(2 Kings xvii. 6. xviii. 11. 1 Chron. v. 26.) CHILDREN, birth and education of, 163, 164. Adoption of, 164, 165. which brought a heavy wo upon the inhabitants for their infi-sius, and empties itself into the Euphrates near Circesiun. delity. (Matt. xi. 23.) In the vicinity of this town or city our Lord delivered his admirable sermon; and near it also was the custom-house, at which Matthew the publican was sitting when Jesus called him to the apostleship. (Matt. ix. 1. 9.) Here the Jews had a synagogue (Mark i. 23. Luke iv. 33.), as the Christians afterwards had a church. Mr. Buckingham in 1817 found various remains of some ancient settlement in its vicinity; but in 1823 scarcely a relique remained to attest its former existence. Recent travellers describe the appearance of the Lake of Gennesareth from Capernaum as singularly grand and impressive. This place is now called Tal-hhewn or Tal-hhewm, as it is differently pronounced. (Buckingham's Travels in Palestine, pp. 469, 470. Jowett's Researches in Syria, p. 168.) CAPHTOR (Jer. xlvii. 4. Amos ix. 7.) and CAPHTORIM (Gen. x. 14. Deut. ii. 23.), the name of a country and people whence the Philistines are said to have originated. According to the passages above referred to, the Caphtorim came originally from Egypt and settled in Caphtor, which word most of the ancient versions have rendered Cappadocia; but some have supposed it to be Cyprus, or Crete; which last both Calmet and Gesenius consider to be the place most probably intended. From Caphtor, a colony migrated and settled in the southern part of Canaan. CAPITAL Punishments of the Jews, account of, 66-69. CAPPADOCIA, a kingdom of Asia, bounded on the east by Armenia, on the west by Paphlagonia and Galatia, on the north by the Euxine Sea, and on the south by that part of Mount Taurus which looks towards Cilicia. It was famed for mules and horses, of which it gave yearly to the Persians, horses 1500, mules 2000. The Cappadocians are said to have been a nation so servile, that when the Romans offered them their freedom to live by their own laws, they said they could not endure liberty. This country is mentioned in Acts ii. 9. and also by the apostle Peter, who addresses his first Epistle to the Hebrew Christians who were dispersed through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and Asia Minor. CAPTAIN of the LORD'S HOST, authority of, and influence, 85. CAPTIVES, cruel treatment of. See pp. 90, 91. CAPTIVITY (Babylonish), state of the Hebrews during, 49, 50. CARAVANS, mode of travelling by, 122, note 7. 173. CARCHEMISH, a fortified city on the Euphrates belonging to the Assyrians, commanding the pass into the northern part of Mesopotamia, from Syria. Necho king of Egypt took it, and left a strong garrison in it; which was taken and cut in pieces, in the fourth year of Jehoiachin king of Judah, by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (2 Chron. xxxv. 20. 2 Kings xxiii. 29.) Isaiah speaks of Carchemish, and seems to say, that Tiglath-pileser conquered it; perhaps from the Egyptians. Profane authors say nothing of this town, or of these wars: it is probable that Carchemish is the same as Cercusium, or Circesium, or Circeium, situated in the angle formed by the conjunction of the Chaboras (the modern Chebour) and the Euphrates. CARMEL, Mount, account of, 30. CARVING, art of, among the Jews, 183. CASIPHIA (Ezra viii. 17.), the name of a country; perhaps Caspia, the country on the Caspian Sea. CASLUHIM (Gen. x. 14. 1 Chron. i. 12.), a people, spoken of as a colony of the Egyptians; according to Bochart (Phaleg. iv. 31.), the Colchians, whom the Greek writers constantly represent as of Egyptian origin. CATTLE reared in Palestine, notice of, 37. 174-176. CENCHREA, a haven on the east of the isthmus of Corinth, to which city it was considered as a kind of subsidiary port. It is mentioned in Acts xviii. 18. CEPHAS, a name given by Christ to Simon: it means the same as Terps, that is, a stone. (John i. 43.) CHAINS of the Jewish women, 158. CHALDEA, a country of Asia, lying near the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates, the capital of which was BABYLON, whence it was also denominated BABYLONIA. In ancient times it was known by the names Shinar, Shinaar, &c.-For a sketch of the profane history of the Chaldæan or Babylonian empire, illustrative of the prophetic writings, see p. 412. of this Index. CHARIOTS, military, notice of, 85, 86. CHINNERETH, sea of, 26. CHIOS (Acts xx. 15.) is an island of the Ægean Sea, between Lesbos and Samos, celebrated in ancient and in modern times, for its wine, figs, marble, and white earth. CHISLEU, or CASLEU, the third month of the Jewish civil year; and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year. For the feasts and fasts in this month, see p. 75. CHITTIM. The land of Chittim, and the isles of Chittim, denote, in general, the maritime countries and islands of the Mediterranean, Greece, Italy, Crete, Cyprus, Corsica, &c. Thus, Balaam foretold "that ships should come from the coast of Chittim, and should afflict Asshur (the Assyrians), and afflict Eber" (the Hebrews, or Jews); representing the Grecian and Roman invasions. And Daniel foretold that "the ships of Chittim should come against the king of the north (Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria); and that he should therefore be grieved, and return" from the south, or Egypt, which he had invaded, when commanded to desist by the Roman ambassadors. (Dan. xi. 30. Livy, xlv. 10-12.) Perseus, king of Macedon, is called "king of Chittim." (1 Macc. viii. 5.) CHIUN (Amos v. 26.), the idol Saturn. CHORAZIN, a small town situated on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, at no great distance from Capernaum. It was one of those places where very many of our Saviour's miracles were performed, whose inhabitants he upbraided for their infidelity. (Matt. xi. 21. Luke x. 13.) CHRIST (XpOTOS), a Greek word signifying anointed, and corresponding to the Hebrew word MESSIAH, which see. In the New Testament, this appellation is given to Jesus, the anointed one, that king of the race of David, promised by God, and long expected, the Messiah. CHRISTIANS, those who profess to believe and practise the religion of Jesus Christ. This appellation was first given by divine appointment to the believers at Antioch. (Acts xi. 26.) See Vol. I. p. 350. CHURCH (Jewish), account of, and of its various members, 108-111.; and of its ministers, 111–116. CHUSHAN-RISKATHAIM, a king of Mesopotamia, who oppressed the Israelites for eight years. This monarch must have subdued several of the surrounding nations within thirty or forty years after the death of Joshua, since his conquests extended westward as far as Canaan. The Israelites were delivered from his yoke by ОTHNIEL. (Judg. iii. 8-10.) CHUZA, or CHUSA, the steward or agent of Herod-Antipas, whose wife was one of the pious women who ministered to Jesus Christ. (Luke viii. 3.) Some critics, however, suppose that he was the treasurer or overseer of Herod's revenue. CILICIA, a country of Asia Minor, between Pamphylia on the west, and Pieria on the east, Mount Taurus on the north, and the Cilician Sea on the south, celebrated on the account of Cicero, proconsul there, but more on the account of St. Paul's birth at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia. (Acts xxii. 3.) CINNERETH, or CINNEROTH, a city in the canton of the tribe of Nephtali: it is supposed to be the same which was afterwards called TIBERIAS; as the Lake of Gennesareth, which in Hebrew is called the Sea of Cinnereth, is unquestionably the Lake or Sea of Tiberius: for an account of which see pp. 26, 27. CIRCUMCISION, how and when performed. See p. 110. CISLEU. See CHISLEU. CISTERNS in Palestine, notice of, 29. CITIES, Jewish, 155. How besieged, 90. Treatment of, when captured, ibid. Gates of, seats of justice, 54. CITIES OF REFUGE, 16. ers. CITIZENS of Rome, privileges and treatment of, when prisonSee pp. 57-59. CLASSES of the Jewish priests, 112. CLAUDA, an island near Crete, situated near the southern and western sea. It is mentioned in Acts xxvii. 16. CLAUDIUS. 1. Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, the fifth emperor or CHEBAR a river of Mesopotamia, which rises in Mount Ca- Cæsar of Rome. He was the son of Nero Drusus, and obtained ᎪᏃ Chyna-Ladanus, succeeded Saosduchin in the Assyrian throne. Having rendered himself obnoxious to his subjects by his effeminacy, and the little care he took of his dominions, Nabopolassar, satrap of Babylon, and Cyaxares the son of Astyages king of Media, leagued together against him. He was besieged in Nineveh, which was taken by his enemies, who partitioned his dominions between them; Nabopolassar becoming master of Nineveh and Babylon, and Cyaxares having Media and the adjacent provinces. (Usher's Annals, A. M. 3378. Calmet, Précis de l'Histoire Profane de l'Orient, § I. Dissert. tom. ii. pp. 329333.) BA BAAL, a Phoenician idol, notice of, 138. BAALZEEUB, Phoenician idols, notice of, 138. BAALPEOR, a Canaanitish idol, notice of, 137, 138. BAASHA, the son of Ahijah, and commander in chief to Jeroboam I.: he treacherously killed his sovereign Nadab, and after. wards usurped his kingdom, B. c. 953-930. BABYLON, the metropolis of Chaldæa, began to be built at the same time as the tower of BABEL, and both were left unfinished at the confusion of tongues. (Gen. xi. 4-8.) It was celebrated for the magnificence of its buildings, especially after its enlargement and improvement by Nebuchadnezzar, when it became one of the wonders of the world. It is said to have covered an area of 480 stadia, or nearly 60 miles in circumference; and the wall by which it was surrounded was 50 cubits in thickness, and 200 in height. The river Euphrates divided the city into two parts, which were connected by means of a noble bridge, about a furlong in length and sixty feet wide. (Dr. Hales has given a copious and accurate account of ancient Babylon in his Analysis of Chronology, vol. i. pp. 453-456.) ASSYRIAN IDOLS, worshipped by the Israelites, 138. ASTARTE, a Phoenician or Syrian idol, notice of, 138. ASTRONOMY and ASTROLOGY of the Jews, 186, 187. ATHALIAH, daughter of Omri king of Samaria, and wife of Jehoram king of Judah. Jehu having slain her son Ahaziah, she seized the kingdom, and destroyed all the sons of Jehoram (whom he had by other wives) except Jehoash, who was providentially saved by Jehosheba, and who afterwards succeeded to the throne. Athaliah was slain, after an usurpation of six years. (2 Kings xi.) ATHENS, a celebrated city of Greece, sometimes a very powerful commonwealth, distinguished by the military talents, but still more by the learning, eloquence, and politeness of its inhabitants. Saint Paul coming hither, A. D. 32, found them plunged in idolatry, occupied in inquiring and reporting news, curious to know every thing, and divided in opinion concerning religion and hap-valley of willows. The territory surrounding the ruins of piness. (Acts xvii.) From an altar erected to the "Unknown God" (for the origin of which see Vol. I. p. 90), the great apostle of the Gentiles, taking opportunities here to preach Jesus Christ, was carried before the judges of the tribunal, called the Areopagus; where he gave an illustrious testimony to truth, and a remarkable instance of powerful reasoning. (See an account of the AREOPAGUS in pp. 60, 61.) ATTALIA, a maritime city of Pamphylia, and the chief residence of the prefect. It derived its name from king Attalus, its founder. Hither Saint Paul went from Perga in Pamphylia. (Acts xiv. 25.) It still subsists under the name of Sattalia. AUGUSTUS (Octavius) the first, or, according to some writers, the second emperor of Rome. He commanded the enrolment to be made which is mentioned in Luke ii. 1.-The forty-second year of his reign is that in which Jesus Christ was born. The title of Augustus, which he received from the flattery of the senate, became the personal appellation of his successors; and St. Luke has employed the corresponding Greek word, to designate Nero. (Acts xxv. 21.25.) AVEN. See Ox, infra. AVEN (Plain of), a beautiful valley in the part of Syria near to Damascus: according to Gesenius, it is now called Un, and is proverbially considered as a delightful valley. As the original word (Bikath-Aven, which is retained in the marginal rendering of Amos i. 5.) signifies the plain of vanity, it is conjectured to have been a place remarkable for idolatry, Bethel being called Beth-Aven in Hos. v. 8. for that reason. AVIMS, the original inhabitants of the country afterwards possessed by the Caphtorim or Philistines. (Deut. ii. 23.) AVITES or AVIM, the inhabitants of Aveh or Áva, a city whence colonies were sent into Samaria. (2 Kings xvii. 24. 31.) Ava is supposed to have been situated in the north-west of Chaldæa. AZARIAH.-1. The name of a king of Judah, also called UZZIAH (which see infra):-2. The name of several highpriests among the Jews-and, 3. The name of a prophet in the time of Asa. (2 Chron. xv. 1, 2.) AZEKAH, a city in the tribe of Judah, to the south of Jerusalem, and east of Bethlehem. (Josh. xv. 35.) AZOTUS, or ASHDOD, a city of Judæa, is situated between Gaza and Jamnia, or Jafnia, on the summit of a hill, which is surrounded by a pleasant plain. Here the ark of Jehovah triumphed over the Philistine idol Dagon (1 Sam. v. 2.), and Philip the Evangelist was found, after he had baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. (Acts viii. 40.) It is at present an inconsiderable place, and in its vicinity are numerous reliques of antiquity. The banks of the waters of Babylon were planted with willows, which are mentioned in the Scriptures. Thus, Isaiah (xv. 7.), describing in prophetic language the captivity of the Moabites by Nebuchadnezzar, says, that they shall be carried away to the ancient Babylon, is at present composed chiefly of plains, whose soil is rich; and the river banks are still hoary with reeds, and covered with the grey osier willows, on which the captives of Israel suspended their harps (Psal. cxxxvii. 1-4.), and refused to be comforted, while their conquerors tauntingly commanded them to sing the songs of Sion. (Sir R. K. Porter's Travels in Georgia, &c. vol. ii. p. 297.) The most terrible denunciations were uttered against Babylon by the Hebrew prophets (compare Vol. I. p. 126.) the literal fulfilment of whose predictions has been shown by various modern travellers who have described the present state of its ruins. (See particularly Mr. Rich's Two Memoirs on the Ruins of Babylon, the accuracy of whose statements is confirmed by Mr. Buckingham, in the interesting description contained in his Travels in Mesopotamia, vol. ii. pp. 258 -394.: Sir R. K. Porter's Travels in Georgia, &c. vol. ii. pp. 308 -332. 337-400.; and the Hon. Capt. Keppel's Narrative of Travels from India, vol. i. pp. 171-188., who also attests the accuracy of Mr. Rich, and has adopted his measurements.) The prophet Isaiah, describing the calamities that were to be inflicted on Babylon by Cyrus, calls this city the desert of the sea. Jeremiah, to the same purport, says (li. 36. 42.), I will dry up the sea of Babylon and make her springs dry.-The sea is come up upon her. She is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. Megasthenes (in Eusebius De Præp. Evang. lib. ix. c.41.) states, that Babylon was built in a place which had before so greatly abounded with water, that it was called the sea. Babylon was very advantageously situated, both in respect to commerce and as a naval power. It was open to the Persian Gulf by the Euphrates, which was navigable by large vessels; and being joined to the Tigris above Babylon, by the canal called Naharmalca, or the Royal River, supplied the city with the produce of the whole country to the north of it, as far as the Euxine and Caspian Seas. Semiramis was the foundress of this part also of the Babylonian greatness. She improved the navigation of the Euphrates, and is said to have had a fleet of three thousand galleys. We are not to wonder that, in later times, we hear little of the commerce and naval power of Babylon: for, after the capture of the city by Cyrus, the Euphrates was not only rendered less fit for navigation by being diverted from its course, and left to spread over the country; but the Persian monarchs, residing in their own country, in order to prevent any invasion by sea on that part of their empire, purposely obstructed the navigation of both rivers by making cataracts in them; that is, by raising dams across the channel, and making artificial falls in them, so that no vessel of any size or force could possibly come up. Alexander began to restore the navigation of the rivers by demolishing the cataracts upon the Tigris, as far up as Seleucia, but he did not live to complete his great designs; those upon the Euphrates still continued. Ammianus Marcellinus mentions them as subsisting in his time. The prophet Isaiah (xliii. 14., Bishop Lowth's translation) speaks of the Chaldeans exulting in their ships; which, Bp. L. remarks, he might justly do, in his time, though afterwards they had no foundation for any such boast. (Bp. Lowth, on Isa. xliii. 14.) BA Babylon rapidly declined during the Persian dynasty: Darius Hystapes broke down the walls and took away the gates, which Cyrus had spared. Alexander the Great designed to rebuild the temple of Belus, which had gone to decay, and actually employed ten thousand labourers for two months in removing the rubbish; but the attempt was rendered abortive by his premature death, in the flower of his age, and pride of conquest. Seleucus Nicator, his successor in the kingdom of Syria, dismantled and spoiled Babylon, to build Seleucia in its neighbourhood, to which he transplanted the inhabitants; and in Strabo's time, about the Christian æra, "the greater part of Babylon was become a desert," which the Parthian kings converted into a park, where they took the recreation of hunting, in Jerome's time, a. D. 340. Its ruins are now the haunts of lions and other beasts of prey. Thus gradually have been fulfilled the predictions of Scripture:-"Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, shall become as Sodom and Gomorrah, which God overthrew. It shall never be re-established, neither shall it be inhabited from generation to generation. The Arab shall not pitch his tent there, nor shall the shepherd make his fold there: the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and howling monsters shall fill their houses:-for her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged." (Isaiah xiii. 19-22.) The remains of ancient Babylon, as described by recent travellers, are so vast, that the whole could never be suspected of having been the work of human hands, were it not for the layers of bricks which are found therein. They are fire-baked, and cemented with zepht, or bitumen; between each layer are found oziers. Here are found those large and thick bricks imprinted with unknown characters, specimens of which are preserved in the British Museum, in the Museum of the East India Company, and in other depositories of antiquities. The composition of these bricks corresponds exactly with the account given by the sacred historian of the builders of Babel. Let us make brick (said they), and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. (Gen. xi. 3.) The name of Babylon was mystically given to Rome by the apostle Peter, as we have shown at length in the critical preface to his first epistle, in Vol. II. pp. 361, 362. The BABYLONIAN KINGDOM BA had the memorable vision related and interpreted by the prophet Daniel. (ii.) At this time Jehoiakim revolted from the king of Babylon, whose generals marched against him, and ravaged his country. (2 Kings xxiv. 1, 2.) Jehoiakim "slept with his fathers," neither regretted nor lamented by his subjects, agreeably to the prediction of Jeremiah (xxii. 18, 19.); though the precise manner of its fulfilment is not recorded by the sacred historian. Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, also called Coniah (Jer. xxii. 24.), succeeded to the throne and iniquity of his father; and in the eighth year of his reign Jerusalem was besieged and taken by the generals of Nebuchadnezzar; and Jehoiachin, together with part of the nobility, and the princes of the people, were carried into captivity, to Babylon. (2 Kings xxiv. 6-16.)-Mattaniah, also called Zedekiah, who was the uncle of Jehoiachin, was elevated to the throne, and left at Jerusalem, A. M. 3405, B. c. 599. (2 Kings xxiv. 17.) Nebuchadnezzar did not continue long at Babylon. Having received intelligence that Zedekiah had made an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt, and had violated his oath of fidelity, Nebuchadnezzar marched against him, defeated his forces, and laid siege to Jerusalem, agreeably to the prediction of Jeremiah. (xliv. 30.) The arrival of the Egyptian monarch, at the head of a powerful army, gave the besieged a gleam of hope, but their joy was of short duration. The Egyptians were defeated, and the conqueror returned to Jerusalem, which he took by storm, after a siege of two years, A. M. 3416, B. c. 588. Zedekiah was arrested in his flight, and conducted to Riblath, where Nebuchadnezzar was. After seeing his two children put to death before his face, the Jewish king was deprived of both his eyes, loaded with chains, and carried to Babylon, where he died. Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple pillaged and burnt, and the chief of the people that yet survived were carried into captivity beyond the Euphrates. Only a wretched remnant of the common people was left in Judæa, under the government of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam (Jer. xl. 5.); who being afterwards put to death by Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, part of the people withdrew into Egypt with Jeremiah (xli. xlii.), and the rest were a few years afterwards, transported to Babylon by Nebuzaradan. (Jer. lii. 30.) A. M. 3419, B. c. 585. Three years after the capture of Jeruwas founded by the celebrated hunter and hero Nimrod, after the salem, Nebuchadnezzar commenced the siege of Tyre; he closely dispersion which followed the unsuccessful attempt to build the invested it for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year of the tower of Babel. "It extended from Babylon in Mesopotamia siege he took that city. During this interval he waged war with towards the north, over Calneh (Ctesiphon), as far as Accad the Sidonians, Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, or Idumeans, (Nisibis) and Erech (Edessa), including the whole land of Shi- in conformity with the prophecies of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Obanar. But, however powerful for those times, we cannot suppose diah. (Jer. xliii. xliv. xlvi. Ezek. xxvi.-xxviii. Obad. throughit to have been either populous or well organized. Even the out.) Having captured Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar entered Egypt, four cities, which are mentioned as the strongholds of this king- and laid waste the whole country. (Ezek. xxix.-xxxi.) Phadom, were nothing more than small villages slightly fortified. As raoh Hophra (the Apries of profane historians) was put to death this was the first attempt to establish an extensive domain, it by his enemies (Jer. xliv. 30. Ezek. xxxii.); and Amasis, his must have been universally disagreeable to the men of that period. rival for the throne, was left to govern that country in his stead Consequently, it was of short duration; and Nimrod's Babylon | Nebuchadnezzar carried a great number of captives from Egypt must not be regarded as the germ of that universal monarchy to Babylon. which took its rise in a later age, and among a different people." After his return from these successful expeditions, Nebuchad (Jahn's Hebrew Commonwealth, vol. i. p. 6.) nezzar employed himself in embellishing Babylon; but, to humSketch of the History of the BABYLONIAN or CHALDEAN Ex-ble his pride, God sent him the memorable admonitory dream, PIRE, to illustrate the Predictions of the Prophets. A. M. 3398, B. c. 606. Nabopolassar having associated his son NEBUCHADNEZZAR with him in the empire, sent him to reduce the provinces of Syria and Palestine, which had revolted from him. In his way thither, the young prince defeated the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, and recaptured Carchemish. (Jer. xlvi. 2.) Having penetrated into Judæa, he besieged Jerusalem, and took it, and caused Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to be put in chains, intending to have him carried to Babylon; but, being moved with his repentance and affliction, he restored him to his throne. (2 Chron. xxxvi. 6.) Great numbers of the Jews, and among the rest, some children of the royal family, were carried captive to Babylon, whither all the royal treasures, and part of the sacred vessels of the temple, were likewise transported. (2 Chron. xxxvi. 7. Dan. i. 1-7.) Thus was accomplished the judgment which God had denounced to Hezekiah by the prophet Isaiah. (xxxix. 5-7.) From this celebrated period, which was the fourth year of Jehoiakim king of Judah, we are to date the seventy years' captivity of the Jews at Babylon, so often foretold by Jeremiah. Among the members of the royal family thus taken captives was the prophet Daniel; Ezekiel followed some time afterwards. A. M. 3399, B. c. 605. Nabopolassar died, and Nebuchadnezzar began to reign alone; and in the fourth year of his empire he recorded by the prophet Daniel (iv. 1-27.); and twelve months BAITHYLIA, or consecrated stones, notice of, 138. BALAAM, the son of Beor, dwelt at Pethor in Mesopotamia, BA not far from the river Euphrates. He was sent for by Balak king of Moab to curse the Israelites; but instead of curses, he pronounced only blessings. (Num. xxii.-xxiv.) It is a question much debated among commentators, whether Balaam was true prophet of the Lord, or only a magician and diviner or fortune-teller: and the arguments on each side are so strong, as to lead to the conclusion that he was both-a Chaldæan priest, magician, and astrologer by profession, a prophet by accident. He dwelt in a country, which, from time immemorial, was celebrated for the observation of the stars; and the astronomy of antiquity was never, perhaps, free from astrology. His fame, in every thing which at that time formed the science of Chaldæa, filled Asia: the honours and presents which he received, show the high estimation in which he was held. It is a circumstance, moreover, worthy of remark, that his religion was not a pure idolatry. He knew and served the LORD: the knowledge and worship of the true God did not simultaneously disappear among the nations; as is evident from the circumstances recorded of Melchisedek, Jethro, and, perhaps, Abimelech. The history of Balaam presents the last trace of the knowledge of the true God, which is found out of Canaan. If the rites celebrated by him were not devoid of superstition; if it be difficult to put a favourable construction upon the enchantments which Moses seems to attribute to him, it only follows that Balaam, like Laban, blended error and truth. The mixed religion, thus professed by him, furnishes a key to his mysterious history. Sacerdotal maledictions were at that time regarded as inevitable scourges, and the people of Moab and Midian thought that they should find in Moab an adversary, who was capable of opposing Moses; and it was only opposing a prophet to a prophet, a priest to a priest. In the judgment of these nations, Moses was a formidable magician; and, as Pharaoh had done forty years before, they sought out, on their part, a magician, to defend them: they wished to curse the Israelites in the very name of Jehovah, whom they supposed to be a more powerful deity than their own god. These circumstances will enable us without difficulty to conceive how Balaam received the gift of prophecy. The terms employed by the sacred historian are so express, as to leave no doubt that he, occasionally, at least, was inspired. Besides, his predictions are extant; nor does it avail to say, that Balaam was a wicked man. The gift of prophecy did not always sanctify the heart. (See Matt. vii. 22.) If, then, we refer to the circumstances of that memorable day, we shall find in that dispensation reasons worthy of the divine wisdom. The Hebrews had arrived on the borders of Canaan, which country they were on the point of entering; they knew that Moses would not enter it; and in order to encourage the people to effect the conquest of the promised land, even without Moses, God caused one who was hostile to them to utter predictions of their victory. How encouraging must this circumstance have been to the Hebrews, at the same time that it would prove to them (who were about to come into continual contact with the Canaanites) how vain and useless against them would be the superstitions of those idolatrous nations. The three hills on which Balaam offered sacrifices in the presence of the Israelitish camp, remind us of one of the prejudices of ancient times. The ancients believed that a change of aspect induced a change of condition. On this subject compare p. 90. BALADAN, OF MERODACH-BALADAN, the Belesis and Nabonassar of profane historians, and the founder of the Babylonian empire. Originally only governor of Babylon, he entered into a conspiracy with Arbaces, governor of Media, against Sardanapalus, king of Assyria; on whose death he had Babylon for his share of the dominions of Sardanapalus, as already related in p. 192. of this Index. BALAK, king of Moab, is known only by the circumstance of his having invited Balaam to his assistance against the Israelites. See BALAAM. BALM of GILEAD, 36. BANISHMENT, a Jewish punishment, notice of, 66. BAPTISM of Proselytes, 109. Analogy between Circumcision and Baptism. See p. 110. and note. BARABBAS, the name of a seditious robber, whose release the Jews demanded of Pilate. (John xviii. 40.) BARACHIAS, the father of Zacharias, mentioned in Matt. xxiii. 35., is supposed to have been Jehoiada the high-priest; it being not uncommon among the Jews to have two names. BARAK, the son of Abinoam, who, in conjunction with Deborah, delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Canaanites. (Judg. iv. v. Heb. xi. 32.) BARBARIAN, one who belongs to a different nation, and uses BE a different language. In this sense the word was used by the Greeks, Romans, and Jews. Under the terms "Greeks" and "Barbarians" Saint Paul comprehends all mankind. BARGAINS and SALES, how made and ratified, 81. BAR-JESUS, a Jewish magician in the island of Crete; who, opposing Paul and Barnabas, and endeavouring to prevent Sergius Paulus from embracing Christianity, was by St. Paul struck blind. (Acts xiii. 6.) On the nature of this blindness, see p. 197. The same miracle, which punished the impostor, converted the proconsul. St. Luke calls him Elymas, an Arabic name signifying sorcerer. He is supposed to have been one of the proconsul's council, who was apprehensive of losing his credit, if the Roman became a Christian. BAR-JONAH, a patronymic appellation of the apostle Peter. (Matt. xvi. 17.) BARNABAS, a surname of Joses, a Levite by descent, and born of parents who lived in the Isle of Cyprus. Having embraced Christianity, he became St. Paul's principal associate in his labours for propagating the Gospel. He is supposed to have received the name of Barnabas, which signifies a son of consolation, after his conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ. (Acts iv. 36. ix. 27. xi. 22. 25. 30. xii. 25. xiii. 1, 2.) BARTHOLOMEW, one of the twelve apostles, is supposed to have been Nathaniel, who was one of Christ's first disciples. According to ecclesiastical tradition, after preaching the Gospel in Persia and Arabia, he suffered martyrdom at Albanopolis. BARTIMEUS, or the son of Timæus, a blind beggar of Jericho, to whom Jesus Christ miraculously imparted the gift of sight. (Mark x. 46.) BARUCH, the son of Neriah, descended from an illustrious family of the tribe of Judah, was the scribe or secretary and faithful friend of the prophet Jeremiah, whom he accompanied into Egypt. (Jer. xxxvi.) For an analysis of the apocryphal book of Baruch, sec p. 291, 292. BASHAN, or BATANEA, district of, 18. Forest of Bashan. See p. 36. BASKETS of the Jews, 155. BATH, much used in the East, 170. BATH-KOL, or voice from heaven. See p. 256. BATHSHEBA, or BATHSHUA, the daughter of Eliam or Ammiel, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. After his murder she became the wife of David, who had previously committed adultery with her. She subsequently was the mother of Solomon. BATTLE, order of, 89. BEARD, reverence of, in the East, 157. The corners of, why forbidden to be marred, 142. BEATING to DEATH, punishment of, 68. BEEROTH, a city belonging to the Gibeonites, which was afterwards given up to the tribe of Benjamin. (Josh. ix. 7. 2 Sam. iv. 2.) According to Eusebius, it was seven Roman miles distant from Jerusalem, on the road to Nicopolis. BEERSHEBA (the well of an oath, or the well of seven), because here Abraham made an alliance with Abimelech, king of Gerar, and gave him seven ewe-lambs, in token of that covenant to which they had sworn. (Gen. xx. 31.) Beersheba was given by Joshua to the tribe of Judah; afterwards it was transferred to Simeon. (Josh. xv. 28.) It was twenty miles from Hebron, south; here was a Roman garrison, in Eusebius's and Jerome's time. The limits of the Holy Land (as we have already remarked) are often expressed in Scripture, by the terms-" From Dan to Beersheba" (2 Sam xvii. 11, &c.), Dan being the northern, Beersheba the southern extremity of the land. BEGGARS, treatment of, 83. BEHEADING, punishment of, 68. BEL, a Babylonish idol, 139. BELSHAZZAR, the last monarch of Babylon, grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, who was slain while carousing with his officers; the city being taken, and the empire translated to Cyaxares, whom the Scriptures call Darius the Mede. BELT, or Girdle (Military), Notice of, 88. BENHADAD I. king of Syria, who, gained by the presents of Asa king of Judah, broke off his alliance with Baasha king of Israel, and assisted him against the latter. (1 Kings xv. 18.) He was succeeded by his son, BENHADAD II., who made war against Ahab king of Israel, and was defeated. He also made war against Jehoram the son of Ahab; but by means of the prophet Elisha was obliged to return BE into his country again, as related in 2 Kings vi. Shortly after he besieged Samaria, which city he reduced to the utmost distress (2 Kings vii.); but, his army being seized with a panic, they deserted the besieged city, and returned home. In the following year, Benhadad was murdered by Hazael, who succeeded to the throne of Syria. (2 Kings viii.) BENJAMIN, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, one of the twelve patriarchs. From him was descended the tribe of Benjamin; for the situation, &c. of the canton allotted to which, see p. 17. BERACHAH, Valley of, 31. BEREA, a city of Macedonia, where Paul preached the Gospel with great success. The historian Luke gives an honourable character to the Bereans, in Acts xviii. 10. BERNICE, notice of, 52. BESOR, BROOK, 26. BETHABARA, the place of the ford or passage, viz. of the Jordan. It is mentioned in John i. 28., where the best manuscripts, the Vulgate, Saxon, and both the Syriac versions, as well as the Greek paraphrase of Nonnus, read Baba. The reading BuBapa seems to have arisen from the mere conjecture of Origen; who, in travelling through that region, found no such place as Babana, but saw a town called Babapa, and therefore changed the common reading. (Campbell and Blomfield on John i. 20.) BETHANY. 1. A town in Judæa, where Lazarus dwelt, and where he was raised from the dead, was fifteen furlongs east from Jerusalem, on the way to Jericho (John xi. 8.), and was situated on the retired and shady side of Mount Olivet. It is now a miserable little village, consisting of a cluster of mud hovels. Somewhere on this side of that mountainous tract, which reached within eight furlongs of Jerusalem, from which it was only a Sabbathday's journey, Mr. Jowett, with great probability, places the scene of the Ascension: "for it is said (Luke xxiv. 50, 51.), that Jesus Christ led his disciples out as far as to Bethany, and then was parted from them and carried up into heaven. The previous conversation, as related in the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles (i. 6-9.), would probably occupy some time while walking toward Bethany; for we must not judge of the length of our Lord's discourses by the brevity with which the evangelists record them. Here the last sparks of earthly ambition were extinguished in the bosoms of the apostles; and they were prepared to expect that purer fire which was ere long to burst forth upon the day of Pentecost. Here their Head was taken from them; and two or three ministering spirits of his train, becoming visible to their eyes, interrupted their mute astonishment, and dismissed them to their proper stations." At present the cultivation around Bethany is much neglected; though it is a pleasant, romantic spot, abounding in trees and long grass. Various supposed sites of the houses of Lazarus, of Martha, of Simon the leper, and of Mary Magdalene, are pointed out to credulous and ignorant Christians. (Jowett's Christian Researches in Syria, pp. 256-258. Richardson's Travels, vol. ii. p. 371.) 2. A village on the eastern side of Jordan, where John baptized. (John i. 28) Its exact position is not known. See BETHABARA. BETH-AVEN, a city not far from Ai, the same as BETHEL, where Jeroboam I. set up his golden calves: whence the prophet Hosea (iv. 15.) in derision calls it Beth-Aven, that is, the House of Vanity, or of Idols; instead of Bethel, or the House of God, which name had been given to it by the patriarch Jacob after his memorable vision, related in Gen. xxvii. BETHESDA, pool of, 20. BETHLEHEM, now called BEIT-LAHHM, was a celebrated city, about six miles south-west from Jerusalem: it was formerly called Ephrath or Ephrata. (Gen. xxxv. 19. xlviii. 7. Mic. v. 2.) It was a city in the time of Boaz (Ruth iii. 11. iv. 1.), and was fortified by Rehoboam. (2 Chron. xi. 6.) In Matt. ii. 1. 5. it is called Bethlehem of Judæa, to distinguish it from another town of the same name situated in Lower Galilee, and mentioned in Josh. xix. 15. In Luke ii. 4. it is called the city of David, because David was born and educated there. (Compare John vii. 42. and 1 Sam. xvi. 1. 18.) This city, though not considerable for its extent or riches, is of great dignity as the appointed birthplace of the Messiah (Matt. ii. 6. Luke ii. 6-15.): it is pleasantly situated on the brow of an eminence, in a very fertile soil, which only wants cultivation to render it what the name Bethlehem imports-a house of bread. Between the clefts of the rock, when the soil is cultivated, vines, figs, and olives, appear o grow in great luxuriance. Bethlehem is said to be nearly as BE large as NAZARETH, and to contain from a thousand to fifteen hundred inhabitants, who are almost wholly Christians, and are a bold, fierce race of men, of whom both Turks and Arabs stand in awe. On the north-eastern side of it is a deep valley, where tradition says that the angels appeared to the shepherds of Judæa, with the glad tidings of our Saviour's nativity (Luke ii. 8-14.): and in this valley Dr. Clarke halted at the identical fountain for whose delicious water David longed. (2 Sam. xxiii. 15-18.) of the various pretended holy places which are here shown to Christians, the cave of the nativity is the only spot verified by tradition from the earliest ages of Christianity. Between one and two miles from this place, on the road to Jerusalem, stood the site of Rachel's tomb (Gen. xxxv. 19, 20. 1 Sam. x. 2.), which is now covered by a small square Mohammedan building, surmounted by a dome, and resembling in its exterior the tombs of saints and sheiks in Arabia and Egypt. In the vicinity of Bethlehem are the pools of Solomon, which are described in p. 29. supra. (Dr. Clarke's Travels, vol. iv. pp. 408-420. See also Hasselquist's Travels, p. 144.; Buckingham's Travels in Palestine, pp. 218-222.; Carne's Letters from the East, p. 277.; Three Weeks in Palestine, p. 49.) On the age of the children massacred at Bethlehem, see Vol. II. p. 77. Historical evidence of that fact, I. p. 419. BETHPHAGE, a tract of land and also a small village at the foot of the Mount of Olives, between Bethany and Jerusalem. It derived its name from the abundance of figs which grew there. This tract seems to have run along so near to Jerusalem that the utmost street within the walls was called by that name. It is mentioned in Matt. xxi. 1. and the parallel passages in the other evangelists. BETHSAIDA, a city beyond Jordan, on the coast of the sea of Tiberias, near the place where the river enters that sea. It was originally a village, and was enlarged into a city and beautified by Philip the Tetrarch, who called it Julia in honour of the emperor's daughter. It was one of the cities against which Christ denounced a woe (Matt. xi. 21.) for her impenitence and infidelity, after the mighty works he had done in her. It also was the residence of the apostles Philip, Andrew, and Peter. (John i. 44.) At present Bethsaida exists in little more than the name. (Jowett's Christ. Researches in Syria, p. 178.) BETH-SHAN OF BETH-SHEAN, a city belonging to the half-tribe of Manasseh, not far from the western banks of the Jordan. (1 Sam. xxxi. 10.) After the defeat of the Israelites, and the death of Saul and his sons, the Philistines fastened the body of Saul to the walls of this place, whence the men of Jabesh-Gilead took it down and carried it away. In the fourth century it was a considerable town, and bore, as it had done for several ages, the name of Scythopolis. BETHSHEMES!!. 1. A Levitical city in the tribe of Judah, whither the ark was brought after it had been sent back by the Philistines. Some of the inhabitants, having looked into it with vain curiosity, fell down dead, to the number of seventy. (1 Sam. vi. 19.) 2. A city in the tribe of Issachar. (Josh. xix.) 3. A city in the tribe of Naphtali. (Josh. xix. 38. Judg. i. 33.) BETHUEL, the son of Nahor and Milcha, and nephew of Abraham, was the father of Rebekah. (Gen. xxii.) BETHULIA, a small city, not far from the mountain known by the name of the Mountain of the Beatitudes. It is generally supposed to be the city set on a hill, mentioned in Matt. v. 14. It stands on a very eminent and conspicuous mountain, and is seen far and near: it is at present called SAFET, and is a very strong position, and might well defy the power of Holofernes and his army. It answers exactly to the description given in the apocryphal book of Judith. (Carne's Letters, p. 367.) Safet is said to be peopled by about four hundred Jewish families. The prospect from this place is very extensive. "The view," says the Rev. Mr. Jowett," to the south and on either side, comprehending about one-third of the circle, presents the most surprising assemblage of mountains which can be conceived. It is, if such an expression may be allowed, one vast plain of hills. To a distance of twenty or thirty miles toward Nazareth, and nearly the same toward Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon, the farspreading country beneath is covered with ranges of mountains; which, having passed over them, we know to be ascents and descents far from inconsiderable; but which, from the eminence of Safet, appear only as bold undulations of the surface of the earth. To the left are the inhospitable and unvisited mountains eastward of the river Jordan. In the centre of the distant scene appears the beautiful lake of Tiberias, fully seen from one ex |