AQUINAS, or D'AQUINO, THOMAS, called the Angelic Doctor,' was born sometime between I224 and 1227. He died 7th March 1274, under fifty years of age, exhausted by constant study and by labour as a lecturer on theology. His works fill, in one edition (Ven. 1529), 18 vols. folio, and in another (Par. 1636-41), 23 vols. folio. A consider able portion of these is occupied in expository treatises on Scripture. These consist chiefly of extracts from the Fathers, especially Augustine, of whom Thomas was a sincere admirer. He care fully arranges their opinions, but mixes them up with much of his own scholasticism. His aurca catena on the four Gospels is the most valuable of his expository works ; it has been translated into English, and issued as part of the library of the Fathers. He wrote also an exposition of St. Paul's epistles. It contains less of value than might have been expected from the exercise of so great a mind on such writings.—W. L. A.
AR (1j.); Sept. 'Hp), the capital city of the Moabites (Num. xxi. 28; Deut. ii. 9, 18, 29), near the river Arnon (Deut. ii. 18, 24; Num. xxi. 13 '5). 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. 1). In his comment on this passage, Jerome states that in his youth there was a great earth Attake, by which Ar was destroyed in the night time. This he evidently regards as a fulfilment of
the prediction, which, however, had probably some less remote reference. Latterly the name of the city was GrEecised into Areopolis.
This city was also called Rabbah or Rabbath, and, to distinguish it from Rabbath of Ammon, Rabbath-Moab. Ptolemy calls it Rabmathon Steph. Byzantinus, Rabathmoma; and Abulfeda (Tab. Syr., p. 90), Rabbath, and also blab. The site still bears the name of Rabbah. The spot has been visited and described by Seetzen, Burckhardt, Legh, Macmichae], and Irby and Mangles. It is about 17 miles east of the Dead Sea, to miles south of the Amon (Modjeb), and about the same distance north of Kerek. The ruins of Rabbah 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. Burckhardt says, half an hour in circuit,' and that no trace of walls could be found: but it is obvious from the descriptions that the city whose ruins they saw was a comparatively modern town.—J. K.