IDOLATRY — Greek eidōlon originally meant image or fantasy. By the time of the Septuagint the term was used for images of gods. Idolatry is literally image worship. To grasp the character of image worship in biblical literature one must first realize that… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MANASSEH — (Heb. מְנַשֶּׁה; perhaps one who causes (an earlier deceased, child) to be forgotten ), king of Judah (698–643 B.C.E.), son of hezekiah . Manasseh ascended the throne at the age of 12 and reigned for 55 years (II Kings 21:1). In those years… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
CUPBEARER — CUPBEARER, a high ranking royal official primarily in charge of serving wine to the king. Since he was close to the person of the king, who feared intrigue and the possibility of poisoned food, the cupbearer was required to be a man of… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
SENNACHERIB° — (Akk. Sin aḫḫê eriba; Heb. סַנְחֵרִב ,סַנְחֵרִיב),king of Assyria and Babylonia (705–681 B.C.E.), son of sargon ii . During his reign the northern and eastern frontiers were relatively calm; however, he had to deal with rebellions in Babylonia… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
ARAMAIC — ARAMAIC, an ancient northwestern semitic language spoken (to some extent) to this day. The entry is arranged according to the following outline: ancient aramaic and official aramaic sources syria and its neighboring countries iraq and iran egypt… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
BLASPHEMY — BLASPHEMY, in the broadest (and least precise) sense any act contrary to the will of God or derogatory to His power. Blasphemy is the term employed to translate the Hebrew verbs ḥeref, giddef, and ni eẓ (e.g., Isa. 37:6, gdf, where the servants… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
EXILE, ASSYRIAN — The mass deportation of population groups from conquered nations, as a measure to prevent these nations from rebelling, was introduced as a general policy by Tiglath Pileser III in the second half of the eighth century B.C.E. Although deportation … Encyclopedia of Judaism
MOURNING — (Heb. אֵבֶל), the expression of grief and sorrow over the death of a close relative, friend, national leader, or in response to a national calamity. The lamentation (Heb. קִינָה (kinah, qinah); נְהִי, nehi) is the specifically literary and… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
OLIVE — (Heb. זַיִת), the Olea europaea tree and its fruit. The wild olive grows in the groves of Upper Galilee and Carmel. It is a prickly shrub producing small fruits. There are many varieties of cultivated olives, some being suitable for oil, and some … Encyclopedia of Judaism
