Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Frankie) #1

numerous minor divinities, at the head of all of whom stood the chief god, Asshur, who seems to
be the deified patriarch of the nation. (Genesis 10:22)
•Civilization of the Assyrians.— The civilization of the Assyrians was derived originally from the
Babylonians. They were a Shemitic race originally resident in Babylonia (which at that time was
Cushite) and thus acquainted with the Babylonian inventions and discoveries, who ascended the
valley of the Tigris and established in the tract immediately below the Armenian mountains a
separate and distinct nationality. Still, as their civilization developed it became in many respects
peculiar. Their art is of home growth. But they were still in the most important points barbarians.
Their government was rude and inartificial, their religion coarse and sensual, and their conduct
of war cruel.
•Modern discoveries in Assyria.— (Much interest has been excited in reference to Assyria by the
discoveries lately made there, which confirm and illustrate the Bible. The most important of them
is the finding of the stone tablets or books which formed the great library at Nineveh, founded by
Shalmaneser B.C. 860, but embodying tablets written 2000 years B.C. This library was more than
doubled by Sardanapalus. These tablets were broken into fragments, but many of them have been
put together and deciphered by the late Mr. George Smith, of the British Museum. All these
discoveries of things hidden for ages, but now come to light, confirm the Bible.—ED.)
Astaroth
(1:4) [Ashtaroth]
Astarte
[Ashtoreth]
Asuppim, And House Of
(1 Chronicles 26:15,17) literally house of the gatherings. Some understand it as the proper name
of chambers on the south of the temple others of certain store-rooms, or of the council chambers
in the outer court of the temple in which the elders held their celebrations.
Asyncritus
(incomparable), a Christian at Rome, saluted by St. Paul. (Romans 16:14)
Atad
(thorn), The threshing-floor of, called also Abel-mizraim, (Genesis 50:10,11) afterwards called
Beth-hogla, and known to have lain between the Jordan and Jericho, therefore on the west side of
Jordan.
Atarah
(a crown) a wife of Jerahmeel, and mother of Onam. (1 Chronicles 2:26)
Ataroth
(crowns).
•One of the towns in the “land of Jazer and land of Gilead,” (Numbers 32:3) east of the Jordan,
taken and built by the tribe of Gad. (Numbers 32:34)
•A place on the (south?) boundary of Ephraim and Manasseh. (Joshua 16:2,7) It is impossible to
say whether Ataroth is or is not the same place as
•ATAROTH-ADAR, or -Addar, on the west border of Benjamin, “near the ’mountain’ that is on
the south side of the nether Beth-horon.” (Joshua 16:5; 18:13) Perhaps the modern Atara, six miles
northeast of Bethel.
•“ATAROTH, THE House OF Joab,” a place(?) occurring in the list of the descendants of Judah.
(1 Chronicles 2:54)

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