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Rishon Leziyyon

(Encyclopedia)Rishon Leziyyon rēˈshōn ləzīˈən, rēshōnˈ lətsēōnˈ [key], town (1994 pop. 160,200), W central Israel. It has one of Israel's largest wineries. Citrus fruits are an important product. Rish...

Abravanel, Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Abravanel or Abarbanel, Isaac əbräˈvənĕl, –bärbə– [key], 1437–1508, Jewish theologian, biblical commentator, and financier, b. Lisbon. He served as treasurer to Alfonso V of Portugal but ...

Midrash

(Encyclopedia)Midrash mĭdˈräsh [key] [Heb.,=to examine, to investigate], verse by verse interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures, consisting of homily and exegesis, by Jewish teachers since about 400 b.c. Distinction...

Chabon, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Chabon, Michael, 1963–, American writer, b. Washington, D.C., B.A. Univ. of Pittsburgh, 1984, M.A. Univ. of California, Irvine, 1987. Chabon's novels combine intriguing plots, usually involving Jewi...

Bene Israel

(Encyclopedia)Bene Israel or Beni Israel both: bāˈnē [key] [Heb.,=sons of Israel], Jewish community of India, living mostly in and near Mumbai (formerly Bombay). Many thousands of others have settled in Israel s...

Annas

(Encyclopedia)Annas ănˈəs [key] [Gr.,=Heb. Hananiah], in the New Testament, Jewish high priest who examined Jesus. Nonbiblical sources say that he was retired high priest. His son-in-law was Caiaphas. ...

Glass, Montague Marsden

(Encyclopedia)Glass, Montague Marsden, 1877–1934, American humorist and playwright, b. England, educated at the College of the City of New York and at New York Univ. He won fame for his humorous delineations of A...

Jastrow, Marcus

(Encyclopedia)Jastrow, Marcus yäsˈtrō, jăsˈ– [key], 1829–1903, American rabbi and Talmudic scholar, b. Poland. He was a rabbi (1866–92) in Philadelphia, editor of the Talmud material of The Jewish Encycl...

Caiaphas

(Encyclopedia)Caiaphas (Joseph Caiaphas) kāˈyəfəs [key], Jewish high priest, a Sadducee, son-in-law of Annas. According to the Gospels, he presided at the council that condemned Jesus to death. Later, he joined...

Theudas

(Encyclopedia)Theudas thyo͞oˈdăs [key], leader of insurgents mentioned by Gamaliel, and probably to be identified with the Theudas who organized a revolt against the Romans when Fadus was procurator of Judea (a....