AARONITES, Priests who served the sanctuary, of the family of Aaron. AB, in the Hebrew chronology, the eleventh month of the civil year, and the fifth of the ecclesiastical year, which began with Ni'san. This month answered to the moon of July, comprehending part of July and of August, and contained thirty days. A-BAD'DON, Heb. coresponding to Apollyon, Gr. hat is, Destroyer, is represented, Rev. ix, 11, as king of the locusts, and the angel of the bottomless pit. A-BA'NA. Probably a branch of the Barrady, or Chrysor'rhoas, which derives its source from the foot of Mount Lib'a-nus, eastward. Perhaps the Pharpar is the same with Oron'tes, the most noted river of Syria, which rises a little to the north or north-east of Damascus, 2 Kings v, 12. AB'A-RIM, mountains east of Jordan, over against Jericho, on the northern border of Moab, within the limits of the tribe of Reuben. AB'BA, a Syr'i-ac word, which signifies father. The learned Mr. Selden, from the Babylonian Ge-mar'a, has proved that slaves were not allowed to use the title abba in addressing the master of the family to which they belonged. This may serve to illustrate Rom. viii, 15, and Gal. iv, 6. St. Paul and St. Mark added to it when wri ting to foreigners the explana tion, father. A-BED'NE-GO, the Chaldee name given by the king of Babylon's officer to Azari'ah, one of Daniel's companions, Dan. i, 7. This name imports the servant of Nago, or Nego, which is supposed to signify the sun, or morning star. A'BEL. The second son of Adam and Eve, and born probably in the second or third year of the world, and was killed about the year of the world, 139. A'BEL-MIS'RA-IM, the floor of Atad, beyond the river Jordan, where Joseph, his brethren, and the Egyptians mourned for the death of Jacob, Gen. 1, 11. A'BEL-SHIT TIM, a city situate in the plains of Moab, beyond Jordan, opposite to Jericho. A-BI'A, the same as A-bi'jah, a descendant of Eleazar, son of Aaron, and head of the eighth of the twenty-four companies into which the Jewish priests were divided. A-BI'A-THAR, the tenth high priest among the Jews, and fourth in descent from Eli, 2 Sam. viii, 17. A'BIB, the name of the first Hebrew sacred month, Exod. xiii, 4. This month was afterward called Ni'san; it contained thirty days, and answered to part of our March and April. Abib signifies green ears of corn, or fresh fruits. It was so named he cause corn, particularly bar- | the worship of idols is in ley, was in ear at that time. A-BI'HU, the son of Aaron, the high priest, was consumed, together with his brother Nadab, by fire sent from God, because he had offered incense with strange fire, instead of taking it from the altar, Lev. x, 1, 2. This calamity happened A. M. 2514; within eight days after the consecration of Aaron and his sons. This AB-I-LE'NE, a small province in Cœlo Syria, between Lebanon and Antilibanus. A-BIM'E-LECH. seems to have been the title of the kings of Philistia, as Cæsar was of the Roman emperors, and Pharaoh of the sovereigns of Egypt. It was the name also of one of the sons of Gideon, who became a judge of Israel, Judges ix; and of a Jewish high priest, 1 Sam. xxi, 1. A-BI'RAM, the eldest son of Hiel, the Bethelite. 2. ABIRAM, the son of Eliab, of the tribe of Reuben, was one of those who conspired with Korah and Dathan against Moses in the wilder itself an abominable thing, but likewise because the ceremonies of idolaters were almost always of an infamous and licentious nature. The "abomination of desolation," Matt. xxiv, 15, 16; Mark xiii, 14; without doubt, signifies the ensigns of the Roman armies under the command of Titus, during the last siege of Jerusalem. The images of their gods and emperors were delineated on these ensigns; and the ensigns themselves, especially the eagles, which were carried at the heads of the legions, were objects of worship; and, according to the usual style of Scripture, they were therefore an abomination. In general, whatever is morally or ceremonially impure, or leads to sin, is designated an abomination to God. Thus lying lips are said to be an abomination to the Lord. Every thing in doctrine or practice which tended to corrupt the simplicity of the Gospel is also in Scripture called abominable; hence Babylon is represented, Rev. xvii, 4, as holding in her AB'I-SHAG, a young wo-hand a cup "full of abomiman, a native of Shunam, in nations." In this view, to the tribe of Issachar. "work abomination," is to introduce idolatry, or any other great corruption, into the Church and worship of God, 1 Kings xi, 7. ness. A-BISH'A-I, the son of Zeruiah, David's sister. AB'NER was the uncle of King Saul, and the general of his army. A-BOM-IN-A'TION. This word is applied to idolatry and idols, not only because A'BRAM, and A'BRAHAM, father of a great multitude, the son of Terah, born at Ur, a city of Chaldea. A. M. 2008, only two years was rent in twain, at the AB'SA-LOM, the son of David by Ma'a-chah, daughter of the king of Geshur; distinguished for his fine person, his vices, and his unnatural rebellion. AC'CAD, one of the four cities built by Nimrod, the founder of the As-syr'i-an empire. (See Nimrod.) Gen. x, 10. Thus it appears that Accad was contemporary with Babylon, and was one of the first four great cities of the world. AC-CEPT', to take plea sure in, either in whole or in part. The phrase, to accept the person of any one, is a Hebrew idiom, and signifies, to regard any one with favour or partiality. AC-CESS', free admission, open entrance. Our access to God is by Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, Rom. v, 2; Eph. ii, 18. Under the law, the high priest alone had access into the holiest of all; but when the veil of the temple AC'CHO, a seaport of Palestine, thirty miles south of Tyre, Acts xxi, 7; afterward called Ptol-e-ma'is, and now Akka by the Arabs, and Acre by the Turks. It was given to the tribe of Asher, Judges i, 31. AC-CURS'ED, denotes the cutting off or separating any one from the communion of the Church, the number of the living, or the privileges of society; and also the devoting an animal, city, or other thing to destruction. A-nath'e-ma was a species of excommunication among the Jews, and was often practised after they had lost the power of life and death, against those persons who, according to the Mosaic law, ought to have been executed. Mar-a-na'tha, a Syriac word, signifying the Lord cometh, was added to the sentence to express their persuasion that the Lord God would come to ake vengeance upon that guilt which they, circumstanced as they were, had not the power to punish, 1 Cor. xvi, 22. According to the idiom of the Hebrew language, ac mi, of the tribe of Judah, who having taken a part of the spoils of Jericho, against the injunction of God, who had accursed or devoted the whole city, was, upon being taken by lot, doomed to be cursed and crucified were sy-stoned to death. The whole nonymous terms. By the history is recorded, Joshua Jews every one who died vii. upon a tree was reckoned accursed, Deut. xxi, 23. A-CEL'DA-MA, (A-sel'da-ma,) a piece of ground without the south wall of Jerusalem, on the other side of the brook Silo'am. It was called the Potter's Field, because an earth or clay was dug in it, of which pottery was made. It was likewise called the Fuller's Field, because cloth was dried in it. But it having been afterward bought with the money by which the high priest and rulers of the Jews purchased the blood of Jesus, it was called "Aceldama," or the Field of Blood. A'CHISH, king of Gath, to whom David withdrew from the dominions of Saul. ACH'ME-THA. The same with Ec-bat'a-na, the royal city, Ezra vi, 2. A'CHOR, troubling, a valley between Jericho and A'i. So called from the trouble brought upon the Israelites by the sin of Achan. ACH'ZIB, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean, in the tribe of Ash'er, and one of the cities out of which that tribe did not expel the inhabitants, Judges i, 31. It is situated about ten miles north of Ptol-e-ma'is. ACTS OF THE APOSA-CHA'I-A. This name is TLES. This book, in the used to denote the whole of very beginning, professes itGreece, as it existed as a self to be a continuation of Roman province; or A-cha- the Gospel of St. Luke; and i-a Proper, a district in the its style bespeaks it to be northern part of the Pel-o-written by the same person. pon-ne'-sus, on the bay of Corinth, and in which the city of that name stood. It appears to have been used in the former sense in 2 Cor. xi, 10; and in the latter, in Acts xix, 21. ACHAICUS, (A-kay-ekus,) a native of A-cha'i-a, and disciple of St. Paul. A'CHAN, the son of Car This is the only inspired work which gives us any historical account of the progress of Christianity after our Saviour's ascension. It comprehends a period of about thirty years, but it by no means contains a general history of the Church during that time. The latter part of the book is confined to the history of St. Paul, of whom | of God in which man was St. Luke was the constant made has, by some, been ascompanion for several years. As this account of St. Paul is not continued beyond his two years' imprisonment at Rome, it is probable that this book was written soon after his release, which happened in the year 63; we may therefore consider the Acts of the Apostles as written about the year 64. AD'AM. The manner in which the creation of Adam is narrated indicates something peculiar and eminent in the being to be formed, and which serves to impress us with a sense of the greatness of the work. Every thing as to man's creation is given in a solemn and deliberative form, and contains also an intimation of a trinity of persons in the Godhead, all equally possessed of creative power, and therefore Divine, to each of whom man was to stand in relations the most sacred and intimate: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion," &c. 2. It may be next inquired in what that image of God, in which man was made, consists. It is manifest from the history of Moses, that human nature has two essential constituent parts, the BODY formed out of pre-existing matter, the earth; and a LIVING SOUL, breathed into the body by an inspiration from God. The "image" or likeness signed to the body; by others, to the soul. It has, also. been placed in the circumstance of his having “dominion" over the other crea tures. As to the body, it is not necessary to prove that in no sense can it bear the image of God; that is, be "like" God. Equally unfounded is the notion that the image of God in man consisted in the "dominion" which was granted to him over this lower world. When God is called "the Father of spirits," a likeness is suggested between man and God in the spirituality of their nature. In spirituality, and, consequently, immateriality, this image of God in man, in the first instance, consists. The sentiment expressed in Wisdom ii, 23, is an evidence that, in the opinion of the ancient Jews, the image of God in man comprised immortality also. To these we are to add the intellectual powers, and we have what divines, in perfect accordance with the Scriptures, have called "the NATURAL image of God in his creatures," which is essential and ineffaceable. Man was made capable of knowledge, and he was endowed with li berty of will. This natural image of God was the foundation of that MORAL image by which also man was distinguished. Un |