Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Joseph of Arimathea, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Joseph of Arimathea, Saint ârˌĭməthēˈə [key], in the New Testament, wealthy man, probably a member of the Sanhedrin, who gave the body of Jesus a decent burial. The Christian Church has always ...

Stifter, Adalbert

(Encyclopedia)Stifter, Adalbert äˈdälbĕrt shtĭfˈtər [key], 1805–68, Austrian writer, b. Bohemia. Learned in law, mathematics, and science and accomplished as an artist, he was a tutor to important families...

Siloam

(Encyclopedia)Siloam sīlōˈəm [key], pool, SW corner of Jerusalem in the Kidron valley, mentioned in the Bible. A nearby 1,700-foot-long (518 m) tunnel, dating from the time of Hezekiah, diverted water underneat...

Simeon

(Encyclopedia)Simeon or Symeon both: sĭmˈēŏn [key], in the Bible. 1 Second son of Jacob and Leah and ancestor of the southernmost tribe of Israel. He and his tribe are seldom mentioned individually. 2 Devout ma...

Callias, d. c.370 b.c., Athenian leader

(Encyclopedia)Callias, d. c.370 b.c., Athenian leader, one of the generals of the Peloponnesian War. In his old age Callias was one of the ambassadors sent to Sparta with Callistratus to negotiate a peace treaty in...

Winnipeg, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Winnipeg, Lake, third largest lake of Canada, 9,465 sq mi (24,514 sq km), 264 mi (425 km) long and from 25 to 68 mi (40–109 km) wide, S central Man., Canada, N of Winnipeg. It is a remnant of glacia...

Walton, Izaak

(Encyclopedia)Walton, Izaak, 1593–1683, English writer. He wrote one of the most famous books in the English language, The Compleat Angler; or, the Contemplative Man's Recreation. The first edition appeared in 16...

White, Walter Francis

(Encyclopedia)White, Walter Francis, 1893–1955, American civil-rights leader, b. Atlanta, Ga., grad. Atlanta Univ., 1916. From 1931 until his death he was secretary of the National Association for the Advancement...

centaur

(Encyclopedia)centaur sĕnˈtôr [key], in Greek mythology, creature, half man and half horse. The centaurs were fathered by Ixion or by Centaurus, who was Ixion's son. Followers of Dionysus, they were uncouth and ...

block book

(Encyclopedia)block book. Before and after the invention of printing from movable types in the mid-15th cent., some books were printed in Europe from engraved wooden blocks, with one block for each page. This metho...