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Herrera, Abraham Cohen de

(Encyclopedia)Herrera, Abraham Cohen de ār-rāˈrä [key], c.1570–1635, Jewish philosopher and kabbalist, also called Alonso Nunez de Herrera and Abraham Irira. Born possibly in Portugal of a Marrano family, his...

Meshullam

(Encyclopedia)Meshullam mĕshŭlˈəm [key], in the Bible. 1 Ancestor of Shaphan. 2 Son of Zerubbabel. 3 See Meshelemiah. 4 See Shallum (4) and (7.) 5 Father-in-law of Johanan (10.) 6 Repairer of the wall. 7 Assist...

Ashdod

(Encyclopedia)Ashdod ăshˈdŏd, ăshdōdˈ [key] [Heb.,=stronghold], city, SW Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is Israel's leading port after Haifa. Construction is Ashdod's main i...

Saul

(Encyclopedia)Saul, first king of the ancient Hebrews. He was a Benjamite and anointed king by Samuel. Saul's territory was probably limited to the hill country of Judah and the region to the north, and his proximi...

Frank, Jacob

(Encyclopedia)Frank, Jacob, c.1726–1791, Polish Jewish sectarian and adventurer, b. Podolia as Jacob Ben Judah Leib. He founded the Frankists, a heretical Jewish sect that was an anti-Talmudic outgrowth of the my...

American Civil Liberties Union

(Encyclopedia)American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Founded (1920) by such prominent figur...

Kings, books of the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Kings, books of the Bible, originally a single work in the Hebrew canon. They are called First and Second Kings in modern Bibles, and Third and Fourth Kingdoms in the Greek versions, where the books o...

Shallum

(Encyclopedia)Shallum shălˈəm [key], in the Bible. 1 King of Israel for a month. He killed King Zachariah for the throne and was himself killed by Menahem. 2 King of Judah: see Jehoahaz (2.) 3 In 1 Kings, husban...

Necho 609–593 b.c., king of ancient, Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Necho nēˈkō [key], 609–593 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, 2d ruler of the XXVI dynasty, the son and successor of Psamtik and grandson of Necho, lord of Saïs. Necho took advantage of the confusion ...

Shalmaneser I

(Encyclopedia)Shalmaneser I shălmənēˈzər [key], d. 1290 b.c., king of Assyria. He restored the temple at Assur, established a royal residence at Nineveh, and removed the capital from Assur to Calah, c.18 mi (2...