high-priest of the Jews, and brother to Moses, was by the father's side great grandson, and by the mother's, grandson of Levi. By God's command he met Moses at the foot of Mount Horeb, and they went together into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel: he had a great share in all that Moses did for their deliverance. The Scriptures call him the prophet of Moses, and he acted in that capacity after the Israelites had passed over the Red sea. He ascended Mount Sinai with two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of the people; but neither he nor they went higher than half way, from whence they saw the glory of God; only Moses and Joshua went to the top, where they stayed forty days. During their absence, Aaron, overcome by the people's eager entreaties, set up the golden calf, which the Israelites worshipped by his consent. This calf has given rise to various conjectures. Some rabbies maintain that he did not make the golden calf, but only threw the gold into the fire, to get rid of the importunities of the people; and that certain magicians who mingled with the Israelites at their departure from Egypt, cast this gold into the figure of a calf. According to some authors, the fear of falling a sacrifice to the resentment of the people, by giving a refusal, made Aaron comply with their desire: and they allege also, that he hoped to elude their request, by demanding of the women to contribute their ear rings, imagining they would rather choose to remain without a visible deity, than be deprived of their personal ornaments. This affair of the golden calf happened in the third month after the Israelites came out of Egypt. In the first month of the following year, Aaron was appointed by God high-priest; which office he executed during the time that the children of Israel continued in the wilderness. He died in the fortieth year after their departure from Egypt, upon Mount Hor, being then 123 years old; A.M. 2522, of the Julian period 3262, before the Christian era 1452.

Caraites, a learned Jew who flourished about the year 1299. He left many works on the Old Testament, among which there is one entitled, "A Commentary on the Pentateuch," which has been much valued. It was written in Hebrew, and printed in folio with a Latin translation, at Jena, in 1710.

Aaron, another Caraites Jew, who lived in the 15th century, wrote a concise Hebrew grammar, entitled Chelil Yophi, "the Perfection of Beauty," which was printed at Constantinople in 1581.

Aaron and Julius, Saints, were brothers who suffered martyrdom together, during the persecution under the emperor Diocletian, in the year 303, about the same time with St Alban the first martyr of Britain. We are not told what their British names were, it being usual with the Christian Britons, at the time of baptism, to take new names from the Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Nor have we any certainty as to the particulars of their death; only that they suffered the most cruel torments. Two churches were dedicated to the brothers, in which their bodies were interred, at Caerleon, the ancient metropolis of Wales.

Harun, Al Rashed, a celebrated caliph, or Mahometan sovereign of the Saracen empire; whose history is given under the article Bagdad.

Arseens, Francis, Lord of Someldyck and Spycck, was one of the greatest ministers for negotiation the United Provinces could ever boast of. His father, Cornelius Aarleins, was register to the States; and being acquainted with Mr Pleiss Mornay, at the court of William prince of Orange, he prevailed upon him to take his son under him, with whom he continued some years. John Olden Barneveldt, who presided over the affairs of Holland and all the United Provinces, sent him afterwards agent into France, where he learned to negotiate under those profound politicians Henry IV, Villeroy, Siller, Roffie, Jaonin, &c. and he acquitted himself in such a manner as to obtain their approbation. Soon after, he was invested with the character of ambassador, and was the first who was recognized as such by the French court; at which time Henry IV declared, that he should take precedence next to the Venetian minister. He resided in France 15 years; during which time he received great marks of esteem from the king, who created him a knight and baron; and for this reason he was received among the nobles of the province of Holland. However, he became at length odious to the French court, that they desired to have him recalled. He was afterwards deputed to Venice, and to several German and Italian princes, upon occasion of the troubles in Bohemia. He was the first of three extraordinary ambassadors sent to England in 1620, and the second in 1641; in which latter embassy he was accompanied by the lord of Brederode as first ambassador, and Heemvliet as third, to negotiate the marriage of Prince William, son of the prince of Orange, with a daughter Aba, daughter of Charles I. He was likewise ambassador extraordinary at the French court in 1624, at the beginning of Cardinal Richelieu's administration, who had a high opinion of him. The memoirs which he has left, of the negotiations in which he was engaged, show him to have been one of the ablest men of his time, and worthy of the confidence and trust reposed in him by his country. But his character is not altogether without stain. His enmity to the remontrants was bitter and unrelenting; and he is supposed to have greatly encouraged the violent measures pursued by Prince Maurice against the venerable Barneveldt, and to have been the principal adviser for assembling the famous and persecuting synod of Dordrecht. He died at a very advanced age; and his son, who survived him, was reputed the wealthiest man in Holland.

ASAR, in Ancient Geography, a town of Palestine, in the tribe of Judah, situated between Azotus and Ascalon. In Jerome's time it was a hamlet.