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•ARAUNAH agile; also called Ornan 1 Chronicles 21:15, a Jebusite who dwelt in Jerusalem before it was taken by the Israelites. The destroying angel, sent to punish David for his vanity in taking a census of the people, was stayed in his work of destruction near a threshing-floor belonging to Araunah which was situated on Mount Moriah. Araunah offered it to David as a free gift, together with the oxen and the threshing instruments; but the king insisted on purchasing it at its full price (2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Chronicles 21:24, 25), for, according to the law of sacrifices, he could not offer to God what cost him nothing. On the same place Solomon afterwards erected the temple (2 Samuel 24:16; 2 Chronicles 3:1). (See ALTAR.)
•ARBA four, a giant, father of Anak. From him the city of Hebron derived its name of Kirjath-arba, i.e., the city of Araba (Joshua 14:15; 15:13; 21:11; Genesis 13:18; 23:2). (See HEBRON.)
•ARBATHITE a name given to Abi-albon, or, as elsewhere called, Abiel, one of David’s warriors (2 Samuel 23:31; 1 Chronicles 11:32), probably as being an inhabitant of Arabah (Joshua 15:61), a town in the wilderness of Judah.
•ARCH an architectural term found only in Ezekiel 40:16, 21, 22, 26, 29. There is no absolute proof that the Israelites employed arches in their buildings. The arch was employed in the building of the pyramids of Egypt. The oldest existing arch is at Thebes, and bears the date B.C. 1350. There are also still found the remains of an arch, known as Robinson’s Arch, of the bridge connecting Zion and Moriah. (See TYROPOEON VALLEY.)
•ARCHANGEL (1Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9), the prince of the angels.
•ARCHELAUS ruler of the people, son of Herod the Great, by Malthace, a Samaritan woman. He was educated along with his brother Antipas at Rome. He inherited from his father a third part of his kingdom viz., Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, and hence is called “king” (Matthew 2:22). It was for fear of him that Joseph and Mary turned aside on their way back from Egypt. Till a few days before his death Herod had named Antipas as his successor, but in his last moments he named Archelaus.