Bible Dictionary: Arbela

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ARBELA

ar-be'-la (en Arbelois): This place is mentioned in 1 Maccabees 9:1, and in Ant, XII, xi, 1, describing the march and encampment of Bacchides. The former says that "Demetrius sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea. who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it they slew much people." Josephus says that Bacchides "marched out of Antioch and came into Judea and pitched his camp at Arbela, a city of Galilee, and having besieged and taken those that were there in caves (for many people fled into such places) he removed and made all the haste he could to Jerusalem." It was from the caves near the village of Arbela in Galilee that Herod dislodged the robbers (Ant., XIV, xv, 4; BJ, I, xvi, 2). Josephus fortified the caves of Arbela in lower Galilee (Vita, 37), "near the lake of Gennesar" (BJ, II, xx, 6). The references in Josephus point plainly to the caves in the cliff forming the south wall of the tremendous gorge of Wady el-Chamam which opens on the plain of Gennesaret, west of the village el-Mejdel. A series of these caves, skillfully adapted to purposes of refuge and defense, is still known as Qal`at ibn Ma`an, "fortress of the son of Ma`an." On the height above stand the ruins of Irbid or Irbil (both forms are heard today), which unquestionably represent the Arbela of Josephus. The army from Antioch may quite well have come this way. No name however in the least resembling Masaloth has been recovered in this district. We may mention Robinson's suggestion (BR, II, 398, note), that it may stand for the Hebrew mecilloth, "steps, stories, terraces," and may apply to the fortress in the rocks.

On the other hand the writer of 1 Maccabees is an earlier authority than Josephus. If we accept his guidance, Bacchides must have crossed the plain of Esdraelon and followed the main highway southward through Samaria. Galgala may then be identified with Jiljilia, about 8 miles North of Bethel, and Masaloth with Meselieh, about 3 miles Southeast of Dothan. Onomasticon mentions an Arbela in the great plain, 9 miles from Legio (Lejun), but it is now unknown. The phrase en arbelois might mean that Masaloth was in the district of Arbela; but there is no trace of this name as attaching to any tract in this neighborhood.

One or other of these routes must have been taken. While no certain decision can be reached, special weight attaches to the statement of Josephus, on account of his acquaintance with the localities in the region, and his unquestionable familiarity with the history. See also BETH-ARBEL.

W. Ewing

Library

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... and the conquest of the Asianic peninsula"Issus, the siege of Tyre and of Gaza,
the conquest of Egypt, the foundation of Alexandria"Arbela: the conquest of ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of.htm

The Invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon.
... all the rest. In the case of Hannibal it was the battle of Cannae, in that
of Alexander the battle of Arbela. Caesar's great conflict ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xi the invasion of.htm

The Setting
... It penetrated Mesopotamia to Edessa and Arbela and reached as far west as the
interior of Spain, and perhaps the southern coast of Britain. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/richardson/early christian fathers/the setting.htm

Now, in a Few Days, those Ambassadors whom He had Sent...
... When I had gotten these letters, I came to the village Arbela, where I procured
an assembly of the Galileans to meet, and bid the ambassadors declare to them ...
/.../josephus/the life of flavius josephus/section 60 now in a.htm

Now There was one Joseph, the Son of a Female Physician...
... I also fortified, in the Lower Galilee, the cities Tarichee, Tiberias, Sepphoris,
and the villages, the cave of Arbela, Bersobe, Selamin, Jotapata, Capharecho ...
/.../josephus/the life of flavius josephus/section 37 now there was.htm

Herod Takes Sepphoris and Subdues the Robbers that were in the ...
... Accordingly, he sent beforehand three cohorts of footmen, and one troop of horsemen,
to the village Arbela, and came himself forty days afterwards [24] with ...
/.../chapter 16 herod takes sepphoris.htm

That Bacchides was Again Sent Out against Judas; and How Judas ...
... that was with him, he sent Bacchides again with an army into Judea, who marched
out of Antioch, and came into Judea, and pitched his camp at Arbela, a city of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 11 that bacchides was.htm

How Herod Sailed Out of Italy to Judea, and Fought with Antigonus ...
... They were very near to a village called Arbela; and on the fortieth day after, he
came himself with his whole army: and as the enemy sallied out boldly upon him ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 how herod sailed.htm

Jesus at Capernaum.
... [Footnote 1: Matthew 4:13; Luke 4:31.]. [Footnote 2: At Tell-Houm, Irbid (Arbela),
Meiron (Mero), Jisch (Giscala), Kasyoun, Nabartein, and two at Kefr-Bereim.]. ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter viii jesus at capernaum.htm

The Synagogue.
... of eleven or more ancient synagogues still exist in Palestine (all in Galilee) at
Tell-Hum (Capernaum), Kerazeh (Chorazin), Meiron, Irbid (Arbela), Kasyun, Umm ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 51 the synagogue.htm

Thesaurus

Arbela
...ARBELA. ar-be'-la (en Arbelois): This place is mentioned in 1 Maccabees 9:1, and
in Ant, XII, xi, 1, describing the march and encampment of Bacchides. ...
/a/arbela.htm - 9k

Mesaloth
... mes'-a-loth (Messaloth, Maisaloth): A place mentioned in the account of the march
of Bacchides and Alcimus into Judah, as "in Arbela" (1 Maccabees 9:2). If ...
/m/mesaloth.htm - 6k

Beth-arbel (1 Occurrence)
... of that name on the Euphrates, then probably it should be identified either with
Irbid (or Irbil) in Galilee, or with Irbid, which corresponds to Arbela of the ...
/b/beth-arbel.htm - 8k

Betharbel (1 Occurrence)
... of that name on the Euphrates, then probably it should be identified either with
Irbid (or Irbil) in Galilee, or with Irbid, which corresponds to Arbela of the ...
/b/betharbel.htm - 8k

Galgala
... The word occurs in APC 1Macc 9:2 in connection with Arbela, in Galilee-"The
way to Galgala"-but it is doubtful which Gilgal is meant. ...
/g/galgala.htm - 6k

Belshazzar (8 Occurrences)
... It is possible that this second Nabundid was the king who was killed by Cyrus, when
he crossed the Tigris above Arbela in the 9th year of Nabunaid his father ...
/b/belshazzar.htm - 16k

Astoreth
... Tammuz, was followed by the cessation of marriage and birth in both earth and heaven,
while the temples of the goddess at Nineveh and Arbela, around which the ...
/a/astoreth.htm - 10k

Astarte (2 Occurrences)
... Tammuz, was followed by the cessation of marriage and birth in both earth and heaven,
while the temples of the goddess at Nineveh and Arbela, around which the ...
/a/astarte.htm - 11k

Arbite (1 Occurrence)

/a/arbite.htm - 7k

Ashtoreth (3 Occurrences)
... Tammuz, was followed by the cessation of marriage and birth in both earth and heaven,
while the temples of the goddess at Nineveh and Arbela, around which the ...
/a/ashtoreth.htm - 14k

Subtopics

Arbela

Related Terms

Mesaloth

Beth-arbel (1 Occurrence)

Betharbel (1 Occurrence)

Galgala

Belshazzar (8 Occurrences)

Astoreth

Astarte (2 Occurrences)

Arbite (1 Occurrence)

Ashtoreth (3 Occurrences)