Difference between revisions of "Ellasar"

<p> '''El'lasar.''' (oak). The city of Arioch, &nbsp;Genesis 14:1, seems to be the [[Hebrew]] representative, of the old [[Chaldean]] town, called in the native dialect Larsa or Larancha. Larsa was a town of lower [[Babylonia]] or Chaldea, situated nearly halfway between [[Ur]] (Mugheir) and [[Erech]] (Warka), on the left bank of the Euphrates. It is now Senkereh. </p>

<p> <strong> ELLASAR </strong> . [[Arioch]] king of [[Ellasar]] was allied with [[Chedorlaomer]] in the campaign against the kings of the plain (&nbsp; [[Genesis]] 14:1 ). He has been identified with Rim-sin, king of Larsa, and consequently ‘Ellasar’ is thought to be for <em> al-Larsa </em> , ‘the city of Larsa.’ Larsa, modern <em> Senkereh </em> in Lower Babylonia on the east bank of the Euphrates, was celebrated for its temple and worship of the sun-god Shamash. </p> <p> C. H. W. Johns. </p>

<p> The invader Arioch's kingdom (&nbsp;Genesis 14:1). The Chaldeaan Larsa, Greek Larissa, a town of lower Babylon, half way between Ur (Mugheir) and Erech (Warka) on the left bank of the Euphrates. Now Senkereh. The inscriptions prove it a primitive capital, probably older than Babylon. </p>

<p> [[District]] in the East, of which Arioch was the king. &nbsp;Genesis 14:1,9 . It is supposed that <i> Larsa </i> or <i> Larissu </i> in Lower Babylonia, between Ur and Erech, was its capital, which is identified with ruins at <i> Senkereh, </i> about 31 30' N, 45 50' E . </p>

<p> '''''el''''' -'''''ā´sar''''' ( אלּסר , <i> ''''''ellāṣār''''' </i> ): </p> 1. The Name and Its Etymology <p> The city over which Arioch ( <i> '''''Eri''''' </i> - <i> '''''Aku''''' </i> ) and other [[Babylonian]] kings ruled (&nbsp;Genesis 14:1 ). The Semitic-Babylonians form of its name is ( <i> '''''âl''''' </i> ) <i> '''''Larsa''''' </i> , "the city Larsa," a form which implies that the Hebrew has interchanged <i> r </i> and <i> s </i> , and transposed the final vowel. Its Sumerian name is given as <i> '''''Ararwa''''' </i> , apparently for <i> '''''Arauruwa''''' </i> , "light-abode," which, in fact, is the meaning of the ideographic group with which it is written. The ruins of this ancient site are now known as <i> '''''Senqāra''''' </i> , and lie on the East bank of the Euphrates, about midway between <i> '''''Warka''''' </i> (Erech) and <i> '''''Muqayyar''''' </i> (Ur of the Chaldees). In addition to the name Larsa, it seems also to have been called <i> '''''Ašte''''' </i> - <i> '''''azaga''''' </i> "the holy (bright, pure) seat" (or throne), and both its names were apparently due to its having been one of the great Babylonian centers of sun-god worship. </p> 2. Its Holy Places <p> Like most of the principal cities of Babylonia, it had a great temple-tower, called <i> '''''Ê''''' </i> - <i> '''''dur''''' </i> - <i> '''''an''''' </i> - <i> '''''ki''''' </i> , "house of the bond of heaven and earth." The temple of the city bore the same name as that at Sippar, i.e. <i> '''''Ê''''' </i> - <i> '''''babbar''''' </i> , "House of Light," where the sun-god <i> '''''Šamas''''' </i> was worshipped. This temple was restored by Ur-Engur, '''''H̬ammurabi''''' (Amraphel), ''''' Burna''''' -'''''burias''''' , [[Nebuchadrezzar]] and Nabonidus. Among the tablets found on this site by Loftus was that which gives measures of length and square and cube roots, pointing to the place as one of the great centers of Babylonian learning. Besides the remains of these temples, there are traces of the walls, and the remains of houses of the citizens. The city was at first governed by its own kings, but became a part of the Babylonian empire some time after the reign of '''''H̬ammurabi''''' . </p> Literature <p> Loftus, <i> [[Chaldea]] and Susiana </i> ; Delitzsch, <i> [[Wo]] lag das Paradies? </i> ; Zehnpfund, <i> Babylonien in seinen wichtigsten Ruinenstätten </i> , 53-54. </p>

<p> (Hebrews Ellasar', אֶלָּסָר Furst suggests [Hebrews Handwb. s. v.] that it may be compounder of אֶל = תֶּל and אָסָר =אשׁוּר; Sept. Ε᾿λλασάρ ), a territory in Asia, whose king, Arioch, was one of the four who invaded [[Canaan]] in the time of [[Abraham]] (&nbsp;Genesis 14:1; &nbsp;Genesis 14:9). The association of this king with those of [[Elam]] and [[Shinar]] indicates the vicinity of Babylonia and [[Elymais]] as the region in which the kingdom should be sought; but nothing further is known of it, unless it be the same as THELASAR mentioned in &nbsp;2 Kings 19:12, the TELASSAR of &nbsp;Isaiah 37:12. [[Symmachus]] and the Vulg. understand Pontus. The [[Jerusalem]] [[Targum]] renders the name by Telasar. The Assyro-Babylonish name of the king Arioch (q.v.) would seem to point to some province of [[Persia]] or [[Assyria]] (compare &nbsp;Daniel 2:14). Colossians Rawlinson thinks (see Jour. Sac. Lit. October 1851, page 152 note) that Ellasar is the Hebrew representative of the old Chaldaean town called in the native dialect Larsa or Larancha, and known to the Greeks as [[Larissa]] (Λάρισσα ) or Larachon (Λαράχων ). This suits the connection with Elam and Shinar (&nbsp;Genesis 14:1), and the identification is orthographically defensible. Larsa was a town of Lower Babylonia or Chaldaea, situated nearly half way between Ur (now Mugheir) and Erech (Warka), on the left bank of the Euphrates. It is now Senkereh. The inscriptions show it to have been one of the primitive capitals, of earlier date, probably, than [[Babylon]] itself; and we may gather from the narrative in &nbsp;Genesis 14:1-24, that in the time of Abraham it was the metropolis of a kingdom distinct from that of Shinar, but owning allegiance to the superior monarchy of Elam. That we hear no more of it after this time is owing to its absorption into Babylon, which took place soon afterwards. (See [[Abraham]]). </p>