Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Duniway, Abigail Scott

(Encyclopedia)Duniway, Abigail Scott dŭnˈəwāˌ [key], 1834–1915, American editor and advocate of women's rights, b. near Groveland, Ill. She went to Oregon with her family in 1852 and the next year married Be...

Nollekens, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Nollekens, Joseph nŏlˈĭkənz [key], 1737–1823, English sculptor, b. London. He studied in Rome and in 1770 returned to London, where he became the most fashionable portrait sculptor of his day. A...

Becher

(Encyclopedia)Becher bēˈkər [key], in the Bible. 1 Son of Benjamin. In First Chronicles “his first-born” should perhaps be read “Becher”; cf. Bocheru. See Bichri. 2 Son of Ephraim. His descendants are ca...

Rachel, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Rachel rāˈchəl [key], in the Bible, wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She is one of the four Jewish matriarchs. An alternate form is Rahel. ...

Constantine XI, Byzantine emperor

(Encyclopedia)Constantine XI (Constantine Palaeologus), d. 1453, last Byzantine emperor (1449–53), brother and successor of John VIII. To secure Western aid against the Turkish assault on what remained of the emp...

An Najaf

(Encyclopedia)An Najaf än näˈjäf [key], city (2020 pop. 874,000), S central Iraq, on a lake near the Euphrates River. The city, one of Shi'a Islam's holiest, is also called Mashad A...

Hariri

(Encyclopedia)Hariri (Abu Muhammad al-Kasim al-Hariri) härēˈrē [key], 1054–1122, Arab writer of Basra. His principal work is one of the most popular of Arabic books. It is called Makamat [literary assemblies]...

Ghor

(Encyclopedia)Ghor, Ghowr go͝or [key], mountainous region and province (1979 est. pop. 341,000), 14,085 sq mi (36,479 sq km), W central Afghanistan, including a ruined medieval city of the same name. Chagcharan i...

National Museum of African American History and Culture

(Encyclopedia)National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C., a division of the Smithsonian Institution. Devoted to the collection, presentation, and preservation of the culture of Africa...

Leo Africanus

(Encyclopedia)Leo Africanus ăfrĭkāˈnəs [key], c.1465–1550, Moorish traveler in Africa and the Middle East. His Arabic name was Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad. Captured by pirates, he was sent as a slave to Pope Leo X...