ARUBBOTH

hoped, have been overlooked. Most of the remaining employments will be found under their own (e.g. Re-corder, Scribe) or kindred titles, as 'merchant' under Trade, 'physician' under Medicine, etc.

10. Two general characteristics. — This article may fitly close with a brief reference to two characteristics of all the more important handicrafts and employments. The first is still a feature of Eastern cities, namely, the grouping of the members of the same craft in one street or quarter of the city, to which they gave their name. Thus we find in Jerusalem, as has been noted, 'the bakers' street,' 'the fullers' field,' and 'the cheese-makers' valley,' to which should perhaps be added ' the valley of craftsmen' CNeh W^). Josephus mentions a smiths' bazaar, a wool-market, and a clothes-market In the Jerusalem of his day (BJ v. viii. 1).

The second point to be noted is the evidence that the members of the various crafts had already formed themselves into associations or guilds. Thus we read in Nehemiah of a ' son of the apothecaries,' i.e. a member of the guild of perfumers (3"), and of 'a son of the gold-smiths' (3"). Cf. Ezr 2" 'the sons of the porters' and the familiar ' sons of the prophets.' In 1 Ch 4siff • there is mention of similar associations of linenweavers and potters, for which see Macalister, 'The Craftsmen's Guild,' etc. PEFSt, 1905, 243 ff. • The expression ' sons of to denote membership of an association goes back to the days when trades were hereditary in particular families. A guild of silversmiths is attested for Ephesus (Ac 19^). For the probable earnings of artizans among the Jews see Wages.

A. R. S. Kennedy.

ARUBBOTH. — An unknown district, probably in S.W. Palestine (1 K 4'").

ABtnSAH. — The place of refuge of Abimelech (Jg 9"), perhaps el-'Ormeh, 6 miles S.E. of NaUus (Shechem). E. W. G. Masterman.

ARVAD (modern (RuwSd) was the most important of the northerly cities of Phoenicia. It was built on an island 70 miles north of Beyrout — a sort of second Tyre, with another town on the mainland opposite. In Ezk 27'- " it is named as furnishing oarsmen for the galleys of Tyre and warriors for its defence. In the ethnological list of Gn 10" (1 Ch l'«) it is mentioned among the chief settlements of the Canaanites or Phoenicians. Throughout antiquity it was a place of renown for trade and general enterprise, ranking next to Tyre and Sidon. It is the Aradus of 1 Mac 12".

J. F. McCurdy.

ABZA. — Prefect of the palace at Tirzah, in whose house King Elah was assassinated by Zimri at a carouse (1 K 16»).

ARZAEETH (2 Es 13«).— A region beyond the river from which the ten tribes are to return. It became the subject of many later Jewish legends concerning the Sabbatic River beyond which the lost tribes were to be found — variously identified with the Oxus and the Ganges.

ASA . — 1 . The third king of Judah after the disruption, succeeding Abijah. Since his mother's name is given as the same with that of Abijah's mother, some have supposed the two kings to have been brothers. But there may be some mistake in the text. Asa is praised by the Biblical writer for his reUgious zeal, which led him to reform the worship, and even to depose his mother from her place of influence at court because of her idolatrous practices. Politically he took a mistaken course when he submitted to Benhadad of Damascus to secure his aid against Baasha of Israel, who had captured Ramah. The Temple treasures were sent to Benhadad, who thereupon invaded Israel, and Baasha was com-pelled to evacuate the threatening fortress (1 K 15'"). The Chronicler (2 Ch 149^) credits Asa with a victory over an enormous force of Ethiopians. 2. A Levite (1 Ch 9'=). H. P. Smith.

ASCENSION

ASADIAS (' J" is kind,' cf. 1 Ch 3M).— An ancestor of Baruch (Bar 1>).

A8AHEL. — 1. The youngest son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and the brother of Joab and Abishai. He was famous for his swiftness of foot, a much valued gift in ancient times. He was one of David's thirty heroes, probably the third of the second three (2 S 23^"). He was also commander of a division in David's army (1 Ch 27'). He was slain by Abner (2 S 2^»-^). 2. A Levite, who taught the peoplein the reign of Jehoshaphat (2 Ch 17"). 3. A subordinate collector of offerings and tithes in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Ch 31"). 4. Father of Jonathan, who opposed Ezra's action in connexion with the divorce of foreign wives (Ezr lO's).

ASAIAH (' J" hath made'). — 1. One of the deputation sent by Josiah to consult Huldah the prophetess, 2 K 2212" (AVAsahiah), 2Ch342». 2. Oneof theSimeonite princes who attacked the shepherds of Gedor, 1 Ch i". 3. A Merarite who took part in bringing the ark to Jeru-salem, 1 Ch 65» 156". 4. The first-born of the Shilonites, 1 Ch gs; called in Neh 11' Maaseiah.

ASANA (1 Es 5''). — His descendants were among the 'temple servants' or Nethinim who returned with Zerubbabel; called Asnah in Ezr 2^° [Neh. omits].

ASAPH ('gatherer').—!. The father of Joah, the 'recorder' or chronicler at the court of Hezekiah (2 K 18i>- " etc.). 2. The 'keeper of the king's forest,' to whom king Artaxerxes addressed a letter directing him tosupply Nehemiah with timber (Neh 2'). 3. AKorah-ite (1 Ch 26'), same as Abiasaph (wh. see). 4. The eponym of one of the three guilds which conducted the musical services of the Temple in the time of the Chron-icler (1 Ch 15 '6f- etc.). The latter traces this arrange-ment to the appointment of David, in whose reign Asaph, who is called ' the seer' (2 Ch 29'"), is supposed to have lived. At first the Asaphites alone seemed to have formed the Temple choir, and in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (wherever we have the memoirs of the latter in their original form) they are not yet reckoned among the Lemtes. At a later period they share the musical service with the 'sons of Korah' (see Kobahites). Pss 50 and 73-83 have the superscription le-Asaph, which means in all probability that they once belonged to the hymn-book of the Asaphite choir (see Psalms).

ASABA (1 Es 5^'). — His sons were among the Temple servants or Nethinim who returned under Zerubbabel: omitted in the parallel lists in Ezr. and Neh.

ASABAMEL (AV Saramel). — A name whose meaning Is quite uncertain (1 Mac 1428). See RVm.

ASAREL (AV Asareel).— A son of Jehallelel (1 Ch 4").

ASBASABETH (1 Es 56').— A king of Assyria, prob-ably a corrupt form of the name Eearhaddon, which is found in the parallel passage Ezr 4?. The AV form Azbazareth comes from the Vulgate.

ASCALON. — See Ashkelon.

ASCENSION.— The fact of our Lord's Ascension is treated very scantily in the Synoptic Gospels. From Mt. it is entirely omitted. In the appendix to Mk. the words in which it is stated are rather the formula of a creed than the narrative of an event (Mk 16"). Lk. is somewhat more circumstantial, and, though the chronology is uncertain, mentions the journey to the neighbourhood of Bethany and the disappearance of Christ in the act of blessing, together with the return of the disciples to Jerusalem (Lk 24si'-«2). The narrative, meagre as it is, is not Inconsistent with, and may even presuppose, the events recorded at greater length in Acts (l»-'2). Here we learn that the scene was more precisely the Mount of Olives (v."); that the final conversation, to which allusion is possibly made in Mk 16", concerned the promise of the Holy Spirit (vv.'-') ; and that the Ascension, so far as it was an event and therefore a subject of testimony, took the

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