a form of Hebrew and a dialect of Aramaic.—See HEBREW.

ARAM-MAACAH

See ARAM No. 5.

ARAM-NAHARAIM

See ARAM No. 5.

ARAM-ZOBAH

See ARAM No. 5.

ARAN

(Aʹran) [mountain goat].

A son of Sheik Dishan and descendant of Seir the Horite.—Gen. 36:20, 28; 1 Chron. 1:42.

ARARAT

(Arʹa·rat) [holy ground, highlands].

The name applied to a region and also to a mountain range in what is now eastern Turkey, lying close to the borders of Iran and the U.S.S.R.

Following the flood, Noah’s ark settled on the “mountains of Ararat.” (Gen. 8:4) In the reign of King Hezekiah, it was to the “land of Ararat” that Sennacherib’s sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, fled after murdering their father. (2 Ki. 19:37; Isa. 37:38) Jeremiah foretold that Ararat would be among the “kingdoms” to come up against Babylon at the time of her destruction in the sixth century B.C.E. (Jer. 51:27) These latter Scriptural references indicate a land N of Assyria. Eusebius and Jerome and the majority of other early Christian writers considered Ararat as equivalent to Armenia, and the Septuagint and Vulgate translations so represent it. Numerous Assyrian inscriptions from the reigns of Ashurnasirpal II, Shalmaneser, Tiglath-pileser III, and Sargon in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.E. make reference to Ararat as “Urartu.” An inscription of Esar-haddon, another son of Sennacherib and successor to the Assyrian throne, says that he defeated his parricidal brothers’ armies at Hanigalbat, in the area of Armenia. On the basis of these inscriptions and the association by Jeremiah of Ararat with the kingdoms of Minni and Ashkenaz, it appears that the land of Ararat was centered on the mountainous region of Lake Van in ancient Armenia, with the headwaters of the Tigris River to the S and the Caucasus Mountains to the N.

The name Ararat is specifically applied to the culminating mountain of this region and it is the traditional resting-place of Noah’s ark. There are two conical peaks about seven miles (11.3 kilometers) apart and separated by a deep depression. The higher of the peaks rises some 16,946 feet (5,165 meters) above sea level and is covered with perpetual snow for the last 3,000 feet (914 meters) up to its summit. The lower peak, to the SE, is 12,840 feet (3,913 meters) above sea level. The loftier peak is of particularly difficult ascent and was first ascended by Parrot in 1829. Many place-names in the region recall the Biblical account. Mount Ararat itself is called by the Turks Aghri Dagh (Mount of the Ark) and by the Persians Kuhi—Nuh (Noah’s Mountain).—See ARK No. 1.

ARAUNAH

(A·rauʹnah) [meaning uncertain].

The Jebusite owner of the threshing floor purchased by King David for building an altar to Jehovah. This action resulted as the divinely indicated means of ending a scourge provoked by David’s numbering the people.—2 Sam. 24:16-25; 1 Chron. 21:15-28.

Araunah apparently offered the place, along with cattle and wood implements for the sacrifice, without charge, but David insisted on paying a price. The record at 2 Samuel 24:24 shows that David purchased the threshing floor and the cattle for fifty silver shekels (about $23.75). However, the account at 1 Chronicles 21:25 speaks of David’s paying 600 gold shekels (about $7,732.20) for the site. The writer of Second Samuel deals only with the purchase as it relates to the altar location and the materials for the sacrifice then made, and it thus appears that the purchase price referred to by him was restricted to these things. On the other hand, the writer of First Chronicles discusses matters as relating to the temple later built on the site and associates the purchase with that construction. (1 Chron. 22:1-6; 2 Chron. 3:1) Since the entire temple area was very large, it appears that the sum of 600 gold shekels applies to the purchase of this large area rather than to the small portion needed for the altar first built by David.

A natural stone scarp still exists today under the Muslim “Dome of the Rock” occupying part of the original temple site and this stone may represent the early threshing floor of Araunah.

In the Chronicles record Araunah is called Ornan.—1 Chron. 21:18-28; 2 Chron. 3:1.

ARBA

(Arʹba) [four or fourfold].

He is called the “father” or “great man” of the Anakim and appears to have been the founder of Kiriath-arba (city of Arba or fourfold city), later called Hebron. (Josh. 14:15; 15:13; 21:11) Some consider “Anak” as a name applying to the giant race descended from Arba rather than as the personal name of Arba’s son and thus view Arba as the actual progenitor of the Anakim.—See ANAK; ANAKIM.

ARBATHITE

(Arʹbath·ite).

One belonging to the wilderness city of Beth-arabah (Josh. 15:61), a city situated near Jericho in the District of the Jordan Valley. (Josh. 18:21, 22) One of David’s mighty men of war, Abi-albon or Abiel, was an Arbathite.—2 Sam. 23:8, 31; 1 Chron. 11:10, 32.

ARBEL

(Arʹbel).

A “house” (“Beth-arbel,” AT, JB, RS) despoiled at some unspecified time by Shalman. (Hos. 10:14) It is usually linked with modern Irbid, located about eighteen miles (29 kilometers) E-SE of the Sea of Galilee, hence in Gilead. Some scholars, however, attempt to connect Biblical Arbel with “Arbela” in Galilee, referred to in the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees (9:2, JB).

ARBITE

(Arʹbite).

A native of the city of Arab, located near Hebron in the mountainous region of Judah. Paarai, one of David’s mighty men, was an Arbite.—2 Sam. 23:8, 35.

ARCHAELOGY

(Gr., ar·khai·o·lo·giʹa, speaking of ancient things).

Biblical archaeology is the study of the peoples and events of the Bible through the intriguing record buried in the earth. The archaeologist digs up and analyzes rock, ruined walls and buildings, and shattered cities, uncovers pottery, clay tablets, written inscriptions, tombs and other ancient remains or “artifacts” from which he gleans information. Such studies often improve understanding of the circumstances under which the Bible was written and under which ancient men of faith lived, as well as the languages they, and the peoples around them, employed. They have expanded our knowledge of all the regions touched by the Bible: Palestine, Egypt, Persia, Assyria, Babylon, Asia Minor, Greece and Rome.

Considerable background information has been gained that aids in the understanding of Biblical references to many facets of life: the family, children, clothing, homes, climate, vegetation, animals, crops, trade relations, national groups and religious customs. Of considerable benefit has been the identification of the geographical locations of cities, towns and places mentioned in the Bible history. Archaeology reveals much about the depraved religion of the Canaanite peoples. It vividly illustrates the pagans’ belief in immortality of the human soul. It confirms the Bible’s picture of ancient Palestine as being ruled by numerous local kings, constantly at war with one another. It has uncovered Assyrian reliefs that show how Semites dressed, and it contributes toward our visualizing life in Jacob’s day, Elisha’s time, and during Christ’s ministry.

Archaeological discoveries have refuted many allegations