ASYLUM ; CENSER; INCENSE; SACRIFICE-) (7) Altar at Athens. St. Paul, in his ad mired address before the judges of the Are opagus at Athens. declares that he perceived that the Athenians were in all things too superstitious. The Greek word Aocriaawovearipovs occurs lien.' (PIIV, and is of ambiguous signification, being capable of a good. had, or indifferent sense. Most mod ern, and sonic ancient, expositors hold that it is here to be taken in a good sense (very religious). as it was not the object of the apostle to give needless offense. This explanation also agrees best with the context, and with the circumstances of the case. A man may be 'very religious.' though his religion itself may be false.
The Apostle states that, as he was passing by and beholding their devotions, he found an altar, inscribed To the t'nknown God,' and adds, with unexpected force, 'Him whom ye worship without knowing. I set forth unto you' (Acts xvii:22, 23).
The questions suggested by the mention of an altar at Athens, thus inscribed 'to the unknown God.' have engaged much attention, and differ ent opinions have been, and probably will continue to be, entertained on the subject.
The principal difficulty arises from this, that the Greek writers, especially such as illustrate the Athenian antiquities, make mention of many altars dedicated to the unknown gods, but not of any one dedicated to the unknown god.
We must be content to rest in the conclusion of Professor Robinson : 'So much at least is cer tain, that altars to an unknown god or gods ex isted at Athens. But the attempt to ascertain definitely whom the Athenians worshiped undd this appellation must ever remain fruitless for want of sufficient data. The inscription afforded to Paul a happy occasion of proclaiming the Gos pel, and those who embraced it found indeed that the being whom they had thus "ignorantly worshiped" was the one only living and true God.' .
(al-tAs'leith), (Heb. rn , destroy, or corrupt not), title to the following Psalms : lvii ; lviii ; lix ; lxxv. It seems to indicate that the tune to which it is sung is a vintage song. (See Is. lxv :8.) , •