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14. Bonfrerius. See ENAIM. ELIA-CAPITOLINA, a name given to Jerusalem, and therefore mentioned here, when the emperor Adrian, about the year of Jesus Christ, 134, settled a Roman colony in it, and entirely banished the Jews, for bidding them on pain of death to continue there. See JERU

SALEM.

This name was given it because Elius, was of Adrian's family; and it was called Capitolina from Jupiter Capitolinus, to whom the city was consecrated, and to whom a temple was built on the spot where Jesus rose from the dead. It went by this name, till the time of the emperor Constantine, when it resumed that of Jerusalem. However, the name Ælia was not long abolished, for it was so called long after Constantine, as may be seen in Greek, Latin, and Mahometan authors. Jerome says that the Jews were now forbid to circumcise their children; he says also that the Jews at this time bought permission of the Roman soldiers to look on Jerusalem, and shed tears over it. Thus the people, who bought Jesus Christ with money, were obliged to pay a price, even for the indulgence of their own tears. Old men and women

loaded with rags and years were seen going up mount Olivet, to lament the ruin of the temple. This sight they purchased very dearly. A marble Venus was set up on Calvary, on the rock where the cross had stood; a marble hog was placed on the gate, which looked toward Bethlehem, a grove was planted in honor of Adonis, to whom was dedicated the cave in which our Savior was born. Notwithstanding the gross indignities offered to these places, consecrated by the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, still they were venerated by Christians, and greatly respected by many of the pagan world. These insulting pollutions of sacred places, were followed with one advantage, they contributed to identify and perpetuate the knowledge of the very places, where those interesting events took place, and to keep them in remembrance for a day of subsequent honors.

EN or AIN a city, first given to the tribe of Judah; but afterwards yielded up to the tribe of Simeon, Josh. xv, 32; 1 Chr. iv, 32. Æn signifies a fountain, and is to be met with in composition in the names of several cities.

AIN-CHARIN, a village of

Palestine, 6 miles from Jeru- settlements, and seized certain

salem.

AFRICA, one of the four quarters of the world, being a peninsula joined to Asia by the narrow isthmus of Suez, and situated between 37 north, and 35 degrees south latitude, and between 18 west and 51 east longitude from London. It is 4320 miles in length, from north to south, and 4200 miles in breadth from east to west. Africa is bounded by the Mediterranean sea, which separates it from Europe on the north, by the isthmus of Suez, the Red Sea, and the Eastern ocean; which divide it from Asia on the east, by the Southern ocean on the south, and by the Atlantic or western ocean, which separates it from America on the west. Africa was principally peopled by Ham and his descendants. Mizraim peopled Egypt. The Pathrusim, the Naphtuhim, the Casluhim, and the Ludim, peopled other parts of the country, the limits of which are not at this day distinctly known. It is thought that many of the Canaanites, being driven out of their country by Joshua, retired into Africa. Sanson in his Index Geographicus, says that Cush and Canaan were not content with their lot, that they sought other

territories belonging to Shem. AGABA, a fortress nearJerusalem.

AGALLA, a city of Pales tine on the east of the Dead Sea in the land of Moab. See ECLAIM.

AGRIPPIAS, a town of Palestine on the Mediterranean, about two miles and a half from Gaza. Herod theGreat gave the town this name in honor of Agrippa his friend, and the favorite of Augustus.

AHAVA, a river of Babylonia, or rather of Assyria, where Ezra (viii, 15) gathered those captives into a body, whom he brought with him into Judea. In this region the Diava, or Adiavana, is now known, on the banks of which Ptolemy places the city of Abane or Aavane. It was common for travellers going from Babylon to Jerusalem, to pro ceed northerly at first to avoid the scorching heat of the Arabian desert, then turning west, they passed through Syria into Palestine. This is probably the country called Ava, 2 Kings xvii, and xviii, and xix, whence the kings of Assyria translated the people called Avites into Palestine, and where in their room, they settled some of the captive Israelites. Ezra de

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signing to collect, as many Israelites as possible, made a halt here, and sent agents into the Caspian mountains, to invite the Jews scattered there, to join him. Ezra viii. Izates, king of the Adiabenians, and his mother Helena, became converts to Judaism after the death of Christ; an argument that Jews still remained in that

country.

AI, or HAI, a town of Canaan, three leagues from Jericho, and one league from Bethel. This place is mentioned in the history of Abram, who both before, and after his going into Egypt, pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai, or Hai. Jerome and Eusebius tell us, that some remains of this place existed in their day. Joshua attacked Ai a second time, took it by stratagem, hung the king, and burned the

town.

AI, a city of Moab, taken and plundered by the Chaldeans. Jer. xlix, 3.

AIN, a city given to the tribe of Simeon.

AIN-CHARIM, a village of Palestine, 6 miles from Je-. rusalem.

AJALON, a city of the tribe of Dan, assigned over to the Levites of Koah's family. It was situated between Timnah and Bethshemesh, and

probably is that spoken of by Joshua, when he said to the moon, (chap. x, 12,) Thou moon stand still in the valley of Ajalon.' But the Danites could never drive out the Amorites from Ajalon. There were three other cities of this name; one was in the tribe of Benjamin, three miles eastward from Bethel; (2 Chr. xi, 10;) another in the tribe of Ephraim, two miles from Shechem, as you go to Jerusalem and to the east of Bethoron; this was a city of refuge; another was in the tribe of Zebulon, the situation of which is not exactly known. Lat. 31, 37.

AKRABBIM, or Acrabathine, a village situate in the south east corner of the tribe of Judah, about nine miles from Neapolis.

ALAMELECH, a city of Canaan in the tribe of Asher.

ALEMA, a great and strong city in the country of Gilead, beyond Jordan. (1 Macc. v, 25. Lat. 32, 7.

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ALEXANDRIA, a celebrated city in Egypt, (Acts xviii, 24 and xxvii, 6.) built by Alexander the great, situated between the Mediterranean and ` the lake Maris. Alexandria is often to be met with in the latin texts of those books in the Old Testament, which

were written before the reign of Alexander, as in Nahum, iii, 8, Jer. xlvi, 25, and Ezek. xxx, 14, 15, 16. But this name is no where in the original Hebrew; instead of which, we there read No, which is thought to be a city of Diospolis in the Delta, between Busiris and Mendesa. The Arabians inform us, that Alexandria was called Caissoun, before Alexander the great, rebuilt or enlarged it. Dinocrates, who prepared the plan of it, was the same architect, who rebuilt the temple of Diana at Ephesus, which had been burnt by Eurostratus, Aridœus, Alexander's brother, was charged with the care of carrying the body of this prince from Babylon to Alexandria. He employed two years in making preparations for its removal, the pomp of which is described by Diodorus Siculus. There had been a prophecy current, intimating that the place where Alexander should be buried, should flourish and be very prosperous. The governors, therefore, of the several cities and provinces, disputed with one another, who should have the honor and advantage of possessing his body. There was a proposal for carrying it to Aigua in Macedonia, where generally the kings

of this country had been buried, but Egypt carried it. His body therefore was deposited first of all at Memphis; but was afterwards removed to Alexandria. It is said to have been laid in a coffin of gold, and to have been embalmed in honey. The happy situation of this city, between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and upon the river Nile, drew thither the commerce of the east and west, and in a little time rendered it one of the most flourishing cities in the world. It soon became the capital of Egypt; though now it is no more than a village, having in it, nothing remarkable, beside its ruins, the remains of its past grandeur. For two hundred years after the death of Alexander, it was the residence of his successors. This city was taken from the Christians by Amrou Ebn-el-Aas, general of the Califf, about the middle of the 7th century, after a siege of 14 months, in which he lost 23,000 men. Alexan. dria then contained 4,000 baths, 12,000 sellers of vegetables, 4,000 palaces and 4,000 Jews, who paid tribute, &c. sometimes the Jews amounted to 100.000, &c.

What is much to be regretted by the lovers of books, the library was destroyed by this ignorant, bigotted Arab, in

which successive kings had collected more than 400,000, or as others write, 700,000, manuscripts, or volumes. Among the remains of ancient opulence in this city, are two obelisks full of hieroglyphics, also Pompey's 'pillar, which is one entire piece of granite, 40 feet high and 25 in circumference. The ancient Pharos, famous among the ancients, as one of the seven wonders of the world, is now a castle, and useful in directing vessels into the harbor. This town consists chiefly of one street, along the harbor, the rest being a waste of forsaken ruins. Part of the ancient walls are standing, having great square towers 200 paces apart. Each of these would contain 200 soldiers, and had a cistern, which received the water of the Nile. The gates are of Thebaic and granite marble. But the immense traffic of this place has in a measure been lost, since its subjugation by the Turks, and especially since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope. Still the comStill the commerce is not inconsiderable; it is the principal harbor of Egypt. The town is low, and a canal from Faoua brings the waters of the Nile, during the inundation into reservoirs, which is preserved for use through the year.

It is said this canal is the only circumstance, which makes Aiexandria a part of Egypt. From its being situated without the Delta, it really belongs to Lybia. Here is still seen the church of St. Mark. They show part of the pulpit in which they say the Evangelist preached. The outside of the church is faced with stones of different colors. The body of St. Mark, who it is said was the first bishop of Alexandria, was deposited in this church, where it continued till some Venetians carried it to Venice, where is a famous church, called called St. Mark's. The population is reckoned at 30,000. The Turks call it Scanderia, or Escanderia. It is 33 miles South West from Rosetta, about 100 north westerly from Cairo, On the 4th of July, 1788 Alexandria was taken by assault, by the French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte; he put to flight the Arabs and Mamelukes, who defended the place, killing about 300 of them. In the year 1801, the place was taken again by the English army under the command of General Hutchinson, and by an article in the preliminaries of peace, Egypt was to be restored to the Sublime Ottoman Porte. Alexan

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