Raphel, Georg, a German Lutheran divine of some note, was born in 1673, and was last superintend- ent of Li'ineburg. He died in 1740. He was one of the best commentators of that class of exegetists who have attempted to illustrate the Bible from classic au- thors. His Annotaiiones in Sacrum Scripturain con- tains historical illustrations of some passages in the old Test, and philological explanations of many in the New, chiefly taken from Xenophon, Polybius, Arrian, and Herodotus. He also edited the Greek homilies of Chrysostom, with a Latin translation and notes, an- nexed to the edition of the Annotations published at Leyden (1747, 2 vols. 8vo). See Orme, Biblioth. Bibl. s. v. ; Home, Introd. to the Scriptures.
Ra'phou (PacpHwv; Alex, and Joseph us. 'Pa<pwv; Peshito, Raphon), a city of Gilead, under the walls of which Judas Maccabreus defeated Timotheus (1 Mace, v, 37 only). It appears to have stood on the eastern side of an important wady, and at no great distance from Carnaim — probably Ashteroth-Carnaim. It may have been identical with Raphana, which is mentioned by Pliny (Nat. Hist.v, 16) as one of the cities of the Decapolis, but with no specification of its position. Nor is there anything in the narrative of 1 Mace, of 2 Mace, (ch. xii), or of Josephus (Ant. xii, 8, 3) to enable us to decide whether the torrent in question is the Ilieromax,
the Z< rka, or any other. In Kiepert's map, accompa- nying Wettstein's Hauran, etc. (1860), a place named Er-Rdfe is marked, on the east of Wady Hrer, one of the branches of the Wady Mandhur, and close to the great road leading to Sanamein, which last has some claims to be identified with Ashteroth-Carnaim. But in our present ignorance of the district this can only be taken as mere conjecture. If Er-Rafe be Raphana, we should expect to find large ruins. — Smith.
Ra'phu (Heb. Raphu', JMB'H, healed; Sept.'Pa0or>), ' father of Palti, which latter was sent with Caleb and Joshua as a spy into the promised land; representing the tribe of Benjamin (Numb, xiii, 9). B.C. ante 1658.
Rappists, also known as Harmonists, are a Christian people living in community of goods, and in celibate state, at Economy, Pa., in the vicinity of Pitts- burgh, and hence also not infrequently called Econo- mites. They owe their origin to George Rapp, a German, who was born at Iptingen, in Wlirtemberg, in October, 1757, of humble parentage, and had enjoyed only a moderate education. Having always been a de- vout Christian and a close reader of the Bible, he be- came convinced that the lifeless condition of the churches was ill in accord with the vital character of apostolic Christianity, and in 1787 began to preach among those of like mind with himself in the little village where he was then living. The clergy resented this interference with their office, and both Rapp and his adherents were visited with all manner of persecution, and denounced as "Separatists," a name which they bore ever after while in Germany, and which they themselves accepted gladly. In the course of six years the Rappists num- bered" not less than 300 families, scattered over a dis- tance of twenty miles from the home of George Rapp. The consistent manner in which the Separatists bore themselves gave little opportunity for positive accusa- tion, yet they were constantly annoyed by government and clergy, and in 1803 finally determined to end all strife by emigration to a land of freedom. Rapp, accom- panied by his son and two other followers, came to this country in advance to select a home for all like-minded with himself. In the course of one year 600 persons came over, and were settled by Rapp in different parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland, while he himself, with several skilful mechanics and ingenious persons, prepared for a family home for the Separatists the land he had purchased in Butler County. Pa., along the Coneque- nessing Creek. On Feb. 15, 1805, those who had come with Rapp, and such others as had followed thither, or- ganized themselves formally ami solemnly into the '• Harmony Society," agreeing then to throw all their possessions into a common fund, to adopt a uniform and simple dress and style of house, to keep thenceforth all things in common, and to labor for the common good of the whole body. Later in the spring they were joined by fifty additional families ; and thus they finally began with what must have made up all together less than 750 men, women, and children. But these were all accustomed to labor, and with such a leader as Rapp then was— in the prime of life, only forty-eight years old. of robust frame and sound health, with great perse- verance, enterprise, and executive ability, and remark- able common-sense — the society got on very success- fully. In the first year they erected between forty and fifty log-houses, a church and school-house, a grist-mill, a bam, and some workshops, and cleared 150 acres of land. In the following year they cleared 400 acres more, and built a saw-mill and a tannery, and planted a small vineyard. A distillery was also a part of this j-ear's building — a thing not so very strange in those davs of general tendency towards strong drink among the laboring classes— though they themselves indulged only very moderately in any intoxicating liquors. Rapp was the general in all departments. He planned for all. He was their preacher, teacher, guide, and keeper. Until 1807 community of goods and the hope of the