the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to learn more!
Bible Encyclopedias
Kirjath-Arba
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Hebrew Kiryath'- Aba', אִרְבִּע קרְיִת , city of Arba; Sept. πόλις Ἀρβόκ, Genesis 23:2; Judges 14:15; Judges 15:13; Judges 20:7; Καριαθαρβόκ , Joshua 21:11; Judges 1:10; πόλις τοῦ πεδίου, Genesis 35:27; once with the art. קַרְיִת הָאִרְבִּע, Kiryath'-ha-Arba'; Septuag. Καριαθαρβό v. r. Καριαθαρβόκ, Nehemiah 11:25; Auth. Vers. " city of Arba," in Genesis 35:27; Joshua 15:13; Joshua 21:11), the ori alame fHrnc, in the mountains of Judah, so called from its founder, one of the Anakim, and inhabited under the same name after the exile. Hengstenberg, however, thinks that Hebron was the earlier name, and Kirjath-Arba only was imposed by the Canaanites (Beitr. 3:187). Sir John AMandevillo (cir. 1322) found it still " called by the Saracens Karicarba, and by the Jews Arbotha" (Early Travels, p. 161), It is a Jewish gloss (first mentioned by Jerome) which interprets the latter part of the name ( אִרְבִּע arba, Heb. "four") as referring to the four great meil buried there (the saints Adam, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; so the Talmud, see Keil. ad loc.; or the giants Anak, Ahiman, Sheshai, and Tolmai, according to Bochart, Canan, i, 1).
These files are public domain.
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Kirjath-Arba'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/k/kirjath-arba.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
