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Elephantine

(Encyclopedia)Elephantine ĕlˌəfăntīˈnē [key], island, SE Egypt, in the Nile below the First Cataract, near Aswan. In ancient times it was a military post guarding the southern frontier of Egypt. The Elephant...

Naucratis

(Encyclopedia)Naucratis nŏkˈrətĭs [key], ancient city of Egypt, on the Canopic branch of the Nile, 45 mi (72 km) SE of Alexandria. It was probably given (7th cent. b.c.) by Psamtik to Greek colonists from Milet...

Cush

(Encyclopedia)Cush or Kush kŭsh, ko͝osh [key]. 1 Son of Ham and father of the Asian nation of the same name, perhaps the same nation as one of similar name in E Mesopotamia. Gen. 10.8; 1 Chron. 1.10. 2 Benjamite ...

Exodus

(Encyclopedia)Exodus ĕkˈsədəs [key], book of the Bible, 2d of the 5 books of the Law (the Pentateuch or Torah) ascribed by tradition to Moses. The book continues the story of the ancestors of Israel in Egypt, n...

Boutros-Ghali, Boutros

(Encyclopedia)Boutros-Ghali, Boutros bo͞oˈtrōs, gäˈlē [key], 1922–2016, Egyptian statesman, secretary-general of the United Nations (1992–96). Born into a politically connected Coptic Christian family, he...

Ptolemy VI

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy VI (Ptolemy Philometor) fĭləmēˈtər [key], d. 145 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (180–145 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy V. He became king when an infant, and his mother, ...

Bir Tawil

(Encyclopedia)Bir Tawil, unclaimed territory, c.795 sq mi (2,060 km), along the E Egypt-Sudan border W of the Halayeb Triangle. Its unclaimed status arose from the peculiarities the disputed border: Bir Tawil lies ...

Suppiluliumas

(Encyclopedia)Suppiluliumas, fl. 14th cent. b.c., Hittite king (1390–54 b.c.). The greatest statesman-warrior in Hittite history, he left on his death an empire that was stronger, though not richer, than Egypt. H...

Taharka

(Encyclopedia)Taharka tērˈəkə, tērhäˈkə [key], d. 663 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, last ruler of the XXV dynasty; son of Piankhi. Before he was king, he led the Egyptians against Sennacherib, who disastrous...

Ptolemy VIII

(Encyclopedia)Ptolemy VIII (Ptolemy Physcon) fĭsˈkən [key], d. 116 b.c., king of ancient Egypt (145–116 b.c.), of the Macedonian dynasty, brother of Ptolemy VI. He is also called Ptolemy Euergetes II. He was c...