Arm (usually Silt, zero' a, /?p«x<un<) is frequently used in Scripture in a metaphorical sense to denote power. Hence, to " break the arm" is to diminish or to destroy the power (Psa. x, 15 ; Ezek. xxx, 21 ; Jer. xlviii, 25). It is also employed to denote the infinite power of God (Psa. lxxxix, 13 ; xlviii, 2 • Isa. liii, 1 ; John xii, 38). In a few places the metaphor is, with great force, extended to the action of the arm, as, " I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm" (Exod. vi, 5), that is, with a power fully exerted. The figure is here taken from the attitude of ancient warriors baring and outstretching the arm for fight. Thus, in Isa. lii, 10, "Jehovah hath made bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations." Lowth has shown, from the Sept. and other versions, that in Isa. ix, 20, " they shall eat every one the flesh of his own arm" should be " the flesh of his neighbor," similar to Jer. xix, 9, meaning that they should harass and destroy one an- other. (See Wemyss's Clavis Symbolica, p. 23, 24.)
Armaged'don (Ap/.iayeccwi', Rev. xvi, 1G), prop- erly " the mountain of Megiddo" (Heb. l'*JW *"), a city on the west of the river Jordan, rebuilt by Solo- mon (1 Kings ix, 15). See Megiddo. In the mys- tical language of prophecy, the word mountain repre- sents the Church, and the events which took place at Megiddo are supposed to have had a typical reference to the sorrows and triumphs of the people of God un- der the Gospel. " In that day," says Zechariah (xii, 11), " shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon ;" referring to the death of Josiah (q. v.). " He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," is the language of the Apocalypse ; and the word has been translated by some as "the mountain of destruction," by others as "the mountain of the gospel" — a passage* that prob- ably has reference to the symbolical use of the name in Zechariah. Into a valley ominous of slaughter the unclean spirits (representing the heathen influence of the Roman empire), under the special guidance of Providence (xvii, 17), conduct the assembled forces of the beast and his allies ; and there in due time they come to an overthrow through an almighty conqueror (Stuart, Comment, in loc.). The passage is best il- lustrated by comparing a similar one in the book of Joel (iii, 2, 12), where the scene of the divine judg- ments is spoken of in the prophetic imagery as the " valley of Jehoshaphat," the fact underlying the image being Jehoshaphat's great victory (2 Chron. xx, 26 ; see Zech. xiv, 2, 4). So here the scene of the struggle of good and evil is suggested by that battle- field, the plain of Esdraelon, which was famous for
two great victories — of Barak over the Canaanites (Judg. iv, v), and Gideon over the Midianites (Judg. vii) ; and for two great disasters, the death of Saul in the invasion of the Philistines (1 Sam. xxxi, 8), and the death of Josiah in the invasion of the Egvptians (2 Kings xxiii, 29, 30 ; 2 Chron. xxxv, 22). With the first and fourth of these events, Megiddo (Maytcdut in the Sept. and Josephus) is especially connected. Hence 'Ap-payt8wv, " the hill of Megiddo." (See Btihr's Excursus on Herod, ii, 159.) As regards the Apocalypse, it is remarked by Stanley {Sinai and Pal- estine, p. 330) that this imagery would be peculiarly* natural to a Galihean, to whom the scene of these battles was familiar. See Esdraelon.
Armagh, the seat of an archbishopric in Ireland. This church was founded by St. Patrick in 444 or 445. The chapter is composed of live dignitaries, four preb- endaries, eight vicars choral, and an organist. The present cathedral is built of red sandstone, and is cru- ciform— 184 by 119 feet. It has recently been repair- ed and beautified, chiefly at the cost (£10,000) of the present lord primate. A new Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral occupies the principal height to the north, and the primatial palace that to the south of the ca- thedral. There is a fever hospital for forty patients, maintained by the present primate, and a lunatic asylum for four counties. The archbishop is Primate and Metropolitan of all Ireland, and has an income of £12,087 a year. The present incumbent is Lord J. G. Beresford, translated from Dublin in 1822.
Arme'nia (Ap/ievta), a country of Western Asia, is not mentioned in the original language of Scripture under that name (on the Harmonah of Amos iv, 3, see Rosenmiiller, in loc), though it occurs in the English version (2 Kings xix, 37), where our translators have very unnecessarily substituted it for Ararat (comp. marginal reading) ; but is supposed to be alluded to in the three following Hebrew designations, which seem to refer either to the country as a whole, or to particular districts. See Asia.
1. Ararat, lillX, the land upon (or over) the mountains of which the ark rested at the Deluge (Gen. viii, 4 ; comp. Josephus, Ant. i, 3, 5) ; whither the sons of Sennacherib fled after murdering their father (2 Kings xix, 37; Isa. xxxvii, 38); and one of the " kingdoms" summoned, along with Minni and Ash- kenaz, to arm against Babylon (Jer. Ii, 27). That there was a province of Ararad in ancient Armenia we have the testimony of the native historian, Moses of Chorene (Hist. Armen. ed. Whiston, Lond. 1736, p. 3G1). It lay in the centre of the kingdom, was di- vided into twenty circles, and, being the principal province, was commonly the residence of the kings or governors. See article Ararat.