am·mo·nite /ˈæməˌnaɪt/
 菊石


 Am·mon·ite n.  Paleon. A fossil cephalopod shell related to the nautilus. There are many genera and species, and all are extinct, the typical forms having existed only in the Mesozoic age, when they were exceedingly numerous. They differ from the nautili in having the margins of the septa very much lobed or plaited, and the siphuncle dorsal. Also called serpent stone, snake stone, and cornu Ammonis.

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 ammonite
      n : one of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct
          mollusks [syn: ammonoid]


 Ammonite
    the usual name of the descendants of Ammon, the son of Lot (Gen.
    19:38). From the very beginning (Deut. 2:16-20) of their history
    till they are lost sight of (Judg. 5:2), this tribe is closely
    associated with the Moabites (Judg. 10:11; 2 Chr. 20:1; Zeph.
    2:8). Both of these tribes hired Balaam to curse Israel (Deut.
    23:4). The Ammonites were probably more of a predatory tribe,
    moving from place to place, while the Moabites were more
    settled. They inhabited the country east of the Jordan and north
    of Moab and the Dead Sea, from which they had expelled the
    Zamzummims or Zuzims (Deut. 2:20; Gen. 14:5). They are known as
    the Beni-ammi (Gen. 19:38), Ammi or Ammon being worshipped as
    their chief god. They were of Semitic origin, and closely
    related to the Hebrews in blood and language. They showed no
    kindness to the Israelites when passing through their territory,
    and therefore they were prohibited from "entering the
    congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation" (Deut. 23:3).
    They afterwards became hostile to Israel (Judg. 3:13). Jephthah
    waged war against them, and "took twenty cities with a very
    great slaughter" (Judg. 11:33). They were again signally
    defeated by Saul (1 Sam. 11:11). David also defeated them and
    their allies the Syrians (2 Sam. 10:6-14), and took their chief
    city, Rabbah, with much spoil (2 Sam. 10:14; 12:26-31). The
    subsequent events of their history are noted in 2 Chr. 20:25;
    26:8; Jer. 49:1; Ezek. 25:3, 6. One of Solomon's wives was
    Naamah, an Ammonite. She was the mother of Rehoboam (1 Kings
    14:31; 2 Chr. 12:13).

      The prophets predicted fearful judgments against the Ammonites
    because of their hostility to Israel (Zeph. 2:8; Jer. 49:1-6;
    Ezek. 25:1-5, 10; Amos 1:13-15).

      The national idol worshipped by this people was Molech or
    Milcom, at whose altar they offered human sacrifices (1 Kings
    11:5, 7). The high places built for this idol by Solomon, at the
    instigation of his Ammonitish wives, were not destroyed till the
    time of Josiah (2 Kings 23:13).