Difference between revisions of "Ai"

<p> '''Ai''' (''Â'Î,'' ''Heap Of Ruins.'' 1. A city of the Canaanites, &nbsp;Genesis 13:3, where it is "Hai" in the Authorized Version, but Ai in the Revised Version. Taken by Joshua. &nbsp;Joshua 7:2-5; &nbsp;Joshua 8:1-29. Also called Aiath, &nbsp;Isaiah 10:28, and Aija in the A. V. and R. V., &nbsp;Nehemiah 11:31. Abraham pitched his tent between Hai and Bethel. &nbsp;Genesis 12:8. The city of Ai was east of Bethel, and about nine miles north of Jerusalem. It is named 38 times in the Bible. 2. A city of the Ammonites, not far from Heshbon. &nbsp;Jeremiah 49:3. </p>

<p> (Hebrew Ay, עיְ '', Ruin,'' perh. so called after its destruction, &nbsp;Genesis 12:8; &nbsp;Genesis 13:3; &nbsp;Joshua 7:2-5; &nbsp;Joshua 8:1-29; &nbsp;Joshua 9:3; &nbsp;Joshua 10:1-2; &nbsp;Joshua 12:9; &nbsp;Ezra 2:28; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:32; &nbsp;Jeremiah 49:3; always with the art., הָעיְ, except in the passage last cited; Sept. Γαί in Joshua, Ἀγγαί in Genesis, Ἀϊἀ in Ezra, Ἀϊ v in Nehemiah, Γαϊ v in Jeremiah; Vulg. ''Hai;'' Auth. Vers. "Hai" in Genesis: also in the prolonged forms Aya', עִיְָּא, &nbsp;Nehemiah 11:31, Sept. Ἀίά, Vulg. ''Hai,'' Auth. Vers. "Aija;" ''Ayath', עיְָּה,'' &nbsp;Isaiah 10:28, Ἀγγαί '', Ajath,'' "Aiath;" v. r. עִיר, text &nbsp;Joshua 8:16; עִיְנָה, Samar. &nbsp;Genesis 12:8, comp. Ἀίνά, Josephus, ''Ant.'' 5, 1, 12; [[Jerome]] ''Gai),'' the name of one or two places. See also AVIM. </p> <p> '''1.''' A royal city of the Canaanites (&nbsp;Joshua 10:1), the site of which (not necessarily then a city) is mentioned as early as the time of Abraham, who pitched his tent between it and Bethel (&nbsp;Genesis 12:8; &nbsp;Genesis 13:3); but it is chiefly noted for its capture and destruction by Joshua (&nbsp;Joshua 7:2-5; &nbsp;Joshua 8:1-29). (See [[Ambush]]). At a later period Ai appears to have been rebuilt, for it is mentioned by Isaiah (&nbsp;Isaiah 10:28), and it was inhabited by the Benjamites after the captivity (&nbsp;Ezra 2:28; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:32; &nbsp;Nehemiah 11:31). The site was known, and some scanty ruins still existed in the time of Eusebius and Jerome ''(Onomast.'' s.v. Ἀγγαί ), but Dr. Robinson was unable to discover any certain traces of either. He remarks ''(Bib. Researches,'' 2, 313), however, that its situation with regard to Bethel may be well determined by the facts recorded in Scripture. That Ai lay to the east of Bethel is certain (comp. &nbsp;Joshua 12:9; "beside Bethaven," &nbsp;Joshua 7:2; &nbsp;Joshua 8:9); and the two cities were not so far distant from each other but that the men of Bethel mingled in the pursuit of the Israelites when they feigned to flee before the king of Ai, and thus both cities were left defenseless (&nbsp;Joshua 8:17); yet they were not so near but that Joshua could place an ambuscade on the west (or south-west) of Ai, without its being observed by the men of Bethel, while he himself remained behind in a valley to the north of Ai (&nbsp;Joshua 8:4; &nbsp;Joshua 8:11-13). A little to the south of a village called Deir Diwan, and one hour's journey from Bethel, the site of an ancient place is indicated by reservoirs hewn in the rock, excavated tombs, and foundations of hewn stone. This, Dr. Robinson inclines to think, may mark the site of Ai, as it agrees with all the intimations as to its position. Near it, on the north, is the deep Wady el-Mutyah, and toward the south-west other smaller wadys, in which the ambushed party of Israelites might easily have been concealed. According to Schwarz (Palest. p. 84), the ancient name is still preserved in some ruins called Khirbet Medinat Gai, near the edge of a valley, two English miles south-east of Bethel; a position which he thinks corresponds with a rabbinical notice of Ai (Shemoth Rabbah, c. 32) as lying three Roman miles from Bethel (erroneously written Jericho). Thenius, however (in Kauffer's Exeget. Studien, 2, 127 sq.), locates Ai at Turmus Aya, a small rocky mound east of Sinjil (Robinson's Researches, 3, 85), a position which is defended by Keil (Comment. on &nbsp;Joshua 7:2); but in which he has been influenced by an incorrect location of Bethel (q.v.). Stanley ''(Palest.'' p. 200 note) places it at the head of the ''Wady'' Harith. For Krafft's identification with Kirbet el-Haiyah, see Robinson (new ed. of Researches, 3, 288). [[Van]] de Velde, after a careful examination, concludes that no spot answers the conditions except Tell el- Hajar, about 40' E. by S. of Beitin, on the southern border of Wady el- Mutyah, with no remains but a broken cistern (Narrativiii. 278-282). This position essentially corresponds to that assigned by Robinson. </p> <p> It is the opinion of some that the words AVIM (See [[Avim]]) in &nbsp;Joshua 18:23, and GAZA (See [[Gaza]]) in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 7:28, are corruptions of Ai. </p> <p> '''2.''' A city of the Ammonites, apparently opposite Heshbon, and devastated next to it by the [[Babylonians]] on their way to Jerusalem (&nbsp;Jeremiah 49:3). Others, however, regard the name as an appellative here. </p>

<p> '''''ā´ı̄''''' ( עי , <i> '''''‛ay''''' </i> , written always with the definite article, העי , <i> '''''hā''''' </i> - <i> '''''‛ay''''' </i> , probably meaning "the ruin," kindred root, עוה , <i> ''''''awah''''' </i> ): </p> <p> (1) A town of central Palestine, in the tribe of Benjamin, near and just east of Bethel (&nbsp;Genesis 12:8 ). It is identified with the modern Haiyan, just south of the village <i> '''''Dêr Dı̂wân''''' </i> (Conder in <i> HDB </i> ; Delitzsch in <i> [[Commentary]] on </i> &nbsp;Genesis 12:8 ) or with a mound, <i> '''''El''''' </i> - <i> '''''Tell''''' </i> , to the north of the modern village (Davis, <i> Dict. Biblical </i> ). The name first appears in the earliest journey of Abraham through [[Palestine]] (&nbsp;Genesis 12:8 ), where its location is given as east of Bethel, and near the altar which Abraham built between the two places. It is given similar mention as he returns from his sojourn in Egypt (&nbsp;Genesis 13:3 ). In both of these occurrences the King James Version has the form Hai , including the article in transliterating. The most conspicuous mention of Ai is in the narrative of the Conquest. As a consequence of the sin of [[Achan]] in appropriating articles from the devoted spoil of Jericho, the Israelites were routed in the attack upon the town; but after confession and expiation, a second assault was successful, the city was taken and burned, and left a heap of ruins, the inhabitants, in number twelve thousand, were put to death, the king captured, hanged and buried under a heap of stones at the gate of the ruined city, only the cattle being kept as spoil by the people (Josh 7; 8). The town had not been rebuilt when Josh was written (&nbsp;Joshua 8:28 ). The fall of Ai gave the Israelites entrance to the heart of Canaan, where at once they became established, Bethel and other towns in the vicinity seeming to have yielded without a struggle. Ai was rebuilt at some later period, and is mentioned by Isa (&nbsp;Isaiah 10:28 ) in his vivid description of the approach of the Assyrian army, the feminine form (עיּת , <i> ''''''ayyāth''''' </i> ) being used. Its place in the order of march, as just beyond [[Michmash]] from Jerusalem, corresponds with the identification given above. It is mentioned also in post-exilic times by Ezr (&nbsp;Ezra 2:28 ) and Neh (&nbsp;Nehemiah 7:32 , and in &nbsp;Nehemiah 11:31 as, עיּא , <i> '''''‛ayyā'''''' </i> ), identified in each case by the grouping with Bethel. </p> <p> (2) The Ai of &nbsp;Jeremiah 49:3 is an Ammonite town, the text probably being a corruption of ער , <i> '''''‛ār''''' </i> ; or העיר , <i> '''''hā''''' </i> - <i> '''''‛ı̄r''''' </i> , "the city" ( <i> BDB </i> ). </p>