the son of Eliphaz, by Timna his concubine, and the grandson of Esau. Gen. xxxvi. 12. and 1 Chr. i. 36. Amalek succeeded Gatam in the government of Edom. He was the father of the Amalekites; a powerful people who dwelt in Arabia Petra, between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, or between Havila and Shur (1 Sam. xv. 7.); sometimes in one canton, and sometimes in another. It does not appear that they had cities: for there is no mention of any but one in the Scriptures (id. iv. 5.); they living generally in hamlets, caves, or tents.

The Israelites had scarce passed the Red Sea on their way to the wilderness, before the Amalekites came to attack them in the deserts of Raphidim (Ex. xvii. 8. &c.); and put those cruelly to the sword who were obliged, either through fatigue or weakness, to remain behind. Moses, by divine command, directed Joshua to fall upon this people; to record the act of inhumanity which they had committed in a book, in order to have it always before his eyes; and to revenge it in the most remarkable manner. Joshua therefore fell upon the Amalekites, and defeated them while Moses was upon the mountain, with Aaron and Hur in company. Moses, during the time of the engagement, held up his hands, to which the success of the battle was owing; for as often as he let them down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses's hands being tired, Aaron and Hur supported his arms, and held them extended, while the battle lasted, which was from morning till the approach of night, when the Amalekites were cut in pieces. This happened in the year of the world 2513, before Christ 1491. The ground of the enmity of the Amalekites against the Israelites is generally supposed to have been an innate hatred from the remembrance of Jacob's depriving their progenitor both of his birthright and blessing. Their falling upon them, however, and that without any provocation, when they saw them reduced to so low a condition by the fatigue of their march and the excessive drought they laboured under, was an inhuman action, and justly deserved the defeat which Joshua gave them. Under the Judges (v. 3.), we see the Amalekites united with the Midianites and Moabites, in a design to oppress Israel; but Elrud delivered the Israelites from Eglon king of the Moabites (Judges iii.), and Gideon (chap. viii.) delivered them from the Midianites and Amalekites. About the year of the world 2930, Saul marched against the Amalekites, advanced as far as their capital, and put all the people of the country to the sword; but spared the best of all the cattle and moveables, contrary to a divine command; which act of disobedience was the cause of Saul's future misfortunes.

After this war, the Amalekites scarce appear any more in history. However, about the year of the world 2949, a troop of Amalekites came and pillaged Ziklag, which belonged to David (1 Sam. xxxi.), where he had left his two wives Ahinoam and Abigail; but he returning from an expedition which he had made in the company of Achish into the valley of Jezreel, pursued them, overtook and dispersed them, and recovered all the booty which they had carried off from Ziklag.

The Arabians maintain Amalek to have been the son of Ham and grandson of Noah; that he was the father of Ad and grandfather of Shedad. Calmet thinks that this opinion is by no means to be rejected; as it is not very probable that Amalek the son of Eliphaz, and grandson of Esau, should be the father of a people so powerful and numerous as the Amalekites were when the Israelites departed out of Egypt. Moses in the book of Genesis (xiv. 7.) relates, that in Abraham's time, long before the birth of Amalek the son of Eliphaz, the five confederate kings carried the war into Amalek's country, about Kadesh; and into that of the Amorites, about Hazerothamar. The same Moses (Num. xxiv. 20.) relates, that the diviner Balaam, observing at a distance the land of Amalek, said, in his prophetic style, "Amalek is the first, the head, the original of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever." Our commentator observes, that this epithet of the first of nations cannot certainly agree with the Amalekites descended from the son of Eliphaz, because the generation then living was but the third from Amalek. Besides, Moses never reproaches the Amalekites with attacking their brethren the Israelites; an aggravating circumstance which he would not have omitted were the Amalekites descended from Esau; in which case they had been the brethren of the Israelites. Lastly, we see the Amalekites almost always joined in the Scripture with the Canaanites and Philistines, and never with the Edomites; and when Saul made war upon the Amalekites, and almost utterly destroyed them, we do not find that the Edomites made the least motion towards their alliance, nor to revenge them afterwards. Thence it is thought probable, that the Amalekites who are so often mentioned in Scrip-

Vol. I. Part II. of a few years caused them to prefer lodging that power in the hands of a duke elected for the term of his natural life. Under these governors Amalfi attained the summit of her military and commercial glory. It extended its territory, which reached eastward from Vico Vecchio, and westward to the promontory of Minerva, including likewise the island of Caprea, and the two islands of the Galli. Towards the north it comprehended the cities of Lettere, Gragnano, Pimontio, and Capule di Franchi; towards the south, those of Scala, Ravelli, Minorì, Majuri, Atrani, Tramonti, Agurula, Citara, Praiano, and Roflano.

Leo IV. found the Amalfitans an useful ally in his wars with the infidels, and honoured the commonwealth with the title of Defender of the Faith. The Neapolitans, with whom, as Greek vassals, they were united in strict bonds of friendship, experienced many signal favours at their hands; and the Muslims themselves found it expedient to court their alliance, and to enter into treaty with them. Their situation had from the beginning given them a turn to commerce, and their attention to naval affairs so much consequence in the eyes of their protector, the emperor of Constantinople, that by his orders a court was established at Amalfi for the decision of all controversies arising in maritime transactions. Its code and reports became the general rule in those cases throughout this part of Europe; its precedents and decrees were allowed to be good authority to found judgment upon even in foreign tribunals.—To crown the mercantile and naval glory of the republic, it was referred to the lot of an Amalfitan to make, or at least to perfect, the most important discovery ever made for the improvement of navigation. Palitano, a village which stands on the shore a few miles west of Amalfi, boasts of having given birth to Flavius Gioia, the inventor of the mariner's compass.

The merchants of this town engrossed the trade of the Levant, and transacted the commercial business of the world in a lucrative and exclusive manner. The Pisans, Venetians, and Genoese, rose upon their ruin; and after monopolizing the emoluments of trade for some ages, made way for the more comprehensive and daring spirit of the present maritime powers.

At present Amalfi is subject to Naples, and is the see of an archbishop. It is but a shadow of what it was in its flourishing state, when it extended over the stupendous rocks that hang on each side, still crowned with battlemented walls and ruined towers. Its buildings, Mr Swinburne says, are not remarkable for elegance or size; and contain at most 4000 inhabitants, who seem to be in a poor line of life. The cathedral is an uncoth building. Under the choir is the chapel and tomb of the apostle St Andrew; in whose honour the edifice was dedicated, when Cardinal Capuano in 1208 brought his body from Constantinople.