AM'ORITES. The name of a people of Canaan (II. Samuel xxi : 12; Amos ii : 9, 10). The name is known outside of biblical literature, occurring on both the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions. The Egyptian documents speak of a people called the Amar. In the Assyrian monttnrents Nebuchadnezzar I. styles himself the conqueror of the "land of Amurru," while even earlier we know of Amurru from the Tel-el Amarna tablets. The name was applied origin ally to the highlands in the northeast and gradu ally spread southward (Genesis xiv : 7; Deute ronomy i : 7-44) and westward, where it met the term Canaan. From that time on 'considerable confusion took place in the use of the name. Sometimes the terms coalesce. Amorite being used for the whole of Canaan (II. Samuel xxi: 12 Amos ii: 9, I0) ; again sonic tribes are called Amorites in one place and another name in an other (.Joshua x :5: Joshua xv : 63). In the nar rower sense, the Amorites lived on the eastern side of the .Jordan, and at the time of the inva sion of the .Jews had two kingdoms, under Og and Sishon, respectively. This land the Amorites
had held against the IIittites on the north and the on the south. lr two battles the Amorites were defeated and their land annexed to the territory west of the Jordan (Denteronomy xxxi : 4). Alt]rough subdued, they were far from being exterminated, or else the injunction against intermarriage with the Amorites would have been unnecessary. And the injunction further proses their final history. They lived as tribu taries among the conquering nation, as in the days of Solomon, and were most likely ab sorbed.
The meaning 'of the name has been given in two ways. According to some scholars the root idea is "high," "lofty, ° "mountaineers," as op. posed to the Canaanites, the lowlanders; while according to others the "high" is to be applied not to the locality but to the size of the men. Of the two, the first is preferable, though it should be added that there are strong objections to be urged against the explanation. Consult Sayee, Races of the Old Testament (London, 1891).