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Babylonia

(Encyclopedia)Babylonia băbĭlōˈnēə [key], ancient empire of Mesopotamia. The name is sometimes given to the whole civilization of S Mesopotamia, including the states established by the city rulers of Lagash, ...

Kassites

(Encyclopedia)Kassites or Cassites both: kăsˈīts [key], ancient people, probably of Indo-European origin. They were first mentioned in historical texts as occupying the W Iranian plateau. In the 18th cent. b.c. ...

Tiglathpileser III

(Encyclopedia)Tiglathpileser III, d. 728 b.c., king of ancient Assyria. He seems to have usurped the throne in 745 b.c. He bore the alternative name of Pul, by which he was known in biblical history (2 Kings 15.19)...

Diaspora

(Encyclopedia)Diaspora dīăsˈpərə [key] [Gr.,=dispersion], term used today to denote the Jewish communities living outside the Holy Land. It was originally used to designate the dispersal of the Jews at the tim...

Chaldaea

(Encyclopedia)Chaldaea or Chaldea both: kăldēˈə [key], properly the southernmost portion of the valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. Sometimes it is extended to include Babylonia and thus comprises al...

Larsa

(Encyclopedia)Larsa lärˈsə [key], ancient city of S Babylonia, in modern Iraq, 30 mi (48 km) NW of An Nasiriyah. It was the biblical Ellasar (Gen. 14.1). When the last king of the third dynasty of Ur was overthr...

Shinar

(Encyclopedia)Shinar shīˈnär [key], in the Bible, the whole or a part of Babylonia. ...

Zedekiah

(Encyclopedia)Zedekiah zĕdˌəkīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 Last king of Judah. He was the third son of Josiah to occupy the throne, the others being Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. Zedekiah, whose name was originally Ma...

Hammurabi

(Encyclopedia)Hammurabi hämo͝oräˈbē [key], fl. 1792–1750 b.c., king of Babylonia. He founded an empire that was eventually destroyed by raids from Asia Minor. Hammurabi may have begun building the tower of B...

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