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Sabbatai Zevi

(Encyclopedia)Sabbatai Zevi säbätīˈ zāˈvē [key], 1626–76, Jewish mystic and pseudo-Messiah, founder of the Sabbatean sect, b. Smyrna. After a period of study of Lurianic kabbalah (see Luria, Isaac ben Solo...

Leviticus

(Encyclopedia)Leviticus lĭvĭtˈəkəs [key], book of the Bible, 3d of the five books of the Law (the Pentateuch or Torah) ascribed by tradition to Moses. It is in essence a collection of liturgical legislation wi...

Barak, Ehud

(Encyclopedia)Barak, Ehud āˈkho͞od bäräkˈ [key], 1942–, Israeli military and political leader, prime minister of Israel (1999–2001). The son of East European immigrants in Palestine, he was born Ehud Brog...

Mizpah

(Encyclopedia)Mizpah or Mizpeh both: mĭzˈpə [key], in the Bible. 1 See Galeed. 2 Unidentified place, E of the Jordon River, identical with Ramath-Mizpeh. 3 Place, on the boundary between Israel and Judah, a reli...

Mareshah

(Encyclopedia)Mareshah mārēˈshə [key]. 1 In the Bible, descendant of Caleb. 2 In the Bible, son of Laadan; or the name may refer to places, not persons. 3 Town, ancient Palestine, c.20 mi (32 km) WSW of Bethleh...

Dimona

(Encyclopedia)Dimona dīmōˈnə [key] [Heb.,=wasting], town, S Israel, in the Negev Desert. It is the seat...

Qantarah esh Sharqiya

(Encyclopedia)Qantarah esh Sharqiya känˈtärä ĕsh shärkēˈyä [key], town, NE Egypt, on the east bank of the Suez Canal. It is on the ancient military road between Egypt and Syria. Qantarah esh Sharqiya is th...

Livni, Tzipi

(Encyclopedia)Livni, Tzipi (Tziporah Malkah Livni) tsĭpˈpē lĭvˈnē [key], 1958–, Israeli politican, b. Tel Aviv. The daughter of Polish immigrants, both members of the violent Irgun militia, Livni served in ...

Schindler, Oskar

(Encyclopedia)Schindler, Oskar, 1908–74, German industrialist who saved more than a thousand Jews during the Holocaust. A Catholic and a member of the National Socialist (Nazi) party, Schindler relocated (1939) t...

Darwish, Mahmoud

(Encyclopedia)Darwish, Mahmoud, 1941–2008, widely considered the Palestinian national poet, b. Barwa, Palestine (now in Israel). He was born to middle-class Sunni Muslim farmers, who were displaced when soldiers ...