Archite in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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What is an Archite?
THE AR'CHITE
the designation always coupled, in the Bible, with the name of Hushai, David's faithful friend, 2 Sam 15:32; 2 Sam 16:16; 2 Sam 17:5-14; 1 Chr 27:33. It is not certain to what it refers--perhaps to "the districts of Erech which lay on the frontier of Ephraim, but this is mere conjecture." ARCHITECTURE arises out of the necessities of human life, and before it becomes an art it administers to the primary demands of civilization. Cain built a small city, Gen 4:17, and after the Flood other cities were built. Gen 10:10-12; Gen 11:1-9. Damascus and Hebron existed in the days of Abraham. Remains of Arch of Bridge between Zion and Moriah, and near the Jews' Wailing-place. (From Photograph.) The patriarchs, being nomads, lived in tents. During their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews became acquainted with architecture as an art, and they were compelled by force to take part in the construction of huge monuments. Ex 1:11. Hence it was natural that their imagination should be deeply impressed by Egyptian architecture, and that they acquired some knowledge of the science on which it was based. But during their wanderings in the wilderness they had no opportunity to display it, except in the construction of the tabernacle; and at the conquest of Canaan they found forts and cities prepared by other hands. Jud 1:16-26. It was not till the reigns of David and Solomon that Hebrew architecture suddenly started into existence. The influence from Egypt at once made it self felt. David enlarged Jerusalem, improved its fortifications, and built a palace on Mount Zion, perhaps also the original walls of the great mosque at Hebron. Solomon built another palace, "the house of the forest of Lebanon," a palace for his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh, gigantic water-works south of Bethlehem, still known under the name of "Solomon's Pools," and finally the greatest, and we may say the only great, monument of Hebrew architecture, the temple. These buildings were, to a large extent, erected by Phoenician workmen, 2 Sam 5:6-11, and we may easily believe that Phoenician taste has made itself felt in many details. But so far as it is possible to reconstruct the temple after the descriptions given of it in the Bible, it must as a whole have reminded the spectator of Egyptian architecture. The remains of an arch of the bridge between Zion and Moriah, and the remnants of the old wall, called the "Wailing-place of the Jews," show the massiveness of the old Hebrew structures; and from the descriptions it is apparent that everywhere in these buildings, the temple as well as the palaces, the straight line and the right angle were predominant. But massiveness of construction and straightness of form are two of the most prominent features of Egyptian architecture. The successors of David and Solomon continued to build, and several kings of both Israel and Judah are mentioned as having encouraged architecture. Nor did the nation as a whole forget the art. After the return from Babylon the Jews were able to fortify Jerusalem and rebuild their temple themselves. Ezr 3:8-10; Ezr 6:14; Neh 3; Neh 6:15. Herod the Great was a great builder, and introduced the Greek and Roman styles of architecture. The temple reconstructed by him before and during the life of our Lord was totally destroyed in a.d. 70. For further details see Temple; for details concerning the Jewish architecture, see Dwelling.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'archite' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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