x.  11,  12;  cp.  Jon.  i.  2).  According  to  Ashur-
nasirpal  (about  885-860  B.  c.)  it  was  built  or
rebuilt,  embellished,  and  fortified  by  Shal-
maneser,  who  reigned  about  1300  B.  c.  Early
in  the  ninth  century  B.  c.  it  had  fallen  into
decay,  but  was  restored  by  Ashurnasirpal,
who  erected  a  palace  and  made  the  city  the
place  of  royal  residence.  Calah  remained
the  favorite  dwelling  place  of  the  Assyrian
kings  for  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty
years.  Its  ruins,  now  called  Niinrud,  lie
about  20  miles  south  of  Nineveh.
Cal'a-mus  [Greek  kalamos,  a  reed,  a  cane].
The  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  K'neh  bosem,


reed  of  fragrance,  and  Kaneh,  cane,  reed,
when  an  odorous  variety  is  intended.  The
plant  was  sweet  smelling  (Song.  iv.  14),  a  con
stituent  of  the  anointing  oil  (Ex.  xxx.  23),
and  used  in  connection  with  sacrifice  (Is.
xliii.  24  and  Jer.  vi.  20,  margin  of  R.  V.).  It
wras  brought  from  a  far  country  (Jer.  vi.  20).
The  Tyrians  obtained  it  apparently  from
Javan,  the  regions  of  western  Asia  Minor
and  Greece  (Ezek.  xxvii.  19).  What  came
from  Europe  was  probably  the  Acorus  calamus,
or  common  Sweet  Sedge  of  England,  an  en
dogenous  plant,  with  a  spadix  and  spathe,
akin  to  the  Aroids,  but  belonging  to  the  al
lied  order  of  the  Orontiacese  or  Orontiads.
The  rhizome  or  underground  stem  is  aro
matic.  If  an  Indian  plant  is  permissible,
then  the  calamus  was  probably  the  Andro-
pogon  calamus  aromalicus,  a  genuine  grass,
which,  like  its  near  ally,  the  Lemon  Grass,
A.  schcenanthus,  is  highly  scented.
Cal'col,  in  A.  V.  once  Chalcol  [sustenance,
maintenance].
One  of  three  sons  of  Mahol,  each  of  whom
was  celebrated  for  wisdom  (1  Kin.  iv.  31  ;  1
Chron.  ii.  6).
Cal'dron.    See  POT.
Caleb.
