are all mere varieties of one ultimate religious conception, presenting in different countries certain differences, due to varying development according to local circumstances and national character.”​—Edited by J. Hastings, 1904.

The ancients ranked the temple of Artemis at Ephesus as one of the seven wonders of the world. It was an imposing structure made of cedar, cypress, white marble, and gold.

For the great festivals held in the month of Artemision (March-April) visitors numbering hundreds of thousands arrived at Ephesus from all of Asia Minor. One feature of the celebration was the religious procession, with the image of Artemis being paraded about the city in a most jubilant manner.

The making of silver shrines of Artemis proved to be a profitable enterprise for Demetrius and other Ephesian silversmiths. Therefore, when the apostle Paul’s preaching in Ephesus caused a considerable number of persons to forsake the unclean worship of this goddess, Demetrius stirred up the other craftsmen, telling them that not only did Paul’s preaching pose a threat to their financial security but also the danger existed that the worship of the great goddess Artemis would come to nothing. This culminated in a riot that was finally dispersed by the city recorder.​—Ac 19:23-41; see EPHESUS.

(A·rubʹboth) [Windows].

A town that served as an administrative center under one of the 12 deputies assigned by King Solomon to provide food for the royal household. The son of Hesed functioned there, having oversight over Socoh and the land of Hepher. (1Ki 4:7, 10) Arubboth is presently identified with modern ʽArraba, situated near Dothan and about 14 km (9 mi) N of Samaria, hence in the territory of Manasseh.

(A·ruʹmah) [Height; Exalted Place].

A town in the territory of Ephraim in which Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, resided and from which he launched his attack on the Shechemites. (Jg 9:41) It is tentatively identified with Khirbet el-ʽOrmah (Horvat ʼel-ʽUrmeh), about 8 km (5 mi) SE of Shechem. Some suggest that it is the same as the Rumah referred to at 2 Kings 23:36.​—See RUMAH.

(Arʹvad).

In Ezekiel’s prophetic dirge concerning Tyre reference is made to men from Arvad who served as skilled rowers in Tyre’s navy and as valorous warriors in her army. (Eze 27:8, 11) Arvad is identified with the small rocky island today known as Arwad, lying about 3 km (2 mi) off the coast of northern Syria, about 186 km (116 mi) NNE of Tyre. The inhabitants were descendants of Canaan.​—Ge 10:15, 18.

(Arʹvad·ite) [Of (Belonging to) Arvad].

A member of the family descended from Ham through Canaan and that evidently inhabited Arvad, an island just off the northern coast of Syria. (Ge 10:6, 15, 18; 1Ch 1:16) The only other mention of them is Ezekiel’s reference to Arvadites as being skilled sailors and valiant soldiers for Tyre.​—Eze 27:8, 11.

(Arʹza).

Steward of the household of Elah, king of Israel (c. 952 B.C.E.), in whose house in Tirzah the king was “drinking himself drunk” when assassinated by Zimri.​—1Ki 16:9, 10.

(Aʹsa).

1. The third king of Judah following the division of the nation into two kingdoms. Asa was the son of Abijam (Abijah) and the grandson of Rehoboam. He reigned for 41 years (977-937 B.C.E.).​—1Ki 15:8-10.

Asa’s Zeal for Pure Worship. Judah and Benjamin had become steeped in apostasy during the 20 years following the split of the nation into two kingdoms. “Like David his forefather,” Asa demonstrated a zeal for pure worship and courageously set about cleaning the male temple prostitutes and the idols out of the land. He removed his grandmother, Maacah, from her position as a sort of ‘first lady’ of the land because of her making “a horrible idol” to the sacred pole, or Asherah, and he burned the religious idol.​—1Ki 15:11-13.

The record at 2 Chronicles 14:2-5 states that Asa “removed the foreign altars and the high places and broke up the sacred pillars and cut down the sacred poles.” However, 1 Kings 15:14 and 2 Chronicles 15:17 indicate that “the high places he did not remove.” It may be, therefore, that the high places referred to in the earlier Chronicles account were those of the adopted pagan worship that infected Judah, while the Kings account refers to high places at which the people engaged in worship of Jehovah. Even after the setting up of the tabernacle and the later establishment of the temple, occasional sacrificing was done to Jehovah on high places, which was acceptable to him under special circumstances, as in the cases of Samuel, David, and Elijah. (1Sa 9:11-19; 1Ch 21:26-30; 1Ki 18:30-39) Nevertheless, the regular approved place for sacrifice was that authorized by Jehovah. (Nu 33:52; De 12:2-14; Jos 22:29) Improper modes of high-place worship may have continued in spite of the removal of the pagan high places, perhaps because the king did not pursue their elimination