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Porter, Jane

(Encyclopedia)Porter, Jane, 1776–1850, Scottish novelist. Her historical novels, particularly Thaddeus of Warsaw (4 vol., 1803) and Scottish Chiefs (5 vol., 1810), were exceptionally popular in their day. Anna Ma...

Censorinus

(Encyclopedia)Censorinus sĕnsōrīˈnəs [key], fl. c.238, Roman grammarian. He wrote De die natali [on the day of birth], an essay partly astrological, partly chronological, which affords much information on anci...

Bethlehem, town, South Africa

(Encyclopedia)Bethlehem, town, Free State prov., E central South Africa, part and seat of Dihlabeng local municipality. It is situated in a farming and livestock area and has industries producing furniture and food...

Hone, William

(Encyclopedia)Hone, William, 1780–1842, English writer and bookseller. He was tried and acquitted three times in 1817 for publishing parodies on the church and the government. Besides writing political satires (i...

Erpenius, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Erpenius, Thomas ûrpēˈnēəs [key], 1584–1624, Dutch Orientalist, whose name in Dutch was Van Erpe. Erpenius was one of the most celebrated scholars of his day and wrote several grammars of Middl...

Japhia

(Encyclopedia)Japhia jəfīˈə [key], in the Bible. 1 King of Lachish slain by Joshua. 2 Son of David. 3 Town, N central ancient Palestine, the present-day Yafa, Israel. Remains of an ancient synagogue were found ...

Brigham Young University

(Encyclopedia)Brigham Young University, at Provo, Utah; Latter-Day Saints; coeducational; opened as an academy in 1875 and became a university in 1903. It is noted for its law and business schools. The Charles Redd...

Banks, Dennis James

(Encyclopedia)Banks, Dennis James, 1937–2017, Native American civil-rights activist, b. Leech Lake Reservation, Minn. Of Ojibwa (Chippewa) heritage, he helped found the American Indian Movement (1968) to fight fo...

Purim

(Encyclopedia)Purim po͞oˈrĭm [key] [Heb.,=lots], Jewish festival celebrated on the 14th of Adar, the twelfth month in the Jewish calendar (Feb.–March). During leap years it is celebrated in Adar II. According ...

vegetarianism

(Encyclopedia)vegetarianism, theory and practice of eating only fruits and vegetables, thus excluding animal flesh, fish, or fowl and often butter, eggs, and milk. In a strict vegetarian, or vegan, diet (i.e., one ...