Amorites pressed southwards, and founded kingdoms in Palestine both E and W of the Jordan (Nu. 2113ff., Jos. 248 etc.); though Müller has pointed out some difficulties in the way of that hypothesis (AE, 230 f.).—In the OT there appears an occasional tendency to restrict the name to 'highlanders' (Nu. 1329, Dt. 17), but this is more than neutralised by other passages (Ju. 134). The most significant fact is that E (followed by D) employs the term to designate the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine generally (cf. Am. 29f.), whom J describes as Canaanites. Apart from the assumption of an actual Amorite domination, it is difficult to suggest an explanation of E's usage, unless we can take it as a survival of the old Bab. name Amurru (or at least its ideographic equivalent MAR. TU) for Palestine, Phœnicia and Cœle-Syria.—See, further, Müller, AE, 218 ff., 229 ff.; Wi. GI, i. 51-54, KAT3, 178 ff.; Mey. ZATW, i. 122 ff.; We. Comp.2 341; Bu. Urg. 344 ff.; Dri. Deut. 11 f., Gen. 125 f.; Sayce, DB, i. 84 f.; Paton, Syr. and Pal. 25-46, 115 ff., 147 f.; Mey. GA2, 1. ii. § 396.
(3) (
Hebrew characters)] only mentioned in enumerations (1521, Dt. 71, Jos. 310 2411,
Neh. 98) without indication of locality. (Hebrew characters), (Hebrew characters), (Hebrew characters) occur as prop.
names on Punic inscrs. (Lidzbarski, Nord-sem. Epigr. 405_{4}, 622_{4f}., 673_{3};
Ephem. i. 36, 308). Ewald conjectured a connexion with NT (Greek characters).
(4) (Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] a tribe of central Palestine, in the neighbourhood
of Shechem (342) and Gibeon (Jos. 97); in Ju. 33, where they are spoken
of in the N, (Hebrew characters) should be read, and in Jos. 113 Hittites and Hivvites
should be transposed in accordance with GB. The name has been
explained by Ges. (Th.) and others as meaning 'dwellers in (Hebrew characters)' (Bedouin
encampments: cf. Nu. 3241); but that is improbable in the case of a
people long settled in Palestine (Moore). We. (Heid. 154) more plausibly
connects it with (Hebrew characters) = 'serpent' (see on 320), surmising that the Hivvites
were a snake-clan. Cf. Lagarde, OS, 187, 174, l. 97 ((Greek characters)).
The 5 remaining names are formed from names of cities, 4 in the extreme N of Phœnicia, and the last in Cœle-Syria.
(5) (Hebrew characters) ([E] (Hebrew characters), G (Greek characters)] is from the city (Greek characters)
(Jos. Ant. i. 138), the ruins of which, still bearing the name Tell 'Arḳa, are
found on the coast about 12 miles NE of Tripolis. It is mentioned by
Thothmes III. (in the form 'r-ka-n-tu: see AE, 247 f.), and in TA letters
(Irkata: KIB, v. 171, etc.); also by Shalmaneser II. (KIB, i. 173; along
with Arvad and Sianu, below), and Tiglath-pileser IV. (ib. ii. 29; along
with Ṣimirra and Sianu).
(6) (Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] inhabitants of (Hebrew characters), Ass. Sianu (KIB, ll.cc.).
Jer. (Quæst.) says it was not far from 'Arḳa, but adds that only the name
remained in his day. The site is unknown: see Cooke, EB, iv. 4644 f.
(7) (Hebrew characters) ((Greek characters))] 'Arwad (Ezk. 278. 11) was the most northerly
of the Phœnician cities, built on a small island (Strabo, XVI. ii. 13;
KIB, i. 109) about 35 miles N of Tripolis (now Ruād). It is named
frequently, in connexions which show its great importance in ancient
times, in Eg. inscrs. (AE, 186 f.), on TA Tab., and by Ass. kings from
Tiglath-pileser I. to Asshurbanipal (KAT2, 104 f.; Del. Par. 281); see
also Her. vii. 98.
