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Bible Encyclopedias
Ava
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Hebrews Avva', עִוָּא, ruin; Sept. Αουά, 2 Kings 17:24), also IVAH (Hebrews Ivvah', עִוָּה, same signif.; Sept. Ἀουά, 2 Kings 18:34; 2 Kings 19:13; but in Isaiah 37:13, unites with the preceding word, Ἀναεγγουγαυά v. r. Ἀναγουγάυα ), the capital of a small monarchical state conquered by the Assyrians, and from which King Shalmaneser sent colonies into Samaria. The early Jewish translators (Symmachus and the Targums) understand it as a mere appellative; but it is associated with other proper names as a city. Some take it for the river, or rather the town which gave name to the river Ahava of Ezra 8:21 (Bellermann, Handbuch, 3, 374); but this name is quite different in the Hebrews (אְהִוָא ). Iken (Dissertt. Philol. Theolog. p. 152) would identify it with the Phoenician town Avatha, mentioned in the Notitia Vet. Dignitatum Imper. Romans (but the reading here is rather doubtful, see Reland, Palaest. p. 232 sq.); or with the town of Abeje, between Beirut and Sidon, which Paul Lucas mentions as the seat of a Druse prince. Michaelis supposes it to be the land of the Avites between Tripoli and Beirut, because they are described as worshippers of Nibhaz (2 Kings 17:31), an idol which he compares with the great stone dog that formerly stood in that quarter, on which account the Lycus obtained its name of Nahr el-Kelb, Dog River (comp. Mannert, VI, 1:380). This, however, rests upon a confusion of the Avim of 2 Kings 17:31, with those of Deuteronomy 2:23; Joshua 13:3. (See AVITE). Avva or Ivvah was doubtless a city of Mesopotamia, in the region indicated by the associated names (Babylon, Cuth, Hamath, Sepharvaim), perhaps somewhere farther east, in the direction of the classical Aria.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Ava'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/a/ava.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
