9. The word translated " covert" in 1 Sam. xxv, 20 is ■nriO, sether, from "l^l^' " ''° hJ^l^j" ^"^l probably refers to tlie shrubbery or thicket through which Abigail's path lay. In this passage "hill" should be "moun- tain."
The Chaldee ^^113, tur, is the name still given to the Mount of Olives, the Jehel et-Tur.
See the Appendix to professor Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, § 23, also p. 249 and 338, note.— Smith. See Topographical Terms.
In the symbolical language of Scripture, if the alle- gory or figurative representation is taken from the heavens, the luminaries denote the governing body; if from an animal, the head or horns ; if from the earth, a mountain or fortress— and in this case the capital city or residence of the governor is taken for- the supreme power. (See Wemyss, Claris Symholica, p. 309-316.) When David says, " Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong" (Psa. xxx, 7), he means to express the stability of his kingdom. In like man- ner the kingdom of the Messiah is described under the figure of a mountain (Isa. ii, 2 : xi, 9 ; Dan. ii, 35), and its universality by its being the resort of all nations, and by its filling the whole earth. The mystic moun- tains in the Apocalypse denote kingdoms and states subverted to make room for the IMesslah's kingdom (Rev. vi, 14; xvi, 20; comp. Psa. xlvi, 2). The Chal- dean monarchy is described as a mountain in Jer. Ii, 25 ; Zech. iv, 7; and the Targum illustrates the idea. by substituting the word "fortress" in the former text. In this view, then, a mountain is the symbol of a kingdom, or of a capital city with its domains, or of a king, which is the same. INIountains are frequently used to signify places of strength, of what kind soever, and to whatso- ever use applied (Jer. iii, 23). Eminences were very commonly chosen for the sites of pagan temples : these became places of asylum, and were looked upon as the fortresses and defenders of the worshippers, by reason of the presence of the false deities in them. On this account mountains were the strongholds of paganism, and therefore in several parts of Scripture they signify idolatrous temples and places of worship (Jer. ii, 23 ; Ezek. vi, 2-6; Mic. iv, 1; comp. Deut. xii, 2; Jer. ii, 20; iii, 16; Ezek. vi, 3). — Kitto. These temples were also built like forts or towers, as appears from Judg. ix, 46; xlviii, 49. (See Gesenius, Comment, on Isa. ii, 316 sq. ; Gramberg, Die Religions ide en des A.T. pref. p. xv sq.) See High Place. For the various eminences or moun- tain-districts to which the word har is applied in the
O. T., see Abakim; Am^vna; of the Amalekites; of the Amorites; Ararat; Baalah; Baal-Her- MON; Bashan; Bethel; Bether; Carmel; Eual; Ephraim; Ephron; Esau; Gaash; Gerizim; Gil- boa; Gilkad; Halak; Heres; Hermox; IIor; and for those to which tor is prefixed, see Horeb; Israel; Jearim; Judah; Mizar; Moriah; Naphtali; Ne- Bo; Olivet, or Olives ; Paran; Perazim; Samaria; Seir; Sephar; Shapher; Sinai; Sion, Sirion, or Shenir (all names for Ilcrmon) ; Tabor; Zalmon; Ze- maraim; Zion.
MOUNT (Isa. xxix, 3 ; Jer. vi, 6, etc.). See Siege.
MOUNT OF THE AM'ALEKITES Opr^^".^ '"rt; Sept. opoQ Tox) 'AixnXrjK; Vulg. Mons Amaleeh), a place near Pirathon, in the tribe of Ephraim (Judg. xii, 15), apparently so called from some branch of that Ganaan- itish clan settled there (comp. Judg. v, 14, D^TSX ""i^ pPTSS'a ^'ii'yci,from EiJhraim \_came those'\ ichose seat [was^ by Amalek, A.V. "out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek"). See Amaleicite.
MOUNTAIN OF THE AM'ORITES 0'nti<n "ill; Sept. opoQ Tov 'A/joppaiov ; Vulg. Mons Amorrhcei), specifically mentioned, Deut. i, 19,20 (comp. 44), in ref- erence to the wandering of the Israelites in the desert. It seems to be the range which rises abruptly from the plateau of et-Tih, running from a little S. of W. to the N. of E., and of which the extremities are the Jebel A raif en-Nakah westward, and Jehel el-Mukrah east- ward, and from which line the country continues moun- tainous all the way to Hebron. — Smith. See Ariokite. The particular spot where the Israelites encountered it seems to have been at the present Nukb es-Sufeh. Sec Exode.
MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION Cl-jy2 ^fl, mountain of the assembly, namely, of the gods), a place mentioned in the words of the king of Babylon, Isa. xiv, 13, called " mount of the congregation," is prob. the Persian mountain el-Bnrj (comp. Gr. ■Kvpyoc, a town. Germ, burg), called by the Hindus Mem, situated in the extreme north, and, like the Greek Olyminis, re- garded by the Orientals as the seat of the gods (see Asiat. Researches, vi, 448 ; viii, 350 sq. ; Hyde, De 7-elig. Persar. p. 102). See Congregation.
MOUNT OF CORRUPTION (2 Kings xxiii, 13). See Corruption.
MOUNT EPHRAIM. See Ephraim.
MOUNT LEBANON, Christians of. See Mar- onites.
MOUNT OLIVET, Congregation of. See Mont- olivetians.
MOUNT OF PIETY. See Montes Pietatis.
MOUNT OF THE VALLEY (p-OSTl ^n ; Sept. 6 opOQ '^vaSf V. r. 'Evc'ik ; Vulg. Mons convallis), a dis- trict on the east of Jordan, within the territory allotted to Reuben (Josh, xiii, 19), containing a number of towns, such as Heshbon, Dibon, etc. The " valley" in question appears to have been the Ghor, or that of the Jordan (ver. 27); and hence the "mount" indicated was doubtless the hilly region immediately adjoining the northern end of the Dead Sea, where the towns mentioned were situated.