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Yonath, Ada E.

(Encyclopedia)Yonath, Ada E., 1939–, Israeli crystallographer, Ph.D. Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovat, Israel, 1968. Yonath has been a researcher and professor at the Weizmann Institute since 1970. She was ...

Assyria

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Assyrian Empire (c.650 b.c.) Assyria əsĭrˈēə [key], ancient empire of W Asia. It developed around the city of Ashur, or Assur, on the upper Tigris River and south of the later capital, Ni...

Menahem

(Encyclopedia)Menahem mĕnˈəhĕm [key], d. c.737 b.c., king of Israel (c.749–c.737 b.c.). He was governor of Tirzah and murdered Shallum for the throne of Samaria. Menahem was made a tributary by Tiglathpileser...

Jair

(Encyclopedia)Jair jāˈər [key], in the Bible. 1 Judge of Israel. 2 Mordecai's father. 3 See Jaare-oregim. See also Havoth-jair. ...

Beth-shemesh

(Encyclopedia)Beth-shemesh bĕth-shēˈmĕsh [key], in the Bible. 1 The Egyptian Heliopolis. 2 Town of ancient Palestine, the modern Tel Bet Shemesh (Israel), W of Jerusalem. Excavations there have revealed traces ...

Arafat, Yasir

(Encyclopedia)Arafat, Yasir or Yasser yäsērˈ ärˈäfät; –sər [key], 1929–2004, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the coordinating body for Palestinian organizations, and head of Al Fa...

Assos

(Encyclopedia)Assos –əs [key], ancient city, Mysia, NW Asia Minor, on the Gulf of Adramyttium E of Point Lectum, westernmost point of Asia. ...

Arabic languages

(Encyclopedia)Arabic languages, members of the West Semitic group of the Semitic subdivision of the Afroasiatic family of languages (see Afroasiatic languages). The Arabic languages comprise North Arabic (or simply...

Suez Canal

(Encyclopedia)Suez Canal, Arab. Qanat as Suways, waterway of Egypt extending from Port Said to Port Tawfiq (near Suez) and connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez and thence with the Red Sea. The can...

Jephthah

(Encyclopedia)Jephthah jĕfˈthə [key], in the Book of Judges, a Hebrew raider, son of Gilead and a judge of Israel. He vowed if victorious over the Ammonites to sacrifice the first of his household to meet him on...