ARBITE (ar'bite), a native of Arabia. I'aarai, the Arbite, was one of David's guards (2 Sam. xxiii:35)• .
ARCH (arch), (II eb. , Arches with vaulted chambers and domed temples figure so conspicuously in modern Orien tal architecture that, if the arch did not exist among the ancient Jews, their towns and houses could not possibly have offered even a faint re semblance to those which now exist ; and this being the case, a great part of the analogical illus trations of Scripture which modern travelers and Biblical illustrators have obtained from this source must needs fall to the ground. It is therefore of importance to ascertain whether the arch did or did not exist in these remote times fo which most of the history of at least the Old Testament belongs. Nothing against its exist ence is to be inferred from the fact that no word signifying an arch can be found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The word so rendered in Ezek. 22. 26. 29. has not that meaning.
The architectural notices in the Bible are neces sarily few and general ; and we have at this day histories and other books, larger than the sacred volume, in which no such word as 'arch' occurs. I here is certainly no absolute proof that the Israelites employed arches in their buildings; but if it can be shown that arches existed in Egypt at a very early period, we may safely infer that so useful an invention could not have been unknown in Palestine or unemployed in their buildings. Palestine was indeed better wooded than Egypt : hut still that there was a deficiency of wood suitable for building and for roofs is shown by the fact that large importations of timber front the forests of Lebanon were necessary (2 Sam. vii :2. 7; i Kings v :6; t Citron. xxii : 2 Chron. ii :3 ; Ezra ill :7: Cant. i :17), and that this im ported timber, although of no very high quality, was held in great estimation.