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.1.THE ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERINGS was a kind of coffer of shittim- woodcovered with brass plates, about seven feet six inches square, andfour feet six inches in height.At the four corners were four horns,or elevations.It was portable, and had rings and staves for bearingin, Ex 27:1-28:43.It was placed in the court before the tabernacle,towards the east.The furniture of the altar was of brass, andconsisted of a pan, to receive the ashes that fell through thegrating; shovels; basins, to contain the blood with which the altarwas sprinkled; and forks, to turn and remove the pieces of flesh uponfile:///H|/Biblebob/Books/Online/ATSBibleDictionary/a.htm (35 of 80)8/10/2005 3:49:46 AMATS Athe coals.The fire was a perpetual one, kindled miraculously, andcarefully cherished.Upon this altar the lamb of the daily morning andevening sacrifice was offered, and the other stated and voluntaryblood-sacrifices and meat and drink-offerings.To this also certainfugitives were allowed to flee and find protection.The altar inSolomon's temple was larger, being about thirty feet square andfifteen feet high, 2Ch 4:1.It is said to have been covered with thickplates of brass and filled with stones, with an ascent on the eastside.It is often called "the brazen altar."2.THE ALTAR OF INCENSE was a small table of shittim-wood, coveredwith plates of gold; it was eighteen inches square, and three feethigh, Ex 30:1-38 37:25, etc.At the four corners were four horns, andall around its top was a little border or crown.On each side were tworings, into which staves might be inserted for the purpose of carryingit.It stood in the Holy place; not in the Holy of Holies, but beforeit, between the golden candlestick and the table of showbread, and thepriests burned incense upon it every morning and evening.SoZacharias, Lu 1:9,11.See TEMPLE.3.ALTAR AT ATHENS, inscribed "to the unknown God," Ac 17:23.It iscertain.Both from Paul's assertion and the testimony of Greekwriters, that altars to an unknown or gods existed at Athens.But theattempt to ascertain definitely whom the Athenians worshipped underthis appellation must ever remain fruitless for want of sufficientdata.The inscription afforded to Paul a happy occasion of proclaimingthe gospel; and those who embraced it found it indeed that the Beingwhom they had thus ignorantly worshipped was the one only living andtrue God.AMALEKSon of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau, Ge 36:12.It is not certain thatany distinct mention is made in the Bible of his posterity, peoplecalled Amalekites being in existence long before, Ge 14:7; Nu 24:20.AMALEKITESA powerful people, who dwelt in Arabia Petraea, between the Dead Seaand the Red Sea, perhaps in moving troops.We cannot assign the placeof their habitation, except in general it is apparent that they dweltfile:///H|/Biblebob/Books/Online/ATSBibleDictionary/a.htm (36 of 80)8/10/2005 3:49:46 AMATS Asouth of Palestine, between Mount Seir and the border of Egypt; and itdoes not appear that they possessed many cities, though one ismentioned in 1Sa 15:5.They lived generally in migrating parties, incaves or in tents, like the Bedaween Arabs of the present day.TheIsraelites had scarcely passed the Red sea, when the Amelikitesattacked them in the desert of Rephidim, and slew those who, throughfatigue or weakness, lagged behind; and for this unprovoked assault onthe people of God, the doom of extermination was passed upon them, Ex17:8-16.They came again into conflict with a part of the Israeliteson the border of the promised land, Nu 14:45; and after 400 years,Saul attacked and destroyed them at the command of the Lord, 1Sa15:1-35.A remnant, however, escaped and subsided afterwards; Daviddefeated them on several occasions, 1Sa 27:8 30:1 2Sa 8:12; and theywere finally blotted out by the Simeonites, in the time of Hezekiah,1Ch 4:43, thus fulfilling the prediction of Balaam, Nu 24:20.Haman,the last of the race mentioned in Scripture, perished like hisfathers, in conflict with the Jews.See the book of Esther.AMANAThe southern part or summit of Anti-Lebanon, adjacent to and north ofHermon, from which the river Amana or Abana poured down towardsDamascus, So 4:8.AMARIAH1.Son of Meraioth, a descendant of Aaron in the line of Eleazar.Hewas the father of Ahitub, (See AHITUB AHITUB 2.) and grandfather ofZadok, in whose person the high priesthood was restored to that line,1Ch 6:72.High priest at a later period, a son of Azariah, and father ofanother Ahitub, 1Ch 6:11.In like manner, in the same list there arethree persons named Azariah.AMASA1.David's nephew, the son of Abigail, David's sister, and Jether anIshmaelite.His percentage may have led David to show him less favorthan his other nephews, and this may have disposed him to join in therebellion of Absalom.He was the general of Absalom's army, and wasfile:///H|/Biblebob/Books/Online/ATSBibleDictionary/a.htm (37 of 80)8/10/2005 3:49:46 AMATS Adefeated by his cousin Joab, 2Sa 17:1-18:33.David afterwards offeredhim a pardon and the command of his troops in the place of Joab, whoseoverbearing conduct he could no longer endure, 2Sa 19:13.But in theconfusion of Sheba's rebellion, Amasa was treacherously murdered byhis powerful rival, 2Sa 20:4-10.B.C.1022.2.A chief of Ephraim, who opposed retaining as bondsmen the men ofJudah taken captive in a war with Pekah king of Israel, 2Ch 28:12.AMASAIA Levite, who joined David with thirty gallant men, while in thedesert flying from Saul, 1Ch 6:25; 12:16-18.AMAZIAH1.Eighth king of Judah, son of Joash, began to reign B.C.835, andreigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.He did well in the sight ofthe Lord, but not with a perfect heart.Having established himself inhis throne and slain the murderers of his father, he mustered a hostof 300,000 men of Judah, and hired 100,000 men of Israel, for a warupon Edom.These hired forces he reluctantly dismissed at the commandof God, who gave him the victory without their aid.But this did notprevent him from carrying home with him the idols of Edom, and settingthem up to be his gods.For this defiance of Jehovah, he wasthreatened with destruction by a prophet of the Lord; and soon after,went headlong into war with Israel, in which he was defeated andhumbled [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]