Aphaca (τὰ '῎Αφακα, according to the ancients, from the Heb., אָפִק, aphaks, to embrace, with reference to the loves of Venus and Adonis, Etymol. Mag. s.v.; see Movers, Phnm. 1, 192), a town of Coele-Syria, midway between Heliopolis and lyblus (Zosim. Hist. 1, 58), a position, as Reland thinks (Paloest. p. 315), not inconsistent with the other notices of the place as being situated on Lebanon. It was notorious for its temple of Venus, where all the abominations of an impure idolatry were practiced to such a degree that Constantine destroyed it (Euseb. Vit. Const. 3, 55; Sozomen, Hist. Eccl. 1, 5). Near it was a lake celebrated for certain marvellous properties (Seneca, Quest. Nat. 3, 25). It has been regarded as identical with the APHEKI SEE APHEKI (q.v.) of Jos 19:30, and the Aphik of Jg 1:31. Seetzen first observed the probable coincidence of Aphaca with the present A4fka, a village of the region indicated, and containing ruins (Reisen, 1, 245), which have since been described by Thomson (in the Bibliotheca Sacra, 1838, p. 5). The lake has been identified with that now called Limru, three hours distant (Burckhardt, Travels, p. 25), but Robinson thinks it is rather the neighboring spring (new ed. of Researches, 3, 607).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More