Asbestus, Asbestos

( Min.) See AMIANTHUS. As'bury, FRANCIS, an American divine, and one of the pioneers of Methodism in the U. States, B. in England, 1745. He was sent by John Wesley as a mi ionary to this country, and, in 1784, was appointed first bishop of the newly constituted Methodist organization. D. 1816. Asbury, in New Jersey, a post-village of Warren co., in Mans field township, about 40 m. N.N.W. of Trenton. As'cal on, ASH'KELON, AS'KELON, one of the five cities of the Philistines, on the Mediterranean, W.S.W. of Jerusalem, on the main road from Egypt through Gaza to central Palestine. Very often mentioned in Scripture, A. rose to considerable importance in past biblical times. Near the town were the temple and sacred lake of Derceto, the Syrian Venus. A great victory was won here by the crusaders in 1099. The position of A. is naturally very strong. Near the ruins of the city, stands now a village of the same name. The eschalot or shallot, a kind of onion (Allium escalonicum), was first grown there. Fig. 207 is a copy of a medal of A. representing the Syrian Venus Derceto or Derketos. The dove is the insignia of Venus; the ship implies her arising from the sea; the staff is an ensign of command; and the branch is a memorial of the olive-branch brought by the dove to the great patriarch. Fig. 207.-MEDAL OF ASCALON. Asca'nius. ( Myth .) A son of Æneas and Creusa, who accompanied his father in his flight from the burning of Troy, and landed in Italy. He ably supported Æneas in his war with the Latins, and succeeded him in the government of Latium. He afterwards built Alba Longa, to which he transferred his seat of government from Lavinium, and reigned there 38 years. His descendants ruled over Alba for 420 years.