Here is my configure call:
./configure --prefix=/usr/local \         
  --with-shared-apache=../apache-1.3-rus \
  --with-mod_charset \                    
  --with-gd \                             
  --with-mysql \                          
  --with-hyperwave \                      
  --with-xml \                            
  --with-zlib \                           
  --with-dbase \                          
  --with-filepro \                        
  --with-config-file-path=/etc/apache \   
  --enable-safe-mode \                    
  --enable-track-vars \                   
  --enable-magic-quotes \                 
  --enable-memory-limit \                 
  --enable-sysvsem \                      
  --enable-sysvshm        

Please, note  --with-dbase flag. This configuration attempts to staticaly
link apache 1.3.6 with php3 module. libphp3 compiles just fine,
even, there is another nasty bug - it gets name libphp3-so.a,
which isn't what apache expected (libphp3.a). But this easy
to fix via "mv" :)

Ok, everything ready, but during apache compilation ld failes, cause it unable to resolve
symbols from functions/dbase.o. Short overview shows, that
there is no -ldbf in the linker flags, that was sent by
mod_php3 to apache (apci) and there is not libdbf.a itself
somewhere in the make scope - /usr/local/lib/ or in src/modules/php3/. This makes make to fail....

all 3 magic steps for php3 - configure; make; make install;
- was performed.... So, something :> missed in comfiguration.