Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Spitzer, Eliot Laurence

(Encyclopedia)Spitzer, Eliot Laurence, 1959–, U.S. lawyer and politician, b. Riverdale, N.Y., grad. Princeton (B.A. 1981), Harvard Law School (J.D. 1984). A Democrat, he practiced corporate law before serving (19...

Stair, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Stair, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount dălrĭmˈpəl, dălˈrĭmpəl [key], 1619–95, Scottish jurist. A student and then a regent of the Univ. of Glasgow, he was admitted to the bar in 1648. He suppo...

Ten Commandments

(Encyclopedia)Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical systems of Judaism, Christianity,...

Ur-Nammu

(Encyclopedia)Ur-Nammu ŭr-nämˈo͞o [key], fl. 2060 b.c., king of the ancient city of Ur, sometimes called Zur-Nammu or Ur-Engur. He founded a new Sumerian dynasty, the third dynasty of Ur, that lasted a century....

Sadducees

(Encyclopedia)Sadducees săjˈo͝osēz, sădˈyo͝o– [key], sect of Jews formed around the time of the Hasmonean revolt (c.200 b.c.). Little is known concerning their beliefs, but according to Josephus Flavius, t...

Balfour, Sir James

(Encyclopedia)Balfour, Sir James, d. 1583, Scottish judge and politician. Captured (1547) at St. Andrews after the murder of Cardinal Beaton, he served a sentence in the French galleys and on his release (1549) abj...

eight-hour day

(Encyclopedia)eight-hour day: see labor law.

land tenure

(Encyclopedia)land tenure: see tenure, in law.

rules of order

(Encyclopedia)rules of order: see parliamentary law. ...