salem, where was an academy for the instruction of their youth in the Hebrew language, and the law. The history of the Acts informs us, that the Jews of this synagogue were among the warmest opposers of Stephen. Acts vi. 9.

The Jews relate many marvels concerning this city. That their cathedral here, had a double cloistered court walk; that the number of Jews in this city was sometimes double the number that came up out of Egypt; that their worship was magnificent; that each trade sat by itself, so that a stranger might address himself to those of his own occupation, and receive assistance from them, &c.

The city of Alexandria has been rendered famous by modern events; and no Briton can forget the valour of his countrymen, by whom the French, who, under Buonaparte had established themselves in Egypt, were defeated and expelled. The battle of March 21, 1801, was severe and bloody; the English commander-in-chief, General Abercrombie, was killed; as were no less than five French generals, and four thousand of their troops. Alexandria, and with it the whole remaining French force, surrendered to the British arms under the command of Lord Hutchinson, Sept. 2, 1801.

The trophies taken on that occasion now form part of the curiosities in the British Museum; and among them is an immense sarcophagus, which was long an object of veneration at Alexandria; and which has been supposed to be the tomb of Alexander the Great. Could that character be determinately attached thereto, it would certainly be, not only extremely curious-which it is; but absolutely invaluable.]

ALUSH, (lat. 28°. 35'.---long. 33°. 20',) a station of the Israelites in the wilderness. Numb. xxxiii. 13.

AMALEKITES, (lat. 31o. 5'.--long. 34o. 40′,) a powerful people which dwelt in Arabia Petræa, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, or between Havilah and Shur (1 Sam. xv. 7,) perhaps in moving troops. We cannot assign the particular place of their habitation, nor does it appear that they had cities; though one is mentioned, 1 Sam. xv. 5. They lived generally in wandering parties, in caves, or in tents.

The Israelites had scarcely passed the Red Sea, when the Amalekites attacked them in the desert of Rephidim, and slew those who, through fatigue or weakness, lagged behind. Moses, by God's command, directed Joshua to repel this assault; to

AMA

record this act of inhumanity in a book, to perpetuate its remembrance for future vengeance. Joshua attacked the Amalekites and defeated them, while Moses was on the mountain, and, with Aaron and Hur in his company, held up his lifted hands to heaven, A. M. 2513; ante J. c. 1487.

says,

"the

The Benedictine commentator cites Philo, who king of the Amalekites apprehending lest the Israelites might ravage his territories, resolved to prevent them; and putting himself at the head of his troops, he marched to oppose their passage, designing if they shewed an inclination to resist him, to attack them with all his forces." I should have been pleased, if the sacred writer had informed us in this place, what was the number and nature of Amalek's forces. The book of Judith (iv. 13, 14,) in a few words describes the army of the Amalekites as "a formidable one, composed of many horses, and a great number of chariots, the soldiers whereof were furnished with good weapons, and abounding with confidence in their own strength." [This citation is from the Vulgate; for there is no mention of it in the Greek, nor is it inserted in our English translation.]

According to the Scripture mode of expression, Moses needed all the virtue of his rod and his prayers, to defeat so dreadful an enemy; if God had not interfered on behalf of his people, the battle had been lost; the number, valour, and advantage of Amalek's arms, had given them the victory.

Moreover,-victory, which God gives or withholds at his pleasure, had certainly favoured the Amalekites, if Aaron and Hur, who accompanied Moses on the mount, remote from danger, had not supported the extended arms and hands of that legislator. The mystery of this I leave to commentators. The bat tle lasted till the approach of night; for Scripture says, Exod. xvii. 12, "the hands of Moses were steady till the going down of the sun." As the success of this action was the pure work of God, he said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book."

Under the judges (Judg. vi. 3,) we see the Amalekites united with the Midianites and Moabites to oppress Israel, (Judg. iii.) but Ehud delivered Israel from Eglon, and Gideon delivered them from Midian and Amalek.

Many years after, the Lord directed Samuel to say to Saul, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he

came up from Egypt: now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all."

Saul marched therefore against the Amalekites, advanced to their capital, defeated and drove them from Havilah (towards the lower part of the Euphrates,) to Shur (towards the Red Sea) destroying the people: but he spared the best of the cattle and moveables; thereby violating the command of God.

Nevertheless some fugitives escaped for though the Amalekites appear but little more in history, yet, some years after Saul's slaughter of them, a troop of Amalekites pillaged Ziklag, then belonging to David, where he had left his wife and his property. David returning, pursued, overtook and dispersed them, and recovered all the booty which they had carried off. 1 Sam. xxx. 1, 2, &c.

The Arabians maintain, that Amalek was a son of Ham, and grandson of Noah; that he was the father of Ad, and grandfather of Schedad, Part iii. Edit. 4. This opinion is not to be rejected: it is not easy to conceive how Amalek as a people, if only the posterity of the son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau, could be so powerful and numerous as this tribe was, when the Israelites departed out of Egypt. Besides, Moses relates (Gen. xiv. 7) that in Abraham's time, the five confederate kings invaded Amalek's country, about Kadesh; as likewise that of the Amorites, at Hazezon-tamar.

Moses also, Numb. xxiv. 20, relates that Balaam observing from a distance the land of Amalek, said, in his prophetic style, "Amalek is the first (the head, the original,) of the nations, but his end shall be, that he perish for ever." This certainly cannot agree with the Amalekites, if they were so modern; for the generation then living was but the third from Amalek himself, as appears by the following comparative genealogy :

Esau
Eliphaz

Amalek

Jacob
Levy
Kohath

Amran

Aaron.

Moses never reproaches the Amalekites with attacking the Israelites, their brethren; an aggravating circumstance, which he would not have omitted if they had been descended from Esau, and by that descent, brethren to the Israelites. Lastly, we see the Amalekites almost always joined in Scripture with the Canaanites and Philistines, and never with the Edomites;

and when Saul destroyed Amalek, the Edomites neither assisted nor avenged them. It is therefore probable, that the Amalekites, so often mentioned in sacred history, were a people descended from Canaan, and very different from the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau, who perhaps might be but a small tribe, and not conspicuous at the time, if indeed they ever rose to much importance.

The Arabians relate of the Amalek destroyed by Saul, that he was the father of an ancient tribe in Arabia; which contained only Arabians called pure, the remains of which were mingled with the posterity of Jocktan and Adnan, and so became Mosarabes or Mostaarabes, i. e. mixed Arabians, i. e. blended with foreigners. They believe that Goliah, who was overcome by David, was king of the Amalekites, and that the giants who inhabited Palestine in Joshua's time, were of the same race: part of which retired into Africa, while Joshua was living, and settled on the coasts of Barbary; which account has many circumstances very credible.

The son of Amalek was Ad, a celebrated prince among the Arabians. Bibl. Orient. p. 51. Ad. He began stately buildings, and a city, his own residence, and that of the giants in his time. Some make him the son of Uz, and grandson of Aram, the son of Shem. The Mahometans say, Ad was father of an Arabian tribe, called Adites, who were exterminated for not hearkening to the patriarch Eber, who preached the unity of God to them. Ad had two sons, Schedad and Schedid. This is what the Arabians relate of the Amalekites.

[These accounts are, indeed, very imperfect; but on the whole we seem to be warranted in suggesting, (1) that there were more kinds of Amalekites than one: (2) that the tribe which Saul destroyed, might not be very numerous at that time; and that the tract of country mentioned in relation to them was that of their flight, not that of their possession, unless as rovers, or bedoweens: (3) that they were turbulent and violent towards their neighbours, as formerly they had been towards the stragglers of Israel; which accounts why their neighbours were not displeased at their expulsion: (4) that such being their character, they might have produced a war, giving recent cause of offence to Israel; though Scripture only mentions the fulfilment of an ancient prophecy. N. B. Perhaps there never had been peace between the two nations. (5) That Agag, slain by

Samuel, had been extremely cruel; which seems warranted by the expression" and, as thy sword has made mothers childless;" therefore, he met with no more than his just punishment in the death he received.

[We should on this article carefully distinguish the people called Amalekites, Gen. xiv. 7, from the tribe, exterminated, or expatriated, by Saul, 1 Sam. xxx. 1; xiv. 48; xxxvii. 8, in consequence of the anathema, Exod. xvii. 14: and, apparently, both these should be distinguished from the descendants of Eliphaz and Timnah, Gen. xxxvi. 12.

Balaam says, Numb. xxiv. 20, Amalek was the first, or chief, of the nations; i. e. around the country within his view or ken: this agrees with the derivation from Melek, the king or ruler; q. "king's people."

The Arab writers often mention, and glory in, their descent from Amalek; their historians, poets, and commentators on the poets, and genealogists, all boast of this; and down to the very days of Mahomet, many families traced their descent from this progenitor, and prided themselves on the distinction.

Probably the different tribes bearing this name might, in a geographical view, be thus arranged:

1. Amalek, the ancient, Gen. xiv. 7, where the phrase is remarkable," All the country of the Amalekites," which implies a great extent. This people we may place near the Jordan. Numb. xxiv. 20.

2. A tribe in the region east of Egypt; between Egypt and Canaan. Exod. xvii. 8; 1 Sam. xiv. &c.

3. The descendants of Eliphaz.

It was against the second of these that Moses and Joshua fought, Exod. xvii. 8—13, against which tribe perpetual hostility was to be maintained. 1 Sam. xv. 16.

It was also, most probably, to the ancient Amalekites, No. 1, that Balaam alluded, Numb. xxiv. 20, as having been "head of the people;" for the descendants of Esau were very far from answering to this title; in fact, they were but just appearing as a tribe or family. Even at this day, the Arabs distinguish between families of pure Arab blood, and those of mixed descent; but they include the posterity of Ishmael among those of mixed descent, while they reckon the Amalekites by parentage as of pure blood. The posterity of Esau, therefore, could hardly claim privilege above that of Ishmael, either by