Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Jashar, Book of

(Encyclopedia)Jashar or Jasher, Book of both: jăshˈər [key], lost Hebrew work, apparently a collection of songs celebrating national events. Fragments appear in the books of Joshua and Second Samuel. ...

Hampton University

(Encyclopedia)Hampton University, at Hampton, Va.; coeducational; founded 1868, chartered 1870 as a normal and agricultural school; known as Hampton Institute 1930–84. Founded by Samuel Chapman Armstrong, it was ...

Parkman, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Parkman, Francis, 1823–93, American historian, b. Boston. In 1846, Parkman started a journey along the Oregon Trail to improve his health and study the Native Americans. On his return to Boston he c...

Persepolis

(Encyclopedia)Persepolis pərsĕpˈəlĭs [key] [Gr.,=city of Persia], ancient city of Persia, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire under Darius I and his successors. The administrative capitals were elsewhe...

Abiah

(Encyclopedia)Abiah əbīˈə [key], in the Bible, variant of Abijah. 1 Wife of Hezron. 2 Second son of Samuel. ...

Elkanah

(Encyclopedia)Elkanah ĕlˈkānə, ĕlkāˈnə [key], in the Bible. 1 Husband of Hannah and father of Samuel. 2 Head of a Levitical family. 3 Officer of Ahaz's household. 4 Doorkeeper of the Ark of the Covenant. ...

Agag

(Encyclopedia)Agag āˈgăg [key], in the Bible. 1 King of the Amalekites who was defeated and spared by Saul, but killed by Samuel. 2 The allusion is not understood as it occurs in the Book of Numbers. ...

Dustin, Hannah

(Encyclopedia)Dustin, Hannah, b. 1657, d. after 1729, Colonial New England heroine. She was captured (1697) in a Native American raid on Haverhill, Mass., and taken up the Merrimack River to a place near modern Con...

Eben-ezer

(Encyclopedia)Eben-ezer ĕbˈən-ēˈzər [key] [Heb.,=stone of help], in the Bible. 1 Stone set up (near Shen) by Samuel to commemorate the victory over the Philistines. 2 Site of the battle where the Philistines ...

Hamilton College

(Encyclopedia)Hamilton College, at Clinton, N.Y.; coeducational; founded 1793 by Samuel Kirkland as Hamilton-Oneida Academy, chartered 1812 as Hamilton College. It was named for Alexander Hamilton. Originally a men...