a few days before his death Herod had named Antipas as
his successor, but in his last moments he named Archelaus.