Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/251

205 Adoni-bezck's former greatness was to show liow verv powerful anil wealthy were the Canaanites whom Israel conciuereil by the jrrace of God. For even Adonihezek, compared with oIIkis anioni; them, must liave been only an unimportant chiefsince bis

tain;

name

is lacliinj;

in

list

lli<-

of kinj;s

and tliis in spite of the fact that lie had subjugated seventy other kinijs (Yalk. on Judges, § 37, quoted from Sifre, but not found in Josh.

il-'.'4.

.ii.

L- G.

there).

ADONIJAH Data:

1.

—

Lord "). Biblical Fourth son of David, by Haggitb. Aflcr

("Yah

is

Alisiilom's death he claimed to be the rightful heir to the throne, by sinnmoning the court otlicials to a

Adonijah was suitsacrilice"(I Kings, i. 5). planted by Solomon through the iutiuence of Bathsheba, tlu' mother of the latter, and through the diplomacy of the prophet Xathan. After his retirement he was put to death by Solomon for seeking in marThis was reriage Abishag, Davi<rs concubine. garded as an act of constructive treason (I Kings, ii. J. F. McC. 25 [A.V. 2«]). solemn

In Rabbinical Literature: According rabbis, the cNpression

"and

his

to the

mother bare him afler

" (I

Kings, i. (i) is used to indicali- thai bolh Ah.salom these sons of David were of the same tyi)e and that their actions were similar (B. B. W%. Midr. Teh. on ii. 7), as is .shown by the fact that both were itretenders to the throne, an<l that each kejtt ti^ty runners. These were not ordinary footmen, but were men whose spleens had been cut out and the tlesliy soles of whose feel ba<l been cut away, both of which operations were held to make runnin.gcasy (Sanh. 21/;: "Ab Zarah, •I4i- AH this, however, was of no avail His inca|)acity for the throne was rcto Adonijaii. viali'd liy the fact that the

crown of David

ilid

not

tit

him; this crown miraculously titteil the legitimate kings of the house of David only (Sanh., I.e.). The rabi)is ascribe Adonijali'sdealh at the handsof Solo-

mon

to his an.xiety to usurj) the

(pience of whirli

throne, in conse-

Solomon seized the

first

prete.vt

put his ludtbcrout of the way (I Kings, ii. L- «• V^rl ",1/.; Yer. I'eah, i. Ui.O. 2. A Levite of thetime of .lehoshaphat (11 Chron, 3. One of the chiefs of the people at the .wii. S). In Ezra, ii, 13; time of the restoration (Xeli. .. 16). viii. i:i, and Xeh. vii. IH he ajtpears under the name The latter form is probablv correct. of Adonikam.

olferecl to

"

J.

F.

McC,

ADONIM HA-LEVI, S. Din sii iun Laiuiat. ADORAM, HADORAM ADONIKAM i

(:ils.i



Hxalled"); Superintendent of thecolh-elion of taxes in the reigns of David. Solomon, and HeliolioariM" Adoram," liSam. x..24; " lladonim," II Chron. X, IH). In liolh cases, the Septtiagint gives "Adoniram." He was stoned to death liy Iheseceding Israelites in the reign of Ui-hobonni. by whom he lia<l been sent to collect the tax in the north (I Kings,

"The Lord

iv.

(1;

is

V. 14;

xii.

(J.

IH).

B. L."

ADONIS (BAAL OF THE PHENICIANS). See

T WlMl

/

ADONIS PLANT. See Naam. , ADONI-ZEDEK ("Zedek is Lord"): Jerusalem

a(

esline (.losh

the

Adonai Melek

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

205

the lime of the x.

I.

neighboring

Hebrew

King of

invasion of

I'al

lr led a coalition of live of Amorile cities to resist the inva:i).

were defi'alcil at Gibi'on. and suffered at Helh-horon, not only from Ihcir pursuers, The live allied but also from u great luul siorm. kings took refuge in a cave at Makkcchih and were

sion. but the allies

Adon 'Olam

imprisoned there until after the battle, when Joshua that they be brought before him whereupon they were brought out, humiliated, and put to death. The name Adoni-zedek seems to be corrupted into Adonibezek in Judges, i. 5-7.

commanded



BIBI.IOORAPIIV: Q. F. Mcwre, Juilgi:', In International Critical

Ciimmentary,

p.

115.

D. G. L,

In Rabbinical Literature: According to the Midrash, the name Adoni-zedek means "Master of

—

Zedek'" that is, "of Jerusalem," the city of righteousness (?«/cA-; Gen. K. xliii. 6). L. G.

ADON 'OLAM (Q^lj;

]nx) Music One of the by nil is in the Jewish liturgy, the nobility of the did ion of which and the smoothness of whose vcrsiticat ion have given it unusual im])ortance. According to the custom of the Seiiliardim and in British synagogues generally, it is congregationally sung at the close of the Sabbath and festival morning services, and among the Ashkenazim also it few



slrietly nu-trieal

often takes the place of the hymn Yiodai. at the close of the evening service on these occasions, while both hymns are almost uuiversjUly chanted on the Eve of Atonement. Because of this solemn association, and on accomit of its o|M-ning and closing sentiments, the hymn has also been selected for readIt is likewise ing in the chamlicr of the dying. printed at the commencement of the daily morning prayer, that its utterance may help to attune the mind of the worshiper to reverential awe. In the Sephardic version the hymn comprises six stanzas of two verses each, but the fourtli {which is but an amplilication of the third) is omitted by the Ashkenazim. For so wide-spread and beloved a hymn, the traditional tunes are singularly few. Onlv four Of or five of them deserve to be called traditional. these the oldest appears to be a short melody of below). Spanish origin (.see Of similar construction is a melody of northern origin associated by English Jews with the penitential season (see 15 below). This melody is often .sung antiphonally, between ]irecentor and congregation, allhongli it was obviously intended for congregational rendering only, The best like the Spanish tune given above it. known of the other traditional antiphoual settings exists in two or three forms, the oldest of which appears to be the one given below (C). Every one of the synagogal composers of the nineteenth century has written several settings Most of them following the for "Adon 'Olam." earlier jiractise of the continental synagogues during the moilern period (see Cnont) have attempted more or less elaborately poly]>honic com]msilions. But the absurdity of treating an essentially congregational hymn so as to render congregational singing of it iiiipossible is latterly becoming recognized, and many tunes in true hymn form have bein more Special mention should be made receiitlv comiiosed. of the si'tting written by Simon V. Waley (IHiT-TIi) for the West London Synagogue, which has become a classic among the British Jews, having iK'cn long ago adopted from the "reform" into the "orthodox " conirregations of England and her colonies. It is here excerpted from the music-book of that synagogue bv the wardens' kind pennission (see F. L. C, bVlow).'

A

— —

D

I

is one of the most familiar whole range of the Jewish liturgy,

The Adon 'Olam

hymns

in the

einployed

in the

various rituals

all

over the world,

always at Ihcsiime period of the service or on llw same occasions; thus in the Uoman Mahzor nd of Ihi' Sabbath service and is placed at tti. it thouirii not

.