Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Mapu, Abraham

(Encyclopedia)Mapu, Abraham mäˈpo͞o [key], 1808–67, Lithuanian novelist who wrote in Hebrew. For many years an impoverished, itinerant schoolmaster, Mapu gained financial security when he was appointed teacher...

Taanach

(Encyclopedia)Taanach or Tanach tāˈənăk, tāˈnăk [key], in the Bible, royal city of Canaan, central ancient Palestine, the modern Tell Ti'innik, West Bank, SE of Megiddo. Sisera was defeated here by Deborah a...

Benjamin of Tudela

(Encyclopedia)Benjamin of Tudela to͞odāˈlä [key], d.1173, rabbi considered the first European to approach the borders of China, b. Tudela, Spain. He traveled (1159–73) through Italy, Greece, Palestine, Persia...

Seti I

(Encyclopedia)Seti I sēˈtī, sāˈtē [key], d. 1290 b.c., king of ancient Egypt, of the XIX dynasty; son and successor of Ramses I. He succeeded to the throne c.1302 b.c. Invading Palestine and Syria, Seti I red...

Silver, Abba Hillel

(Encyclopedia)Silver, Abba Hillel, 1893–1963, American rabbi and Zionist leader, b. Lithuania. He was taken to the United States in 1902. Educated at the Univ. of Cincinnati (B.A., 1915) and Hebrew Union College,...

Meir, Golda

(Encyclopedia)Meir, Golda māērˈ [key], 1898–1978, Israeli political leader, b. Kiev, Russia, originally named Golda Mabovitch. Her family emigrated to the United States in 1906, settling in Milwaukee. She beca...

Angola

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Angola ăng-gōˈlə [key], officially Republic of Angola (2020 est. pop. 32,870,000), including the exclave of Cabinda, 481,351 sq mi (1,246,700 sq km), SW Africa...

Gordon, Bruce S.

(Encyclopedia)Gordon, Bruce S., 1946–, African-American business executive and civil-rights leader, b. Camden, N.J.; grad. Gettysburg College (B.A., 1968), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.S., 1988). Gord...

Kalam, A. P. J. Abdul

(Encyclopedia)Kalam, A. P. J. Abdul (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam), 1921–2015, Indian scientist and political leader, studied St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli (grad. 1954), Madras Institute of Technol...

marines

(Encyclopedia)marines, troops that serve on board ships of war or in conjunction with naval operation. A British marine corps was established in 1664, and the need for skilled riflemen aboard military vessels broug...

Browse by Subject