156
ARNA
AROM
naiy nmnerical sense in 2 K 13', where it is said that the Israelite army was reduced by Syrian ravages to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 infantry.
The existence of two reckonings side by side, one based on the numerical Sense of 'thousand,' the other on its territorial sense, is not a serious difficulty. To an Oriental, numbers are important only either when they are sacred numbers of mystic meaning, or when it is necessary to indicate generally the relative proportions of tilings.
The example set by Saul of gathering picked warriors round him was followed by David, who on his accession already had a band of some GOO armed vassals. At the time of Absalom's revolt David's guard must have grown in number, if we rightly read 2 S 15^' to mean that the Gittites belonging to it amounted by themselves to 600, without reckoning the numbers of the Cherethites and Pelethites. The strength of the whole guard may be guessed from the fact that Ahithophel thought it necessary to take 12,000 chosen men to ensure success in his proposed pur- suit of Da\'id (2 S 17')-
ii. Officers. — After the host was collected under its commander, some organisation had to be given to it. Captains of ' thousands ' and ' hundreds ' had to be appointed. The army ' was numbered,' or, according to the Heb., 'appointed officers over itself (nppnn Jg 20"'). Two results were gained. Officers were appointed under the eye and influence of the commander over thousands and hundreds ; and, secondly, the com- mander learnt the number of these tactical units, ' thousands ' or ' hundreds,' under his com- mand. Besides these ' regimental ' officers, one or more officers bearing the title of ' scribe ' were attached to the army in the field to aid in its organi- sation, to serve as provost-marshals, and to make » list of the booty taken ( Jg 5" and 1 Mac 5").
iiL Arms. — In the earliest days, no doubt, each man brought his own arms, for we hear of no store of arms till after the establishment of the kingdom (see ARMS). There is nothing to show that the Israelites had horses and chariots until after Saul's day. An Israelite army in the time of the Judges was probably a crowd of men carry- ing bows, slings, and rustic weapons, such as clubs and oxgoads (Jg 5», 1 S IS^^). Though individu- ally equal in valour, they were probably far inferior in armament to a people like the Philistines, who were sufficiently advanced in the art of war to possess chariots, swords, and spears, and perhaps an organised corps of archers (1 S 3P).
iv. Commissariat. — Commissariat is t^vice alluded to in the OT. In Jg 20'" a tenth of the assembled Israelites are sent ' to fetch virtual ' (fidnk nyt, 'food taken in hunting') that the people may carry out their expedition against Gibeah. Again, in 1 K 20^ the children of Israel 'were mustered and were victualled' (RV) for a campaign against the Syrians.
W. E. Barnes.
ARNA.— One of the ancestors of Ezra (2 Es 1»), corresponding apparently to Zerahiah of Ezr 7* and Zaraias of 1 Es S'.
ARNAN (ifiN).— A descendant of David (1 Ch ^). While MT ha-s yp>t 'jj, LXX reads 'Opi'ii vlM ain-oO {.ir. preceding 'Pa^dX) = Oma his son. See Genealogy.
ARNI (WH 'Apfd, TR ^Apd^l., AV Aram).— An ancestor of Jesus (Lk 3"), called in Mtl'-* Ram (RV). Cf. Ru 4'», 1 Ch 2»- '», and see Genealogy.
ARNON (I'lJ-iK). — Two streams unite about 13 miles E. of the middle of the Dead Sea to form the A., now known as Wady el-Mojib. Of these the N. one (Wady Waleh) is formed by a number
of brooks — often dry — rising near the T}&\ route, N. of 31° 30' N. The S. branch, which is the more important, drains most of the country betwetn the yaj route and the Dead Sea, between 31° 30' and 31° 10', and is formed by the streams now known as Sell S'aideh, Wady es-Sultan, Seil Lejjun, and Wady Bald'a. These are all united before reaching the neighbourhood of 'Ar'air, and flow theroe almost direct W. for about 20 miles, when they are joined by the Wady Waleh. The E. half thus forms a complete network of streams (the pani* "Sn]). For the greater part of its course the river flows through a deep trench some 2 miles in breadth at the top and about 40 yards at the bottom. The rocky and precipitous banks consist of limestone capped with basalt, and rise in places to a height of 1700 ft. Their slopes are fringed \vith oleanders, tamarisks, and willows, and near the mouth with castor-bean and cane. Like most rivers in Pal. its stream varies in width and velocity according to the season of the year. Where it issues from its steep banks to the flat shore of the Dead Sea it ranges from 40 to 100 ft. in width, and from 1 to 4 ft. in depth, while near 'Ar'air, where the old road fromHeshbon to Kir crosses it, and where the remains of an old bridge stUl exist, it is almost dry in July. The A. formed a strong natural boundary, and early separated the territories of the Amorites and Moab (Nu 21", cf. Jg iV^-) ; later those of Reuben and Moab (Dt 3"). Isaiah mentions the ' fords of A.' (16'^), and Jeremiah uses 'A.' as the name of a district (48"). The river is also mentioned on the ' Moabite Stone.' On the N. edge of the S. stream was the town Aroer (see Aroer), and between the N. and S. streams Dibon (see DiBON).