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Amaziah

(Encyclopedia)Amaziah ămˌəzīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 King of Judah, son and successor of Jehoash of Judah. The two incidents of his reign were the conquest of Edom, including the capture of Sela (identified ...

Shenouda III

(Encyclopedia)Shenouda III, 1923–2012, pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church (see Copts), 1971–2012; successor of Cyril VI. Born Nazeer Gayed, he attended Cairo Univ. (B.A. 1947) and the Coptic Orthodox Theologica...

Philistines

(Encyclopedia)Philistines fĭlˈĭstēnz, fĭlĭsˈ– [key], inhabitants of Philistia, a non-Semitic people who came to Palestine from a region in the Mediterranean in the 12th cent. b.c. Genetic studies in the 21...

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

(Encyclopedia)United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), agency of the United Nations, with headquarters in Amman, Jordan and Gaza City, Gaza Strip. Established in 1949,...

Reuter, Baron Paul Julius von

(Encyclopedia)Reuter, Baron Paul Julius von roiˈtər [key], 1816–99, founder of Reuters Telegram Company (now part of Thomson Reuters), b. Kassel, Germany. His original name was Israel Beer Josaphat. First a ba...

Nimeiri, Muhammed Jaafar al-

(Encyclopedia)Nimeiri or Nimeiry, Muhammed Jaafar al- mo͞ohämˈmäd jäfärˈ äl-nĭmārˈē [key], 1930–, Sudanese army officer and politician. Early active in the Sudanese nationalist movement, he was tempor...

Strasberg, Lee

(Encyclopedia)Strasberg, Lee străsˈbərg, sträsˈ– [key], 1901–82, American theatrical director, teacher, and actor, b. Budzanów, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Budaniv, Ukraine) as Israel Strassberg. Strasb...

Syria

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Syria sērˈēə [key], officially Syrian Arab Republic, republic (2015 est. pop. 18,735,000), 71,467 sq mi (185,100 sq km), W Asia. It borders on Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea in the west,...

Jews

(Encyclopedia)Jews [from Judah], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half-brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwi...

Aqaba

(Encyclopedia)Aqaba äˈkäbä [key], town (1996 est. pop. 52,000), SW Jordan, at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, on the border with Israel. It is the only Jordanian port with direct access to the Red Sea; it remain...