Mola'dah (Heb. Moladah', tTl^i-O [in Nehemiah ITlb'a], birth; Sept. MwXa^d v. v^ MuicaCa, etc.), a city in the southern part of the tribe of Judah towards the Edomitish border (Josh, xv, 26), which fell within the portion set off to Simeon (Josh, xix, 2 ; 1 Chron. iv, 28). It was also occupied after the exile (Neh. xi, 26). Reland (Palcest. p. 901) thinks it was the Malatha (MaXaS'a) mentioned by Josephus {Ant. xviii, 6, 2) as a castle of Idumrea, to which Agrippa retired in chagrin after his return from Rome. Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s. v. 'Apajuci) allude to it (MaXa^i) as a place four Roman miles distant from Arad, which latter they describe as an ancient city of the Amorites situated in the wilderness of Kadesh, and twenty miles from He- bron, on the road to Aila (see Reland, Palcest. p. 885). At a later period jMalatha became a Roman colony (Re- land, p. 231). Dr. Robinson (Researches, ii, 621) finds the locality in the present el-Milh, first observed by Schubert (Reise, ii, 454), consisting of extensive ruins with a well, situated at the required distance from the site of Arad (comp. Schwarz, Pcdest. p. 100). The pres- ent name, signifying "salt," has little alfinity with the Heb. appellation, but may be a corruption of it (Wilson, Lands of the Bible, i, 346 ; Van de Velde, Memoir, p. 335 ; Ritter, Pal. und Syr. i, 124; Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 369 sq. ; Stewart, Tent and Khan, p. 217).
Molans, Philibert de, founder of the Order of St. George, was born at Molans, France, and flourished
MOLANUS
432
MOLAY
in the- 14th century. He belonged to one of the oldest I families in the countrj'. The duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, took him into liis service as equerry. Molans | followed his master to the Holy Land, and was very useful to him. In return for his efficiency, the duke appointed him general inspector of the ducal arsenals. Molans afterwards went again to Palestine, and is said to have brought back the remains of one St. (Jeorgc, presenting these relics to the church at Kougemont, ' which instituted special services in honor of them. In 1390 Molans established an order under the inspiration of the alleged martyr. In order to become a member of this association one had to be a native of the duchy or county of Burgundy, and show not less than sixteen quarterings on his shield. Each chevalier of St. George had to take a vow to devote his life and fortune to the vindication of the Roman Catholic religion, and the protection of the oppressed, the virgins, and the or- phans. The distinctive badge of the order was a gold image, suspended from a blue ribbon, and representing St. George smiting a dragon to the ground. .tMthough this society had a purely moral aim, the Besan(;on Par- liament persistently declined to legalize it. The Order of St. (icorge continued in France until the lievolution. Historians are not agreed as to the place and date of Molans's death. The latter part of his life was shroud- ed in obscurity. Great Britain, Bavaria, Spain, and Rus- sia have each, in turn, created an Order of St. George. See Thomas Yarin, EUit de Villustre Confrerie de Saint- Georges en 16C3; Pointier de Gouhelans, Statufs de VOi- dre de Saint-Georges, avec la iiste des Chevaliets deptiis 1390 (Besan<;on, 1768, 8vo); John Mihier, IJistorical and Critical Inquirg into the Existence and Character of St. George; Heylin, IJistor;/ of St, George. — Hoefer, Nour. Biog. Generale, xxxv, 789.
Molanus, Gerhard Walther, a German Lu- theran theologian, was born at Ilameln, on the Weser, Nov. 1, 1G33. He studied at the University of Hclm- sttidt under Calixtus (q. v.). In 1G59 he became pro- fessor of mathematics in the University of Rinteln, but in 1664 was made extraordinary, and soon after ordinary l)rofessor of theology in the same university, which po- sition lie retained until 1677. In the mean time he published various works, partly mathematical, partly theological. Among the latter we notice De cammiuii- catioui 1 1 jirdiliciiliiiiii iili'oiiKi/iiiii. ijiiii iiiti r <i/i(i (i.</ni- ditur Jnnnninuii Christ; mihir.in, , j-l nn.o ci,s <.„/„,>,./,,;-
tern upj-
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and method of Calixtus. In 1674 duke John Frederick of Hanover appointed him director of the consistory for that province, and in 1677 he became abbot of the con- vent of Loccum. He was very active in promoting union conferences with the Reformed and Roman Catli- olic theologians, and, although without success, he ac- quired the well-earned reputation of a peace-maker. This was especially shown in his efforts in behalf of the French Reformed, whom the revocation of the Edict of Nantes had driven to seek refuge in Germany. Duke John Frederick, who had himself returned to Roman- ism, wished to induce Molanus to follow his example, but the latter withstood all his offers. Having, in his efforts for a union with the Romish Church, come in contact with Bossuct, Molanus conceded that the Eu- charist "quodammodo proprie dici sacriticium ;" also that "de conciliis oecumenicis legitime celebratis dico: Christus nuncpiam permittct ut ecclcsia universalis in concilio aliiiuid fidei contrarium pronuntict," etc. Yet he would not recognise as "legitime eelebratum" the Council of Trent, which had condemned the Protestants without a hearing, and which was not universally rec- ognised, for instance, in Germany. IMolanus was ac- cused of having gone over to Romanism, and therefore published in his defence Mig<n venaks s. i-tfntat. calnm- niar. etc. (1698). He died Sept. 7, 1722. See J. v. Esi- nem, Leben G. W. ^folani (Magdeb. 1724, 8vo) ; Kapp, Summlung einige Briffe ilher d, Vereinigung d. liith. u. ref. Theol. (Leips, 1745. 8vo) ; Schlegel, Kirchengesch.