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ing sustained considerable loss in an attempt to emancipate themselves from their thraldom, brought the Ark of God into their camp, to invigorate their people with fresh courage, and to strike a terror into their enemies. But this extraordinary measure was only a prelude to their complete defeat, in which the two sons of Eli, who bare the Ark, were killed, and that sacred symbol of the divine presence fell into the hands of the Philistines. When the fatal tidings of these disasters were brought to Eli, on hearing that the Ark of God was taken, he was unable to bear up under the afflicting intelligence, and falling backwards from his seat, broke his neck, and died. At the time of his death he was ninety-eight years of age. 1 Sam. chap. i.-iv. Joseph. Antiq. lib. v. cap. 11, 12. Usser. An

nal. Vet. & Nov. Test.-M.

ELIAS LEVITA, a learned Jewish rabbi, who flourished in the sixteenth century, was a native of Germany, but spent the greater part of his life at Rome and at Venice, in which cities he taught the Hebrew language to numerous christian pupils, among whom there were even some cardinals. He was one of the most learned and enlightened critics of whom the modern Jews have to boast, who judiciously exploded many of their unfounded traditions; and, among others, that which refers the invention of the vowel points to so high an antiquity as the time of Ezra, ascribing it, with great probability, to the Jewish doctors of the school of Tiberias, about the sixth century of the christian era. A work of his, entitled "Massoret Hammassoret," and his "Sepher Zickroneth," or collection of Massoretic observations from ancient authors, will be found of essential service in illustrating the difficulties of the Massora. He has also contributed more than any other of the learned Jews to facilitate our aquaintance with the Targums, or Chaldee paraphrases, by drawing up "A Chaldaic, Talmudic, and Rabbinic Lexicon," which was published in 1541, in folio. Besides the treatises above mentioned, R. Levita was the author of a Hebrew glossary, entitled "Thisbi," which was published by Paul Fagius, in Hebrew and Latin, in 1542, 8vo.; several works on Hebrew grammar, besides illustrations of Kimchi's valuable performance on the same subject, highly useful to those who would thoroughly understand the Hebrew tongue; "Traditio Doctrinæ," 4to. in Hebrew, 1538, and with the version of Munster, in 8vo. 1539; "Collectio Locorum in quibus Chaldæus Paraphrastes interjecit Nomen Christi, Låt. versa

VOL. III.

a Genebrardo," 8vo. 1572, &c. Simon's Hist. Crit. Old Test. chaps. xxiv. xxxi. Moreri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.-M.

ELIEZER, said to have been a Jewish rabbi, and the author of a work, entitled "The Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer," which is a compound of history and allegory. It is held in much esteem among the Jews, and considered to be one of the most ancient books in their possession. Some of them have placed the author in so early a period as the year 73 or 75 of the christian era, and represent him to have been one of the compilers of the Mishna. Father Morin, however, has shewn, that the writer of that book did not compile it before the year 700; and that he was most probably an impostor, who assumed the name of Eliezer, and collected the fabulous materials which are plentifully dispersed through it from the Talmud and other rabinical writings. Vorstius, in the preface to his translation of it, gives it also as his opinion, that it is of a much later date than the Jews pretend, and allows that it is replete with absurd tales and fables; but he contends at the same time, that it furnishes us with many valuable interpretations, which serve to illustrate the history and the traditions of the Jews. Moreri. Nouv. Dict. Hist.-M.

ELIJAH, sometimes called ELIAS, one of the greatest of the Hebrew prophets, had the surname of the Thisbite, most probably from the town or district in which he was born, and was a resident among the inhabitants of Gilead, if not a native of their country. He commenced his prophetic office nearly 920 years B.C. under the reign of Ahab, who was a prince of an impious character and introduced among the Israelites the abominable rites of the Sidonian idolatry. The first commission which the prophet received was to appear before Ahab, and, after severely reproving him for his apostacy from the worship of the one true God, to threaten him with a long drought, in which there should be no rain, unless it were in answer to the prophet's prayers. For this reproof and threatening Ahab was so incensed against Elijah, that he determined to make him feel his vengeance; but the prophet, on receiving a divine admonition, withdrew from his power, and retired to a secret place, where he was for some time miraculously sustained, as is particularly related in the Sacred Text. Afterwards he was commanded to remove to Zarephath, or Sarepta, a town in the territory of Sidon, where a poor widow was enabled to make provision for him by a miraculous interposition of 3 Z

Heaven, which multiplied her little store, in re- this event succeeded an abundant fall of rain, compence for her hospitality, and where the in answer to the prayers of Elijah, and as a furwidow's son, who had died, was restored to ther indication of the interposition of that God life, in answer to the prophet's prayers. At in whose name he acted. But when Ahab inthe expiration of three years of famine, which formed Jezabel of the victory obtained over the had been occasioned by the excessive drought, pretended power of her false deities, and of the Elijah was commanded again to present himself destruction of the priests, she was enraged to before Ahab, and to exhort him to that reforma- madness against Elijah, and threatened to take tion of conduct which so signal a display of the away his life. To avoid the effects of her rage, divine anger demanded. He first appeared be- he withdrew into the kingdom of Judah, and fore Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, afterwards into the wilderness, where he was who was a truly religious man, and had been miraculously supported until he was employed instrumental in preserving, at the hazard of his on new commissions in obedience to the divine life, many of the zealous worshippers of God, commands. His first commissions were to anand particularly such as belonged to the schools nounce to Hazael his future designation to the of the prophets, from the persecutions of Jeza- throne of Syria, and to Jehu the divine pleabel, Ahab's queen, who endeavoured to destroy sure that he should be king over Israel; and them. Obadiah was at this time about to tra- also to select and prepare Elisha the son of Shaverse a part of the kingdom in search of fresh phat to become his successor in the prophetical springs of water, to save alive some of the cattle character. Of these three persons it was diswhich were yet left, while Ahab was himself closed to him, that they should prove scourges to be employed on the same business in other in the hand of Heaven to punish the Israelites parts. When the prophet met Obadiah, he for their vices and idolatry. From this time said, "Go tell thy lord, behold Elijah is here." Elisha became the servant and companion of Obadiah, who reverenced the prophet, was ap- Elijah. The prophet was next sent to Ahab, prehensive that the delivery of such a message at Samaria, to denounce a dreadful sentence of would either prove fatal to Elijah, whose re- the divine vengeance against him and his postetreat the king had spared no pains to discover, rity, and against Jezabel, for the complicated or to himself, for not securing him when he acts of treachery, oppression, and murder, by was in his power; and therefore endeavoured which he had obtained possession of Naboth's to be excused from complying with the pro- vineyard. So great was the effect produced phet's desire. Being encouraged, however, upon Ahab by the prophetic message and reby assurances that Elijah was determined to proof, that he exhibited marks of the truest reshew himself to Ahab that day, he went to the morse and repentance for the crime which he king, and informed him of his coming. When had committed, and obtained a delay of the Elijah came into Ahab's presence, mutual in- full execution of the divine threatening till after vectives passed between the haughty monarch his own death. The last divine mission on and the undaunted prophet, who appears to which Elijah was employed was to meet the have promised rain to the king upon his com- messengers of Ahaziah, the successor of Ahab, plying with a proposition which he made to who, in consequence of an accident, was conhim. That was, to call an assembly of the peo- fined to his bed, and had sent to enquire of the ple of Israel at mount Carmel, at which all the oracle of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whepriests of the Sidonian deities should be sum- ther he should recover from that disaster. The moned to attend; when Elijah meant to afford prophet ordered them to return to the king, and a decisive evidence of the power of the God of inform him, that since, in his extremity, he Israel, and the nullity of those fanciful beings had chosen to have recourse to a vain idol, in-who had been worshipped instead of him. We stead of the God of Israel, he should not outrefer to the Sacred Books for the particulars live the accident which had befallen him, but that took place at that assembly, the narrative should surely die. When the king found, by of which cannot be abridged without injury to his enquiries after the person who had been so its beauty and effect. The result was a con- bold as to send him that message, that it proviction and public acknowledgment from the ceeded from Elijah, he ordered a captain and assembled Israelites of the unrivalled claims of fifty men to force him into his presence. After Jehovah to the honours of deity, and the de- Elijah had given signal proof of the power of struction of the priests of Baal, whom the peo- that God who protected him, by the destruction ple immediately put to death, as perverters of of that party, and of a second of equal number, the divine law, and teachers of idolatry. To who were sent on the same business, he received

the divine command to accompany a third captain, who acknowledged the hand of God in those terrible events and threw himself on the prophet's mercy, and went with him to the king. On entering the royal presence, he undauntedly repeated the message which had been before delivered, and pronounced that doom on the idolatrous monarch which was speedily verified by the event. Elijah having now discharged the duties of his prophetic appointment, was instructed to repair to a proper scene in which the last memorable event in his history was to take place, by his translation into heaven without being subjected to the common lot of mortality. Elisha still faithfully accompanied him, notwithstanding that the prophet would have tenderly taken his leave of him some time before his change; and after passing through different places, and across the river Jordan through a dry path miraculously formed amidst its waters, they approached the spot in which the separation was to take place between them. Before they parted, Elisha, as the last request that he was encouraged to make to his master, prayed that a double portion of his spirit might rest upon himself; which was promised him if he should be permitted to be an eyewitness to Elijah's departure from the world. "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." Such is an abstract of the Scripture history of this eminent prophet, as recorded in 1 Kings, ch. 17, 18, 19, 21, and 2 Kings, ch. 1, 2. Elijah's translation took place in the year 896 B.C. The Jews, by misconstruing the prophecy in Malachi iv. 5. had very generally entertained the opinion, that before the advent of the Messiah, Elijah would again personally appear on the earth, as the harbinger of that illustrious character. But if they had interpreted the prophetical language in this passage in the same manner which they were obliged to adopt in others, where a future prophet was promised in the name of a preceding one, as, for instance, the Messiah himself under the name of David, they could not have fallen into such an error. They would only have expected the coming of a prophet, as the forerunner of the Messiah, who should appear in the spirit and power of Elijah, or animated by the same sanctity, courage, and zeal for reformation, which distinguished that celebrated prophet. As to the numerous apocryphal tales and reveries which some of their writers, as well as some Christians and Mahometans, have related

concerning this prophet, we have no room for their insertion in our pages. The curious reader may find specimens of these fables in Bayle. Origen has cited a book, entitled "The Assumption, Apocalypse, or the Secrets of Elias," which he seemed to consider in the light of a genuine production; but it is now generally allowed to be supposititious. Bib. Sac. in Loc. sup. citat. Du Pin. Bayle. Anc. Univ. Hist. vol. IV. Blair's Chronol. Tables.-M.

ELIOT, JOHN, a pious divine of the seventeenth century, and not undeservedly called the Apostle of the North-American Indians, was a native of England, and born in the year 1604, but we are not informed of the place of his birth. He appears to have been educated in the university of Cambridge; after which he engaged in the employment of an usher to a school, with the design of entering upon the work of the ministry when a proper opportunity should offer. Having connected himself, however, with the puritan party, he became involved in the severities and oppressions exercised towards them during the reign of Charles I. and determined, like many other worthy men, to remove to America, that he might be enabled to follow the dictates of his conscience in matters of religion without molestation. This resolution he put in practice in the year 1631; and arriving at New England, became a member of the congregational or independent church at Boston. As the pastor of that church was then on a visit to England, for the sake of settling his affairs, Mr. Eliot was chosen to supply his place; and on his return would have been elected his colleague, if such a situation had been consistent with his engagements. But, before he quitted. England, he had promised several of his friends, that, if they should emigrate after him to the new world, before he had entered on the pastoral care of any other people, he would reserve himself for their service. These friends having, in the year 1632, removed to New England, and fixed their settlement at a town which they called Roxbury, a church was formed in that place, of which he was ordained minister a little time afterwards. In this situation he spent the greatest part of his life, highly respected for the diligence and acceptableness with which he discharged the pastoral functions, for his piety, prudence, exemplary moral conduct, humility, and benevolence. In matters relating to religious liberty, however, Mr. Eliot had not become enlightened by a recollection of the restrictions and inconveniences to which he had been subjected. For, notwithstanding that he had smarted under the effects

of spiritual power in England, and was a declared enemy to the authority claimed by an episcopal hierarchy, or the presbyterian constitution, yet he was an advocate for the establishment of frequent synods, in which delegates and messengers from the churches should have full power to suppress all damnable heresies, or pernicious opinions, to extinguish all dangerous divisions and scandalous contentions, and to rectify any disorders into which particular churches should be plunged. In other words, he maintained the divine right of congregational church authority, while he denied that of episcopacy or presbyterianism. Many other worthy men, who, for the sake of enjoying uncontrolled freedom of conscience, had emigrated to America, entertaining similar views, formed religious associations in conformity with them; and the reader of the ecclesiastical history of New England, subsequently to this period, will find, that though the form of spiritual domination in that country was different from the appearance which it made in the old world, yet, in its essence and exercise, it was often equally unfriendly to individual freedom and liberty of enquiry. On this point Mr. Eliot partook in the narrow turn of thinking which distinguished the times. But he deserves to be remembered with honour for his spirited and liberal exertions towards the establishment of a free grammar-school at Roxbury, which has proved a very useful nursery of knowledge in the New England States, and, from its beneficial effects, the incentive to the formation of many other institutions of the same kind. Mr. Eliot's greatest glory, however, arises from the disinterested zeal and indefatigable labours by which he endeavoured to introduce the advantages of civilisation and christian knowledge into the barbarous Indian tribes. To this work he began to devote a considerable part of his time in the year 1646, having been encouraged to the undertaking by many well-wishers to the interests of humanity and virtue, and particularly by his brethren in the ministry, who engaged to supply his place in the church at Roxbury whenever he should be absent among the Indians. The first step which he took was to learn their language, and reduce it to the form of a grammar, which he afterwards published. Having conquered this difficulty, he paid his first visit to an assembly of Indians, to whom he preached in their native tongue, in the year above mentioned. The success which he met with encouraged him to persevere in his truly philanthropic and generous undertaking during the remainder of his life; dividing his time be

tween the Indians and his flock at Roxbury, and not disheartened by the incredible hardships to which he was obliged to submit, the obstacles which he met with in the prejudices, suspicions, and brutal manners of the savages, and the terrible dangers to which he was exposed. His zeal and diligence likewise prompted him to engage in the arduous task of translating the whole Bible into the Indian language. When this work was completed, it was printed for the first time at Cambridge in New England, in 1664, and a little time after Mr. Eliot's death, a second time, with the corrections of Mr. Cotton, minister of Plymouth, who was a fellow-labourer in the Indian mission. Mr. Eliot afterwards translated into the same tongue several English treatises in practical divinity, catechisms, grammars, primers, &c. By his influence many of the wandering Indian tribes were collected into regular societies, and formed into congregations, which were instructed by him, and others who joined him in the work, in the manner best suited to their capacities; and schools were appointed, in which great numbers soon became proficients in reading and writing, and several were qualified for a more liberal education, which they afterwards received at college. To aid and encourage these measures for humanising and converting the Indians, large contributions were made in England, with which estates were purchased, and placed in the hands of trustees, who were afterwards incorporated by charter, under the name of "The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." Mr. Eliot's missionary labours were continued as long as his bodily strength permitted; and even when he was in the eighty-fourth year of his age, we are informed, that he was occasionally engaged in preaching to his Indian converts. He died at Roxbury in the latter end of 1689, or the beginning of 1690, when he had nearly attained to the advanced period of eighty-six years. Cotton Mather's Ecclesiastical History of New England, book iii. Neal's Hist. of New England, passim.-M.

ELIOTT, GEORGE-AUGUSTUS, lord HEATHFIELD, a military officer of singular merit, was the youngest son of sir Gilbert Eliott of Stobbs, in Roxburghshire, Scotland. He was born about 1718; and after receiving the rudiments of education under a domestic tutor, was sent at an early age to the university of Leyden, where he improved himself in classical learning, and acquired a knowledge of the French and German languages. As he was destined to a military life, his father properly resolved to give

him that professional course of instruction, which is too much neglected in the British army. At the royal military school of La Fere, in Picardy, he made himself master of the theory of tactics, and of fortification and engineering in all their branches; and then proceeding to the practice of the art, he made a tour through those parts of the Continent which afforded the most instruction, and concluded with serving some time as a volunteer in the Prussian army. Returning to Scotland in his seventeenth year, he was entered as a volunteer in the 23d regiment of foot, then lying at Edinburgh, in which station he continued above a twelvemonth. He afterwards went into the engineer corps at Woolwich; and at length, fully accomplished in discipline of various kinds, was presented by his uncle, colonel Eliott, with an adjutant's commission in the second troop of horse grenadiers. He diligently employed himself in perfecting the discipline of this body, with which he went to Germany in the war which ensued. He was in several actions, and received a wound at the battle of Dettingen. He rose through the gradations of captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel; and having now decided for this branch of the service, he resigned the commission as engineer which he had hitherto held. He was afterwards appointed aid-de-camp to king George II. and became distinguished as an able and steady officer. In 1759 he was appointed to raise the regiment of light horse which made itself so well known, under the name of Eliott's, for activity, discipline, and enterprise. This he commanded in Germany, where he acted as a staff-officer, and on all occasions maintained. his reputation. He was recalled from the Continent, in order to be sent as second in command on the expedition against the Havannah. There he not only distinguished himself in his military capacity, but displayed a disinterestedness and regard to justice, which, perhaps, were not the most prominent features of some of the conquerors of those times. At the peace his regiment, the 15th of light dragoons, obtained from the king the honorary appellation of Royals. The general continued to pay that attention to military affairs which became his ruling passion; and, in 1775, he was thought a proper person for the post of commander-in-chief of the troops in Ireland. But presently finding that there were political interferences in this department which he could not brook, he solicited to be recalled, without noise; and was soon after appointed to a station in which he might exercise his talents for command without control. This was the

important place of governor of Gibraltar, which proved the chief theatre of his glory. For this he was excellently fitted by a habit of unremitting vigilance and undeviating regularity, in addition to his thorough knowledge of all the detail of fortification and gunnery. He had, moreover, accustomed himself to a mode of life which rendered him superior to all the inconveniences and privations that can occur in a besieged fortress. No eminent man of his time, perhaps, unless it were the benevolent Mr. Howard, equalled him in sobriety and disregard: of animal gratifications. His food consisted solely of vegetables; his drink, of water. He never slept more than four hours at a time,. and thus was a personal witness of the performance of the garrison duties at those hours when most commanders depend upon other eyes than their own. The siege of Gibraltar, which began soon after the declaration of hostilities by Spain, was one of the most: remarkable events of the war, and attracted the notice of all Europe. With a very moderate number of men, Eliott foiled all the attempts of a numerous foe; and when the operations of the siege were quickened, and rendered more formidable, by the aid of a more active enemy, he still maintained that superiority of defence which kept danger at a distance.. The final very serious attack by the famous floating batteries only afforded one of the most magnificent spectacles of destruction ever beheld. Besides the spirit of exact discipline: which he infused into his garrison, and his judicious management of the means of defence, he was very assiduous in his attention to the preservation of the health of his men, under their long privations of fresh and wholesome diet. His own partiality for vegetable food: suggested to him extraordinary efforts to form. gardens on the scanty soil, which succeeded to a degree that proved highly beneficial. On his. return after the peace, the general was received. with great applause by the public; and the king,. besides conferring upon him the order of the Bath, raised him to the peerage in 1787, by: the style of lord Heathfield, baron Gibraltar.. He was meditating a return to his government, with the intention of ending his life on the rock. he had so well defended,, when he was prevented by a paralytic stroke, which carried him off at Aix-la-Chapelle, in July, 1790, in his se venty-third year. By his lady, the daughter of sir Francis Drake, of Devonshire, he left a son and a daughter.-A.

ELIPAND, archbishop of Toledo in the. eighth century. He was the friend of Felix

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