Bible Encyclopedia. Archimandrite Nicephorus - An Illustrated Biblical Encyclopedia. How to use the Encyclopedia

The Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia is a unique Bible reference. Compiled by archimandrite Nikifor in 1891 on the basis of scientific research and authoritative reference publications, it is well-respected and very popular today. Due to the completeness, simplicity and comprehensibility of the content, the book has become a desktop for several generations of curious Bible readers. The encyclopedia articles cover all areas of biblical knowledge: archeology, architecture, astronomy, geography, botany, zoology, mathematics, medicine, numismatics, pedagogy, etc. The book contains biographies of all persons of the Bible and explains theological terms necessary for understanding the Holy Scripture. The book is designed for the widest range of readers.

Archimandrite Nikifor (Alexei Mikhailovich Bazhanov, 1832-1895) is a Russian Orthodox church writer, a full member of the Moscow Society of Lovers of Spiritual Education, an employee of the Orthodox Palestinian Society. Since November 25, 1887 he was rector of the Vysokopetrovsky monastery in Moscow. His main works are: “The Illustrated Complete Popular Biblical Encyclopedia” (M., 1891-92), “A Guide for Reading and Studying the Bible in the Family and School” (M., 1894) and several articles in the “Collection for Lovers of Spiritual Reading” ( M., 1888).

The world of the Bible is infinitely interesting, amazing, diverse. All of us, modern Bible readers, are united by the feeling of a discoverer, transferred from the pages of this great book to the extraordinary world of faith and wisdom, grandiose battles and miraculous events, human passions and divine intervention in earthly affairs. Today amazing things are happening - once the Bible became the foundation of European culture, now we people brought up in this culture are returning to its origins, to the beginning of all things. To make the world of the Bible closer and clearer this wonderful book will help, which has become the fruit of the many years of work of its compiler Archimandrite Nicephorus.

The author of this work, striving to create a “simple, edifying handbook for every curious Orthodox Christian,” managed to build a fascinating story about the Holy History and all aspects of life in biblical times.

Heroes, books, cities - in total more than five thousand articles on all topics of biblical knowledge. The encyclopedia uses more than two hundred illustrations.

Encyclopedic and reference publication, fascinating stories about the Holy Scriptures and all aspects of life in ancient times for a wide range of readers. Articles of the Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia cover all areas of biblical knowledge: mathematics, architecture, astronomy, geography, botany, numismatics, archeology, zoology, medicine, and pedagogy.

The Biblical Encyclopedia provides biographies of all biblical figures and an explanation of the necessary theological terms. The encyclopedia is illustrated by the works of outstanding masters of Western painting from the Renaissance to the beginning of the 20th century.

The encyclopedia introduces the reader to the books of scripture in detail. The main goal of its compiler, Archimandrite Nicephorus, was to create not just an encyclopedia, but also a "simple, edifying reference book ... for every curious Orthodox Christian."

And the illustrated biblical encyclopedia is a unique Bible reference. Compiled by archimandrite Nikifor in 1891 on the basis of scientific research and authoritative reference publications, it is well-respected and very popular today. Due to the completeness, simplicity and comprehensibility of the content, the book has become a desktop for several generations of curious Bible readers. The encyclopedia articles cover all areas of biblical knowledge: archeology, architecture, astronomy, geography, botany, zoology, mathematics, medicine, numismatics, pedagogy, etc. The book contains biographies of all persons of the Bible and explains theological terms necessary for understanding the Holy Scripture. The book is designed for the widest range of readers.

Heroes, books, cities - in total more than five thousand articles on all topics of biblical knowledge. The encyclopedia uses more than two hundred illustrations.

Foreword

Under this name is published an extensive work that I have undertaken at the beginning of last year. In more or less extensive articles, and often short and concise, depending on the importance of the subject, the “Popular Biblical Encyclopedia” answers almost the majority of questions of biblical archeology, architecture, astronomy, geography, biography of biblical figures, botany, sacred bibliography, military science , zoology, agriculture, arts, mineralogy, meteorology, medicine, mathematics, numismatics, pedagogy, physics, ethnography, etc. Theological terms, with the exception of strictly biblical terms, are omitted. The explanation of the details of biblical terms applies to both the canonical and non-canonical books of the Holy. The scriptures, however, mean that the explanations of the latter are of considerable brevity in comparison with the former. The publication includes approximately 7500 explanations of various words found in the Old Testament and New Testament canonical and non-canonical books of the Holy. The scriptures.

“Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39), the Lord the Savior said in one place and in another: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29), and now, having the main goal as a closer acquaintance readers with the inspired beauty, power and expressiveness of the Holy books. The scriptures, the compiler of this work also means that in addition to his specialty, he serves for various biblical references, he also compiles a simple, understandable, instructive, reference book not only for an educated, but also for any curious Orthodox Christian who loves verbs of the stomach eternal. At the beginning of each article is placed an explanation of each word, a quotation or several quotes, strictly checked with the Russian Bible, which was mainly used by the compiler, and finally already an account of the contents of the article. Sources and benefits in compiling the "Bible Encyclopedia" were: The Bible in the Slavic language and in the Russian translation, "Theology" blessed. Macarius and Anthony, “The Extensive Christian Catechism and the Beginnings of Orthodox Christian Teaching,” by M. Filaret, “Dictionary of the Orthodox Church and Service Language and Sacred Rites,” Ave. Mikhailovsky, “The Bible Dictionary” by A. Verkhovsky, “The Experience of the Bible Dictionary,” Ave. Solyarsky, “Handworterbuch des biblischen Alterthums” Dr Eduard Riehm, D. Eaidies “Biblical Cyclopoedia”, “Beeton's Bible Dictionary”, “Cassel's Bible Dictionary” and others. The last three English editions have been especially helpful in compiling the Popular Bible Encyclopedia so many biblical articles eografii, biography, botany, zoology, ethnography etc., with some modifications, taken from thereof, due to their rich biblical meaningfulness, elegant presentation and the latest research.

By publishing the biblical encyclopedia on almost all the branches of biblical knowledge listed above, I hope that this work will prove to be not only useful, but also soulful reading for many people who read the word of God with love and reverence, and that, on the other hand, readers will condescendingly fulfillment of such an extensive, arduous task, which is the publication of the Complete Bible Encyclopedia, and they will cover with their love, if, beyond the aspirations, any small typos and errors are met in it.

Edited online version
His Grace Alexander (Mileant),
Bishop of Buenos Aires and South America

The largest publication of the Bible Encyclopedia in Russian today, created on the basis of the achievements of modern biblical studies:

more than 6,000 articles on history, archeology and geography;
a description of all its characters, places, cities, animals and plants;
review articles for all scripture books;
explanation of the most important biblical theological concepts;
about 200 color illustrations;
more than 400 cards, drawings and diagrams;

Description

The Fritz Rinecker Bible Dictionary is designed to help people who read the Bible understand the Bible text better and facilitate in-depth study. And the proposed new edition also pursues this goal.

We attempted to identify the meaning of biblical concepts and words by considering all the possible cases of their situational and contextual use in the scriptures. With this publication, we invite readers to familiarize themselves with the results of our research. The edition is amended and supplemented. All changes and additions are dictated by the desire of the publishers to correct the observed inaccuracies, while maintaining the original form and structure of the Rinecker dictionary, and to make theological and historical information as accessible as possible to readers.

Publishers make the highest demands on the publication and republishment of scientific and theological biblical literature, which they consider as the main condition for their book publishing activity. Scripture has unrivaled authority as the Word of God. It arose as a manifestation of the sovereign will of God, who translated His Word into a human word and constantly preserves and affirms it as His Word. This principle of Bible attitude is set forth in the scripture article. That is why the controversy and demarcation with religious scientific and literary critical theses were deliberately limited in this publication.

The encyclopedia is intended primarily to evoke a joyful sense of the truth of the Good News. At the same time, one who seeks an objective and honest approach to the study of Scripture must allow in certain cases the possibility of several parallel interpretations.

How to use the Encyclopedia

The headwords and spelling of the Encyclopedia correspond to the text of the Synodal Translation.

Proper names and geographical names are also given in accordance with the biblical text in the Synodal translation. In some cases, a modern geographical name is given in parallel with the biblical.

When referring, the arrow always stands immediately before that headword to which the reader refers: -\u003e Father -\u003e Names of God. Roman or Arabic numerals and letters after the headword (-\u003e Son, I, 2a) indicate the corresponding section of the dictionary entry.

Archimandrite Nicephorus

Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia

Foreword

Alexey Mikhailovich Bazhanov, Archimandrite Nikifor r. 1835 mind. 1895. Rector of the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery in Moscow

Arch. Nicephorus

A! an exclamatory interjection expressing generally joy, sadness, and sometimes regret or contempt (Ezek. XXV, 3) and almost equivalent to interjections: Oh! in some places the Holy. Scriptures, such as, for example, Isaiah (I, 24) and E! (Mark XV, 29); sometimes used in the meaning of the adversarial union (Jer. I, 6).

Aalar (II Ezd. V, 36) - this is the name of the head of the Israelites who came out of the Babylonian captivity from the districts of Fermeleth and Felers, but who could not prove their descent from Israel. In I book Ride (II, 59) is the name of the third locality from where they came from, namely: Herub-Addan-Immer.

And Aaron threw his rod ... and he became a serpent (Exodus 7:10)

Aaron (high, mountain, mountain of light, teacher, enlightened and a name common with the name of Harun, so common in the East) was the first high priest of the Jewish people and the elder brother of the prophet and legislator Moses (Exodus XXVIII, 1). The son of Amram and Jochebed, he came from the tribe of Levi and was three years older than his brother, Moses. Due to the tongue-tied tongue of Moses, he had to speak for him before the people and the king of the Egyptian pharaoh, which is why he was called God by the lips of Moses and his prophet (Exodus IV, 16, VII, 1); however, he was supposed to help his brother during the journey of Jews from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Aaron married Elizabeth, the daughter of Aminadav, and had four sons from her: Nadab, Abiud, Eleazar and Ifamar. The first two were punished by God by death for bringing alien fire to the Lord, and thus the priesthood was established in the family of the last two brothers who survived (Exodus VI, 23). Aaron and his sons in a special way and directly by God himself were called to priestly ministry (Heb. V, 4). But even before the initiations, when Moses went to the city of Sinai to receive the law from God, the Jews were bored with the long stay of their leader on the mountain and proceeded to Aaron demanding that he give them a guide to the statue of one of the pagan deities. Aaron, yielding to the reckless demand of the people, ordered to bring the gold earrings of their wives and children and, when they were brought, poured a golden calf out of them, probably on the model of the Egyptian idol Apis. The satisfied people exclaimed: Behold your God, Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Exodus XXXII, 4). When Aaron saw this, he set up an altar and exclaimed, saying: Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. The next day, the people brought burnt offerings before him and began to eat and drink, and then play (Exodus 1-6). For such weakness, Aaron was rightly reproached by Moses; but since this cowardice was soon smoothed out by repentance, Aaron did not lose God's favor after that. Moses, by the will of God, at the same mount of Sinai elevated him to the high rank of priesthood of the great or high priest, with the right to transfer the high priesthood to the eldest of his kind, and made his four sons priests or priests (Lev. VIII). However, shortly after the consecration, two of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abiud, took their censers and brought alien fire before the Lord (that is, taken not from the altar, as the Lord had commanded), for which they were put to death by the fire sent from Lord (Lev. X, 1-7). The Book of Numbers (III, 4) notes that this happened when the people were still in the Sinai desert. Following their death, Moses went to Aaron and conveyed to him the will of the Lord regarding the priests in the following words: I will sanctify in those who approach me and become glorified before all the people (Lev. X, 3). Shortly before the departure of Jews from the Sinai desert, Aaron, with his sister Mariam, had the weakness to challenge Moses' right to prophesy, pointing to his marriage to Ethiopian women. Mariam for this rebuke made to Moses was punished with seven-day leprosy (Num. XII). Aaron, after confessing his sin to the Lord, was forgiven. As a permanent employee of Moses, Aaron, like him, was often subjected to reproaches and insults from the easily indignant Jews. Once it came to even challenging the right of the high priesthood. This outrage occurred under the leadership of Leviticus Korea, Dathan, Aviron and Avnan with 250 of the most prominent Israelites from other tribes. All society, all holy and among them the Lord! Why do you put yourself above the people of the Lord? (Num. XVI, 3) - they said to Moses and Aaron. The consequence of the outrage was that the instigators of the rebellion were consumed by the earth, and 250 of their accomplices were burned by heavenly fire. But the terrible punishment of God did not enlighten the rebellious. The next day, the people again murmured against Moses and Aaron (Num. XVI, 41): you killed the people of the Lord, he cried, and then the anger came from the Lord and defeat began among the people: 14,700 people died. At the order of Moses, Aaron took the censer, put incense and fire in it from the altar, stood between the dead and the living, and the defeat ceased (Num. XVI, 4249). After this punishment of the rebels, the high priesthood was confirmed by Aaron by the following significant miracle: from all 12 tribes Moses put 12 rods for the night in the Tabernacle with an inscription on each name of the ancestor of the tribe; in the morning the rod of the tribe of Levi, with the name of Aaron, blossomed, put out buds, gave color and brought almonds (Num. XVII, 8). This blossomed wand was kept long after that, under the Ark of the Covenant, as clear evidence that the priesthood was forever established by God for Aaron and his sons. However, Aaron did not live to see the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land. For the lack of faith in the omnipotence of God, discovered by him in the desert of Sin, he died earlier than this solemn day (Num. XX, 12). In the fortieth year after leaving Egypt, the Lord told him, together with Moses, his brother, and Eleazar his son, to climb Mount Or and die in the eyes of the whole society on top of it (Ch. XX, 28). In the book. Deuteronomy the place of the death of Aaron is called Moser (Deut. X, 6), and Mount Or is still called among the Arabs the mountain of the prophet Aaron (Jebel Garun). It shows until now the place of his burial. The people of Israel honored their demise with a thirty-day cry (Num. XX, 2 9). Aaron passed away 123 years of age, on the first day of the fifth month. In the Jewish calendar in memory of his death on this day, fasting is supposed. The high priesthood after him passed to his eldest son, Eleazar. In the book. Psalms he is called the holy Lord (Psalm CV 16). Priests in later times were often called the house of Aaron and the sons of Aaron, in honor of their great ancestor. According to general chronology, the birth of Aaron was in 1574 BC, calling in 1491, consecration in 1490, and death in 1451.