Castle (Hastings' Dictionary)

1. The word, .ttij, rendered castle in the AV of Gn 25", Nu 31'°, ] Ch G", denotes properly a circular group of tents, the encannmicnt of a nomad tribe — RV 'encampment'; LXX f-ravXis; 1 Ch Kwfit); Vulg. nppiditm, ca.stellxm, aula, etc. In English translations of the Bible till the I6th cent., 'castle,' like the Latin rasttllum, is otten used in the sense of ' \'illage ' ; but the rendering of the AV seems to be due to the influence of Jewish tradition. Thus in the Targs. n-j-j is rendered by «;■!;, i.e. s large town, Onk. in Gn 25'" ; KTJ?n = castrii, T. Jer. ib.; ((i?;T5, i.e. a fortress, T. Jer. in Ezk 2,5''. Similarly, the word is rendered in- correctly ' palace,' Ps 69=° AVm ; Ca 8° AV. 2. It seems to have been the custom, from an early date, amon;; the inhabitants of Pal., to eiect in their towns a fortified tower or citadel, e.g. the CASTOR AND POLLUX CATHOLIC EPISTLES 359 'tower' ('>-;;) of Penuel (Jg 8»- "), or of Thebez (i6. 9"'-) ; the ' hold ' (n-is) and tower of Shechem {ib. 9^'-) ; the ' stronghold ' of Zion at Jerusalem (2 S 5'- » = 1 Ch 1 y- ', AV ' castle '). Citadels of a similar character were built in connexion with the royal palaces at Tirzah (1 K 16') and at Samaria (2 K 15'^) ; but the word here used, i'C-iN, which does not appear before the royal period, is applied not only to a castle or fortress (Pr 18", CI. Ps 48", La 2°), but generally to palaces or prominent buildings (cf. Hos 8", Am 3"-, Jer 9" SO"' etc.). Many of the kings, of Judah devoted their attention to strengthening their dominions by fortifying cities in strong positions, and build- ing towers and castles to protect outlying districts (2 Ch 17'- 21\ cf. 1 Ch 27"; on the word ni-j-j-j, aee below). Such measures are ascribed especially to Jehoshaphat and Jotham. In the time of Nehemiah we hear of a castle or citadel in Jerusalem, which is apparently con- nected with the temple (Neh 2 7^). The term .Tj-j, which is found only in late Hebrew, is applied to the Temple of Solomon (1 Ch 29'-"'), and to the Persian royal castle or palace at Susa (Neh 1', Dn 8', Est passim) : it is prooably of Persian origin (6aru = fortress, castle), ami a derivative from it, nVrj'3, also occurs (2 Ch 17'" 27). The citadel of Nehemiah stood probably on the site afterwards occupied by the castle of the Hasnionajan high priests and kings, to which Josephua gives the name of jSapit (Ant. XV. xi. 4, XVIII. iv. 3; IVars, 1. XXL 1). When the temple was rebuilt, Herod also rebuilt and strengthened this fortress, caUing it Antonia after his patron M. Antonius. It stood on the north side of the temple, with which it was connected by means of cloisters and stairs (icoTa^Jdfff.s, Jos. ll^ars, V. v. 8 ; di-a/SaO/iof, Ac 2P'). Under Koman rule, the one cohort, which formed the permanent garrison at Jerusalem, was stationed in this fortress, for its position enabled the ollicer in comnand to keep watch over the temple and its courts. From the fort of Antonia the com- mandant (xiXiapxos) with his soldiers appeared on the occasion of the riot raised against St. Paul (Ac 21""'), while in the barracks attached to the fort (Topc^oXr), lit. camp, AV castle) the apostle was confined till he was sent under escort to Csesarea (Ac 21" 22» 23'°). The destruction of the commnnications between Antonia and the temijle was one of the first acts of the Jews on the outbreak of the rebellion in A.D. 66 (Jos. ]Vars, II. xv. 0). In MaccabcCan times we hear of another citadel in Jerusalem, in the city of David, which, both in 1 and 2 Mac and in Josephus, bears the name of 'A/cpo, also "AKpiiroXit (2 ftlac i"-^ 5"). Though not originally built by Antiochus Epiphanes (see 2 Mac il.c), it was newly fortified by him, and occupied by a Syrian garri.son (1 Mac l^-»«, Jos. Ant. XII. V. 4). The Jews, under the leadersliip of the Maccabees, made several ineffectual attempts to expel the Syrians (1 Mac G"'-='^ IU''» 11^"); but it was not till B.C. 142 that Simon forced the garrison to capitulate, and entered the citadel in triumph (1 Mac 13»-"). According to 1 Mac 14*"-, Simon strengthened and garrisoned the fort ; but Josephus (^n<. XIII. vi. 7; Wars, V. iv. 1) re- lates that the fort was destroyed, and the hill on which it stood levelled after three years' continuous labour, in order that it might no longer overlook the temple. The site of Acra is much dis|Mited ; but the question whether it stood north (.so most writers) or south of the temple (.Schiirer, //.//' I. i. 207 f. ; IJenzinger, Jleb. Arc/uiol. i>. 47), cannot be discussed here. A. White. CASTOR AND POLLUX See DloscuM.