Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Gárdonyi, Géza

(Encyclopedia)Gárdonyi, Géza gāˈzə gärˈdōnyē [key], 1863–1922, Hungarian writer. Gárdonyi first attracted attention with a cycle of satirical novels about peasant life. His works include the play Wine (...

vespers

(Encyclopedia)vespers vĕsˈpərz [key] [Lat.,=evening], in the Christian Church, principal evening office. In the Roman rite, vespers have consisted since the 6th cent. of a few prayers, five psalms, a lesson, the...

calico

(Encyclopedia)calico, plain weave cotton fabric in one or more colors. Calico, named for Calicut, India, where the fabric originated, was mentioned by historians before the Christian era and praised by early travel...

Patrick, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Patrick, Saint, c.385–461, Christian missionary, the Apostle of Ireland, b. Bannavem Taberniae (an unknown place in Britain, possibly near the Severn or in Pembroke). He was one of the most successf...

Medeba

(Encyclopedia)Medeba mĕdˈĭbə, mēˈ– [key], town, Jordan, the modern Madaba, E of the Dead Sea. An ancient Moabite town, it changed hands between Moab and Israel several times. In early Christian times it was...

Ascension, in Christianity

(Encyclopedia)Ascension, name usually given to the departure of Jesus from earth as related in the Gospels according to Mark (16) and Luke (24) and in Acts 1.1–11. The annual commemoration of this is one of the p...

Arcos de la Frontera

(Encyclopedia)Arcos de la Frontera ärˈkōs dā lä frōntāˈrä [key], town, Cádiz prov., S Spain, in Andalusia, on a rocky hill above the Guadalete River. A Gothic church a...

Knox, Ronald

(Encyclopedia)Knox, Ronald, 1888–1957, English theologian and author. He attended Eton and then Balliol College, Oxford, and in 1910 was ordained as an Anglican minister. Doctrinal preferences, however, led to hi...

Alexander, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Alexander, in the Bible. 1 Kinsman of Annas. 2 Son of Simon of Cyrene, probably a Christian. 3 Heretic condemned by Paul. 4 Coppersmith who did Paul harm. 5 Jew who tried to speak during a riot at Eph...

Akhmim

(Encyclopedia)Akhmim ăkhmēmˈ [key], city (1986 pop. 70,602), E central Egypt, on the Nile. Textiles and handicrafts are manufactured; grain, dates, and cotton are processed. The ancient Chemmis and Panopolis, th...
 

Browse by Subject