ELATERIUM, ELATERIUM, in pharmacy, a violently purgative
Elath || Eleesaites. gative medicine, prepared from the wild cucumber. ELATH, or ELOTH, a part of Idumea, situated upon the Red Sea, which David in his conquest of Edom took (2 Sam. viii. 14.), and there established a trade to all parts of the world. His son, we see, built ships in Elath, and sent them from thence to Ophir for gold, 2 Chr. viii. 17, 18. It continued in the possession of the Israelites about 150 years, till in the time of Joram, the Edomites recovered it (2 Kings viii. 20.); but it was again taken from them by Azariah, and by him left to his son, 2 Kings xiv. 22. His grandson Ahaz, however, lost it again to the king of Syria (ib. xvi. 6.); and the Syrians had it in their hands a long while, till after many changes under the Ptolemies, it came at length into the possession of the Romans.