Most Holy, this to benefit Israel’s nonpriestly tribes. (Lev. 16:15) Similarly, the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ also benefits mankind aside from priestly spiritual Israel. Two goats were needed, for just one goat could not serve as a literal sacrifice and still be used to carry away the sins of Israel, as in the case of the goat for Azazel. Both goats were referred to as one sin offering (Lev. 16:5) and the animals were treated similarly until the casting of lots over them, which tends to indicate that together they could form one symbol. Not only was Jesus Christ sacrificed; he also carries away the sins of those for whom he died sacrificially.

The apostle Paul demonstrated that, while it was not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins, God prepared a body for Jesus (which he showed a willingness to sacrifice when presenting himself for baptism), and, according to the divine will, Christ’s followers “have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Heb. 10:1-10) As the remains of the bodies of the bull and the goat offered on the day of atonement were finally burned outside the camp of Israel, the apostle notes that Christ suffered (being impaled) outside the gate of Jerusalem.—Heb. 13:11, 12.

Hence it is evident that, while the Jewish atonement day did not produce complete and permanent removal of sin even for Israel, the various features of that annual celebration were typical in character. They foreshadowed the grand atonement made for sins by Jesus Christ, the ‘high priest whom Christians confess.’—Heb. 3:1; see ATONEMENT; RANSOM.

ATROTH-BETH-JOAB

(Atʹroth-beth-joʹab) [crowns of the house of Joab].

A name appearing among the “sons of Salma” in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah. (1 Chron. 2:54) Commentators generally consider this to be the name of a town in Judah, pointing to the inclusion of such names as Kiriath-jearim, Beth-gader, Bethlehem and others in these genealogies. However, the mere correspondency of a name with that of a town is not a certain indication that the town is referred to, since there are numerous instances of persons and towns bearing the same name. Nevertheless, the form or meaning of certain names in the genealogies does seem to be of a geographical nature rather than a personal one. The solution may rest in the view held by many scholars that it is more precisely to the inhabitants of the town that reference is made, rather than to the geographical site itself. Thus, the expression “father of” in certain occurrences is understood to mean the “founder of” or “chief settler of” the particular population dwelling in the place indicated.

It may be noted that the word “father” appears in the original Hebrew at Genesis 4:20, 21 but in some translations is rendered “ancestor” (AT; JB) or “founder” (NW). Hebrew lexicons include among the possible meanings of the Hebrew term “father” that of “ruler, chief” (Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 3), “forefather, ancestor of tribe, nation . . . of a place . . . founder of a class or station, . . . of a trade . . . founder, chief magistrate of a place . . . ” (Koehler and Baumgartner, Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, p. 1).—Compare Isaiah 22:20-22.

ATROTH-SHOPHAN

(Atʹroth-shoʹphan) [crowns of Shophan]. 1

A city rebuilt by the tribe of Gad from among those captured from the realms of Kings Sihon and Og. (Num. 32:33, 35) A suggested location is that of Rujm ʽAtarus, about one and a half miles (2.4 kilometers) NE of the site of Ataroth, this identification being based on a presumed relationship with the latter city. Others, however, consider it likely to have been located farther N in the same area as Jazer and Jogbehah, mentioned after Atroth-shophan.

ATTAI

(Atʹtai) [timely].

1. Grandson of Sheshan, a descendant of Judah through Hezron. Sheshan had daughters only, one of whom he gave in marriage to his Egyptian slave Jarha, who fathered Attai. In turn Attai was the father of Nathan.—1 Chron. 2:25, 34-36.

2. One of the eleven valiant Gadites who crossed the overflowing Jordan to join David’s army in the wilderness.—1 Chron. 12:8, 11-15.

3. Second of the four sons that Rehoboam’s favorite wife Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom, bore to him. Attai was therefore grandson of Solomon and brother of King Abijah (Abijam).—2 Chron. 11:20, 21.

ATTALIA

(At·ta·liʹa).

At the close of Paul’s first missionary tour he embarked from the seaport town of Attalia on the coast of Pamphylia in Asia Minor, heading for Antioch in Syria, about three hundred miles (480 kilometers) distant.—Acts 14:24-26.

Attalia, modern Antalya, was founded by Attalus II, king of Pergamos (159-138 B.C.E.), at the mouth of the Cataractes River. It became the chief port of the province of Pamphylia, serving as an outlet for the rich interior region of SW Phrygia and being the natural point of embarkation from central Asia Minor to Syria and Egypt. Originally the port for the nearby city of Perga, which lies a few miles inland, Attalia had displaced that city in importance in apostolic times.

ATTITUDES AND GESTURES

The Scriptures richly abound in references to forms of posture and gestures, the descriptions in the Bible being sufficient to show that they were much the same as those practiced in the Middle East today. These Orientals are considerably more demonstrative and less inhibited in the expression of their feelings than are many of the Western peoples. Either accompanied by words or without words, attitudes and gestures carried considerable force and meaning.

PRAYER AND HOMAGE

Standing. Among the Hebrews and many of the other nations mentioned in the Bible there was no set form of posture for prayer. All the attitudes assumed were highly respectful. Standing was a common posture. Jesus spoke of this position for prayer. (Mark 11:25) Jesus was evidently standing immediately after being baptized and was praying when the heaven was opened up and the holy spirit in bodily shape like a dove came down upon him, God’s own voice speaking from the heavens.—Luke 3:21, 22.

Kneeling was a common attitude of prayer. Jesus himself knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Luke 22:41) In representing the nation of Israel in prayer Solomon knelt at the inauguration of the temple. (1 Ki. 8:54) While many of the instances in the Bible use the word “knees” in the plural, it may be that at times a person would kneel upon one knee, as is done sometimes by modern Orientals.—Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; Eph. 3:14.

Bowing. The Jews, wherever they were found, when worshiping turned their faces toward the city of Jerusalem and its temple. (1 Ki. 8:42, 44; Dan. 6:10) In Ezekiel’s vision he saw twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, bowing with their faces toward the E. (Ezek. 8:16) Temples of the sun worshipers were built in such a manner that the entrance was on the W side, making the worshipers face E on entering. But the temple of Jehovah was built with the entrance in the E so that the worshipers of Jehovah there turned their backs on the place of the rising of the sun.

Extending the arms. In both the postures of standing and kneeling, the palms of the hands would sometimes be spread out to the heavens or the hands would be lifted up or extended forward as in supplication. (1 Ki. 8:22; 2 Chron. 6:13; Neh. 8:6) The face would sometimes be uplifted (Job 22:26), or