Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Zephaniah, book of the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Zephaniah zĕfˌənīˈə [key], prophetic book of the Bible. The prophet, who lived in the reign (c.640–609 b.c.) of King Josiah of Judah, traces his genealogy to King Hezekiah. Zephaniah denounces...

Perkins School for the Blind

(Encyclopedia)Perkins School for the Blind, at Watertown, Mass.; chartered 1829, opened 1832 in South Boston as the New England Asylum for the Blind, with Samuel G. Howe as its director; moved 1912. From 1877 to 19...

John, persons in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)John, in the Bible. 1 See John, Saint. 2 See John the Baptist. 3 See Mark, Saint. 4 In the Acts of the Apostles, one of the high priest's family. There are also several persons named John in the books...

Sin, places in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Sin. 1 in the Bible, one of the wildernesses through which the Israelites wandered when they left Egypt. It is not the same as Zin. 2 The town Pelusium, which is rendered Sin in Hebrew. ...

Joshua, persons in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Joshua jŏshˈo͞oə, –əwə [key], in the Bible. 1 Central figure of the book of Joshua. 2 High priest associated with Zerubbabel in rebuilding the Temple. 3 Owner of the field where the Ark of the...

Arpad, chief of the Magyars

(Encyclopedia)Arpad ŏrˈpäd [key], c.840–907?, chief of the Magyars. He led his people into Hungary c.895. The leaders of the Magyars and the first dynasty of Hungarian kings (St. Stephen I to Andrew III) were ...

M, letter of the alphabet

(Encyclopedia)M, 13th letter of the alphabet, usually representing a bilabial nasal as in the English much. It corresponds with the Greek mu. M is the Roman numeral for 1,000. ...

Zechariah, persons in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Zechariah zĕkˌərīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 Prophet and author of the book of Zechariah. 2 Prophet who, with the connivance of King Jehoash, was stoned to death for his public rebuke of idolatry....

C, letter of the alphabet

(Encyclopedia)C, third letter of the alphabet. In position and form, but not in meaning, it corresponds to Greek gamma (see G). In English it is pronounced variously, e.g., in can, cent, church, and loch. In musica...

Elizabeth, Saint, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Elizabeth, Saint, in the Gospel of St. Luke, mother of John the Baptist and kinswoman of the Virgin Mary. Feast: Nov. 5.