RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
American Ammonites
and of other details of the Christian system, in a way which points to a non-Christian author. It is, however, equally certain that he was not an adherent of the common paganism. He recognized a supreme numen, which curbs human arrogance and avenges human crime, and, in general, his views are those of the best Greek writers, approaching a monotheistic standpoint. It seems probable that he believed that primitive pure Christianity and the philosophy of enlightened pagans were the same. From this point of view Ammianus could consistently speak with favor of many things he found among the Christians. He censures Constantine's interference in the Arian controversy and calls it a " confusion of the absolute and plain Christian religion with old-womanish superstition," meaning by " superstition," as the connection shows, the controversy concerning the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. He censured the emperor Julian for forbidding to the Christians instruction in liberal studies, while he did not blame the restoration of pagan sacrifices at the beginning of Jovian's reign. He was not opposed to the paganism of Julian, but to the violation of religious toleration.
(E. VON W6LFFLIN.) Bibliography: The editio princeps (books xiv.-xxvi. only), ed. Angelus Sabinus, was published in Rome, 1874; a better edition (books xvi.-xxx.) is S. Gelenius, Basil, 1533; the latest is by V. Gardthausen, Leipsic, 1874. Consult Teuffel-Schwabe, Geschichte der romischen Litteratur, p. 1092, Leipsic, 1890.
AMMON, CHRISTOPH FRIEDRICH VON: German theologian; b. at Baireuth Jan. 16, 1766; d. in Dresden May 21, 1850. He distinguished himself as a student at Erlangen, and became professor there in 1789. In 1794 he went to Gottingen as professor, university preacher, and director of the theological seminary; returned to Erlangen in 1804; in 1813 went to Dresden as court preacher; became member of the Saxon ministry of worship and public instruction in 1831, and vicepresident of the consistory in 1835. He was a versatile and many-sided man, an accomplished scholar in diverse fields, an influential official in Church and State, a prolific writer, and much admired as preacher and orator. The most noteworthy of his theological writings were: Entwurf einer reinen biblischen Theologie (3 vols., Erlangen, 1792; 2d ed., 1801-02); Handbuch der christlichen Sittenlehre (1795; 2d ed., 3 vols., Leipsic, 1838); Summa theologies christiance (1803; 4th ed., ib. 1850); Die Fortbildung des Christentums zur Weltreligion (ib. 1833; 2d ed., 4 vols., 1836-40). At first Amnion was a decided rationalist, but his tone changed in successive editions of his works, and in 1817 he surprised his friends by defending the theses of Claus Harms (q.v.) in Bittere Arznei }ur die Glaubensschwache der Zeit (Hanover). Later he returned to his earlier views, and his vacillation subjected him to much harsh criticism. His last writings were Die Geschichte des Leben Jesu (3 vols., Leipsic, 1842-47) and Diewahre und falsche Orthodoxie (1849). From 1813 to 1822 he was editor of the Kritisches Journal der neuesten theologischen Litteratur. (F. W- Dibelitjs.)
Bibliography: Ch. F. v. Ammon, nach Leben, Ansichten
und Wirken, Leipsic, 1850.
AMMONITES: A people of Palestine, allied, according to Gen. xix. 38, to Abraham through Lot, and therefore, like the brother people Moab, akin to the other Abrahamic nations, Israel, Ishmael, and Edom. The name is here explained as ben 'ammi, " son of my kinsman." Their territory lay east of the Jordan and north of Moab, from whom they were separated by the Arnon (Num. xxi. 13). An Amoritic king, Sihon, and, later, the Israelites are said to have excluded them from the western and richer part of this district and to have confined them to the steppe lands farther to the east (Josh. xii. 2, xiii. 10, 25; Judges xi. 22). Cities belonging to them are mentioned (Judges xi. 33; II Sam. xii. 31), whence it appears that they were in part a settled people, in part nomadic. Their chief city and the one most frequently named was Rabbah (Rabbath-ammon; Deut. iii. 11; Josh. xiii. 25; II Sam. xii. 26-27; Ezek. xxi. 20; and often), the modern Amman. They had a king in the earliest time. Their religion was doubtless like that of the Moabites; their chief divinity was Milcom (I Kings xi. 5, 33; II Kings xxiii. 13; the mention of Chemosh as god of the Ammonites in Judges xi. 24 is probably an error; see Chemosh). The name " Milcom " has been explained as meaning " Am is king," Am {'Am) being the name of an older deity (cf. Balaam, " Am is lord," and Gen. xix. 38). The relations between the Israelites and Ammonites were generally hostile (Judges xi.; I Sam. xi.; II Sam. x. 1-14, xii. 26-31; II Kings xxiv. 2; II Chron. xx.; Neh. ii. 10, iv. 3, vi. 1; Jer. xl. 13-14, xlix. 1-6; Ezek. xxv. 1-10; Amos i. 13; Zeph. ii. 8); and this fact is reflected in the account of their disgraceful origin in Gen. xix. 30-38. Solomon had an Ammonitish wife (I Kings xiv. 21). Assyrian inscriptions state that Baasha, king of Ammon, was among the allies defeated by Shalmaneser II. at Karkar (854 B.C.), and show that the Ammonite Puduilu, a contemporary of Manasseh of Judah, like all the west- Asiatic princes of the time, was a vassal of Esarhaddon (681-668 B.C.). In postexilic times also the Ammonites shared the fortunes of their neighbors, and were under Persian, Egyptian, and Syrian rule. Their old capital Rabbah was made a Hellenistic city and named " Philadelphia " after Ptolemy II., Philadelphus. In 218 B.C. it was captured under Antiochus the Great. In the Maccabean period the Ammonites were under a tyrant Timotheus, whom Judas defeated in several battles (I Mace. v. 6-8). About 135 B.C. Philadelphia was ruled by a tyrant named Zeno Cotylas (Josephus, Ant., XIII. viii. 1). It was included in the Decapolis by Pompey, and long remained under Roman rule. At the beginning of the Jewish wars, like most of the Hellenistic cities, it was attacked by the Jews. The name " Ammonite " occurs for the last time in Justin Martyr (d. 166), who says they were very numerous. The present extensive ruins at Amman belong to Roman times. (F- Buhl.)
Bibliography: E. Kautzsch, in Riehm, Handworterbuch des biblischen Altertums, pp. 55-56, Bielefeld, 1884 (an admirable sketch); A. H. Sayce, Races of the Old Testament, London, 1891; A. Dillmann, Commentary on Genesis, on xix. 38. Edinburgh, 1897; DB, i. 82-83: EB, .«. 141- 145.
Ammonius Amos