Ava
A'va (Hebrews Avva', עִוָּא, ruin; Sept. Αουά, 2Ki 17:24), also IVAH (Hebrews Ivvah', עִוָּה, same signif.; Sept. Α᾿ουά, 2Ki 18:34; 2Ki 19:13; but in Isa 37:13, unites with the preceding word, Α᾿ναεγγουγαυά v. r. Α᾿ναγουγάυα), the capital of a small monarchical state conquered by the Assyrians, and from which King Shalmaneser sent colonies into Samaria. The early Jewish translators (Symmachus and the Targums) understand it as a mere appellative; but it is associated with other proper names as a city. Some take it for the river, or rather the town which gave name to the river Ahava of Ezr 8:21 (Bellermann, Handbuch, 3, 374); but this name is quite different in the Hebrews (אהִוָא). Iken (Dissertt. Philol. Theolog. p. 152) would identify it with the Phoenician town Avatha, mentioned in the Notitia Vet. Dignitatum Imper. Romans (but the reading here is rather doubtful, see Reland, Palaest. p. 232 sq.); or with the town of Abeje, between Beirut and Sidon, which Paul Lucas mentions as the seat of a Druse prince. Michaelis supposes it to be the land of the Avites between Tripoli and Beirut, because they are described as worshippers of Nibhaz (2Ki 17:31), an idol which he compares with the great stone dog that formerly stood in that quarter, on which account the Lycus obtained its name of Nahr el-Kelb, Dog River (comp. Mannert, VI, 1:380). This, however, rests upon a confusion of the Avim of 2Ki 17:31, with those of De 2:23; Jos 13:3. SEE AVITE. Avva or Ivvah was doubtless a city of Mesopotamia, in the region indicated by the associated names (Babylon, Cuth, Hamath, Sepharvaim), perhaps somewhere farther east, in the direction of the classical Aria.
