AQUILA (3k'w1-1a). (Gr. 'Axi;Xas, a•-oolas, an eagle), a Jew with whom Paul became acquainted on his first visit to Corinth, a native of Pontus and by occupation a tent-maker.
Ile and his wife Priscilla had been obliged to leave Rome in consequence of an edict issued by the Emperor Claudius, by which all Jews were banished from Rome—hacros, impuhore Chreslo, assidue tumult:eon/es Roma extula (Sucton. Claud. c. 25; Ncander's Hillary of the Planting of the Christian Church, vol. i. p. 231 ; Lardner's Testimonies of Heathen Authors, ch. viii.). This decree was made not by the senate, but the em peror, and lasted only during his life, if even so long. NVhether Aquila and Priscilla were at that time converts to the Christian faith cannot be positively determined; Luke's expression, wpocriXdev cuirois he came to them (Acts xviii :2). as Kuinocl observes, rather implies that Paul sought their society on grounds of friendship, than for the purpose of persuading them to em brace Christianity. On the other hand, if we suppose that they were already Christians. Paul's joining himself to them is highly probable; while. if they were still adherents to Judaism, they would have been less disposed than even unconverted gentiles to form an intimacy with the Apostle. At all events, they had embraced Christianity' before Paul left Corinth; for we are informed that they accompanied him to Ephesus, and meeting there with Apnllos. who 'knew only the baptism of John,' they 'instructed him in the way of God more perfectly' (Acts xviii :25. 26). From that time they appear to have been zealous promoters of the Christian cause. Paul styles them his 'helpers in Christ Jesus.' and intimates that they had ex posed themselves to imminent danger on his ac count (Rom. xvi :3. 4). though of the time and place of this transaction we have no information. When Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans they were at Rome; but sonic years after they returned to Ephesus, for Paul sends salutations to them in his Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim iv :19; Lardner's Credibility, part ii ch. t t 1 Their oc cupation as tent-makers probably rendered it tic. cessary for them to keep a number of workmen constantly resident in their family, and to these (to such of them at least as had embraced the Christian faith) may refer the remarkable expres sion, 'the Church that is in their house,' rite Aar' o'"/Kow aairwv i,,Kx,priay.
The Greeks call Aquila bishop and apostle, and honor him on July The festival of Aquila and Priscilla is placed in the Roman Calendar, where he is denoted Bishop of Heraclea, on July 8, (Calmet).
AR (dr), (Heb. awr, a city) the capital city of the Moabites (Num. xxi :28; Deut. ii:9, 18, :s9), near the river Amon (Num. It appears to have been burnt by King Sihon (Num. xxi :28), and Isaiah, in describing the future calamities of the Moabites, says, 'In the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence' (Is. xv:i). In his comment on this passage, Jerome states that in his youth there was a great earthquake, by which Ar was destroyed in the night time. This he evidently regards as a fulfilment of the prediction. The Greek name be came Areopolis. The city was also called Ariel of Moab, Rabbalt or Rabbath, and, to distinguish it from Rabbath of Ammon, Rabbath-Moab. Ptol emy calls it Rabmathon: Stcph. Byzantinus, Ra bathmoma ; and Abulfeda (Tab. Syr., p. 9o), Rabbath, and also Mab. The site still bears the name of Rabbah. Is. xvi :7, it calls it "the city with walls of burnt brick:" in Hebrew Kirha rescheth, or Kirjathhares.
The spot has been visited and described by Seetzen, Burckhardt, Legh, Macmichael, and Irby and Mangles. It is about i7 miles east of the Dead Sea, to miles south of the Amon (Modjeb), and about the same distance north of Kerek. The ruins of Rabliab are situated on a low hill, which commands the whole plain. They present nothing of interest except two old Roman temples and some tanks. Irby and Mangles (Letters, p. 457) remark, with surprise, that the whole circuit of the town does not seem to have exceeded a mile; hut it is obvious from the descriptions that the city whose ruins they saw was a comparatively modern town, less important and exten•ive than the ancient metropolis of Moab.
ARA Wra), (Heft ar aw', lion), one of the sons of Jetties (t (Iron. vii:38), B. C. before lot7.