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Book of the Dead

(Encyclopedia)Book of the Dead, term used to describe Egyptian funerary literature. The texts consist of charms, spells, and formulas for use by the deceased in the afterworld and contain many of the basic ideas of...

Berea, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Berea or Beroea both: bērēˈə [key]. 1 Town near Jerusalem, mentioned in First Maccabees. It is probably identical with Beeroth (1.) 2 See Véroia, Greece. 3 See Aleppo, Syria. ...

Pyrenees, Peace of the

(Encyclopedia)Pyrenees, Peace of the, 1659, treaty ending the warfare between France and Spain that, continuing after the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War, had been complicated by French interv...

queen of the meadow

(Encyclopedia)queen of the meadow or queen of the prairie: see spiraea. ...

Rachel, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Rachel rāˈchəl [key], in the Bible, wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She is one of the four Jewish matriarchs. An alternate form is Rahel. ...

Yeomen of the Guard

(Encyclopedia)Yeomen of the Guard, bodyguard, now ceremonial in function, of the sovereign of England. When the guard was originated by Henry VII in 1485, its members had numerous duties as defenders of the king's ...

Zara, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Zara or Zarah both: zāˈrə [key], same as Zerah (1.) ...

Brothers of the Sword

(Encyclopedia)Brothers of the Sword: see Livonian Brothers of the Sword. ...

Bethany, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Bethany bĕthˈənē [key]. 1 Village, at the southeastern foot of the Mount of Olives, the modern El Aziriye, 2 mi (3.2 km) E of Jerusalem. In the Gospels, it is the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary...

Bethel, in the Bible

(Encyclopedia)Bethel bĕthˈəl [key] [Heb.,=house of God]. 1 Ancient city of central Palestine, the modern Baytin, the West Bank, N of Jerusalem. According to the Bible, where it is frequently mentioned, it was or...