that is, the native or inhabitant of a place called Mecherah. (1 Chronicles 11:36) In the parallel
list of (2 Samuel 23:1) ... the name appears, with other variations, as “the Maachathite.” ver. ( 2
Samuel 23:34)
Medad
(love). [Eldad AND MEDAD]
Medan
(contention), a son of Abraham and Keturah. (Genesis 23:5; 1 Chronicles 1:42)
Medeba
(water of rest), a town on the eastern side of Jordan, first alluded to in (Numbers 21:30) Here
it seems to denote the limit of the territory of Heshbon. It next occurs in the enumeration of the
country divided among the transjordanic tribes, (Joshua 13:9) as giving its name to a district of
level downs called “the Mishor of Medeba” or “the Mishor on Medeba.” At the time of the conquest
Medeba belonged to the Amorites, apparently one of the towns taken from Moab by them. In the
time of Ahaz Medeba was a sanctuary of Moab. (Isaiah 15:2) It has retained its name down, our
own times, and lies four miles southeast of Heshbon, on it rounded but rocky hill.
Medes, Media
(middle land). Media lay northwest of Persia proper, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea,
east of Armenia and Assyria, west and northwest of the great salt desert of Iran. Its greatest length
was from north to south, and in this direction it extended from the 32d to the 40th parallel, a distance
of 550 miles. In width it reached front about long. 45 degrees to 53 degrees; but its average breadth
was not more than from 250 to 300 miles. The division of Media commonly recognized by the
Greeks and Romans was that into Media Magna and Media Atropatene.
•Media Atropatene corresponded nearly to the modern Azerbijan, being the tract situated between
the Caspian and the mountains which run north from Zagros.
•Media Magna lay south and east of Atropatene. It contained great part of Kurdistan and Luristan,
with all Ardelan and Arak Ajemi. It is indicative of the division that there were two Ecbatanas,
respectively the capitals of the two districts. The Medes were a nation of very high antiquity; we
find a notice of them in the primitive Babylonian history of Berosus, who says that the Medes
conquered Babylon at a very remote period (cir. B.C. 2458), and that eight Median monarchs
reigned there consecutively, over a space of 224 years. The deepest obscurity hangs, however,
over the whole history of the Medes from the time of their bearing sway in Babylonia, B.C.
2458-2234, to their first appearance in the cuneiform inscriptions among the enemies of Assyria,
about B.C. 880. Near the middle of the seventh century B.C. the Median kingdom was consolidated,
and became formidable to its neighbors; but previous to this time it was not under the dominion
of a single powerful monarch, but was ruled by a vast number of petty chieftains. Cyaxares, the
third Median monarch, took Nineveh and conquered Assyria B.C. 625. The limits of the Median
empire cannot be definitely fixed. From north to south it was certainly confined between the
Persian Gulf and the Euphrates on the one side, the Black and Caspian Seas on the other. From
east to west it had, however, a wide expansion, since it reached from the Halys at least as far as
the Caspian Gates, and possible farther. It was separated from Babylonia either by the Tigris or
more probably by a line running about halfway between that river and the Euphrates. Its greatest
length may be reckoned at 1500 miles from northwest to southeast, and its average breadth at 400
or 450 miles. Its area would thus be about 600,000 square miles, or somewhat greater than that of
modern Persia. Of all the ancient Oriental monarchies the Median was the shortest in duration. It
frankie
(Frankie)
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