ARSENAL.

The ancient Hebrews had each man his own arms, because all went to the wars; they had no arsenals or magazines of arms, because they had no regular troops or soldiers in constant pay. (See ARMY).

There were no arsenals in Israel till the reigns of David and Solomon. (See ARMOR).

David made a large collection of arms and consecrated them to the Lord in his tabernacle (1 Samuel 21:9; 2 Samuel 8:7-12; 1 Chronicles 26:26-27). The high-priest Jehoiada took them out of the treasury of the temple to arm the people and Levites on the day of the young king Joash's elevation to the throne (2 Chronicles 23:9). Solomon collected a great quantity of arms in his palace of the forest of Lebanon, and established well-provided arsenals in all the cities of Judah, which he fortified (2 Chronicles 11:12). He sometimes compelled the conquered and tributary people to forge arms for him (1 Kings 10:25). Uzziah not only furnished his arsenals with spears, helmets, shields, cuirasses, swords, bows, and slings, but also with such machines as were proper for sieges (2 Chronicles 26:14-15). Hezekiah had the same precaution; he also made stores of arms of all sorts (see 2 Chronicles 32:5; comp. 2 Kings 20:13). Jonathan and Simon Maccabseus had arsenals stored with good arms; not only such as had been taken from their enemies, but others which they had purchased or commissioned to be forged for them (1 Maccabees 10:21; 1 Maccabees 14:23; 1 Maccabees 14:42; 2 Maccabees 8:27; 2 Maccabees 15:21). (See ARMORY).