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AHVAZ

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 434 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AHVAZ , a See also:

town of See also:Persia, in the See also:province of See also:Arabistan, on the See also:left See also:bank of the See also:river See also:Karun, 48 m. S. of See also:Shushter,in 31° 18' N., 49° E. It has been identified with the Aginis of See also:Nearchus, Soo stadia from See also:Susa, a'nd occupies the site of what was once an extensive and important See also:city. Of this See also:ancient city vast remains are left, extending several See also:miles along the bank of the river. Among the most remarkable are the ruins of a See also:bridge and a citadel, or See also:palace, besides vestiges of canals and See also:water-See also:mills, which tell of former commercial activity. There are also the ruins of a See also:band, or See also:stone See also:dam of See also:great strength, which was thrown across the river for the purposes of See also:irrigation. The band was 1150 yds. in length and had a See also:diameter of 24 ft. at its See also:base. Remains of massive structure are still visible, and many single blocks in it measure from 8 to to ft. in thickness. Ahvaz reached the height of its prosperity in the 12th and 13th centuries and is now a collection of wretched hovels, with a small rectangular fort in a See also:state of ruin, and an Arab See also:population of about 400. Since the opening of the Karun to See also:foreign See also:commerce in See also:October 1888, another See also:settlement called Benderi N6,ssiri, in compliment to the Shah Nassir ed din (d. 1896), has been established on a slight See also:elevation overlooking the river at the point below the rapids where steamers come to See also:anchor, about one mile below Ahvaz. It has See also:post and See also:telegraph offices; and agencies of some See also:mercantile firms, a See also:British See also:vice-See also:consul (since 1904) and a See also:Russian consular See also:agent (since 1902) are established there.

The new See also:

caravan road to See also:Isfahan, opened for See also:traffic in 1900, promised, if successful; to give Ahvaz greater commercial importance. AI [See also:Sept. `Ayyal, 'Ayyat and See also:rat; Vulg. See also:Hai], a small royal city of the Canaanites, E. of See also:Bethel. The meaning of the name may be " the stone heap "; but it is not necessarily a See also:Hebrew word. See also:Abraham pitched his See also:tent between Ai and Bethel (Gen. xii. 8, xiii. 3) ; but it is chiefly noted for its captureand destruction by See also:Joshua (vii. 2-5, viii. 1-29), who made it " a heap for ever, even a desolation." It is mentioned by See also:Isaiah (x. 28), and also after the captivity (See also:Ezra ii. 28; Neh. vii.

32), See also:

bat then probably was not more than a See also:village. In the later Hebrew writings the name sometimes has a feminine See also:form, Aiath (Is. x. 28), Aija (Neh. xi. 31). The definite See also:article is usually prefixed to the name in Hebrew. The site was known, and some scanty ruins still existed, in the See also:time of See also:Eusebius and See also:Jerome (Onomast., s.v. 'Ayyal). Dr E. See also:Robinson was unable to discover any certain traces of either name or ruins. He remarks, however (Bib. Researches, ed. 1856, i. p.

443), that it must have been See also:

close to Bethel on See also:account of Biblical narrative (Josh. viii. 17). A little to the See also:south of a village called See also:Deir Diwan, and one See also:hour's See also:journey southeast from Bethel, is the site of an ancient See also:place called 'KhirbetHaiydn, indicated by reservoirs hewn in the See also:rock, excavated tombs; and See also:foundations of hewn stone. This may possibly be the site of Ai; it agrees with all the intimations as to its position. ; It has also been identified with a See also:mound now called et-Tell (" the heap "), but though the name of a neighbouring village; See also:Turin= Aya, is suggestive, it is in the wrong direction from Bethel. In this view See also:recent authorities, such as G. A. See also:Smith, generally coincide. See See also:Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement, 1869, p. 123; 1874, p. 62; 1878, pp. 10, 132, 194; 1881, p.

254. (R. A. S.

End of Article: AHVAZ

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