Anthony John Maas

“ Limits.—The Agrapha must satisfy three conditions: they must be Sayings, not discourses; they must be .Mayings of Jesus; they must not be contained in the canonical Gospels. (a) Being mere Sayings, and not discourses, the Agrapha do not embrace the lengthy sections ascribed to Jesus in the "Didascalia" and the "Pistis Sophia." These works contain also some brief quotations of alleged words of Jesus, though they may have to be excluded from the Sayings for other reasons. Such seems to be the Saying in "Didasc. Syr." II, 8 (ed. Lagarde, p. 14) ; "A man is unapproved, if he be untempted." ”

“ He became professor in the Obergymnasium, at Ehingen, in 1845; director of the Wilhelmstift, in 1848; professor of moral theology and New Testament exegesis in the university at Tübingen, in 1850, a position he retained till the day of his death. He had a considerable number of pupils in both branches, but he was especially devoted to Scriptural studies. He emphasized the activity of the human bearers of revelation, without changing it into a purely natural process. ”

“ St. Paul visited its early Christian community (Acts, xxi, 7) . The city was taken by the Moslems a.d. 638, by the Crusaders a.d. 1104, again by the Moslems a.d. 1187, by the Crusaders again a.d. 1191 and finally by the Moslems a.d. 1291. Though Napoleon could not conquer it in 1799, it was taken by the Viceroy of Egypt in 1832, but reconquered by the Sultan in 1840. Till about 1400 it was the see of a Latin bishop; it has also been the residence of a few Jacobite bishops, and has now a Melchite bishop who is subject to the Patriarch of Antioch. ”

“ The prophet Isaias offers to Achaz God's aid with the promise of safety in case of belief, but with the threat of punishment in case of unbelief (Is., vii, 1221) . Achaz is unbelieving, seeks help from Theglathphalasar, offering at the same time rich presents from the temple treasury (IV K., xvi, 7, 8) . The king of the Assyrians takes Damascus, afflicts Israel (IV K., xv, 29; xvi, 9) , but reduces Juda to the necessity of buying its freedom (IV K., xvi, 17; II Par., xxviii, 20) . ”

“ Abarim (Heb. hár hā'ăbhārîm, hārê hā'ăbhārîm; Sept. τὸ ὅρος τὸ Ἀβαρίμ, ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου) , mountain Abarim, mountains of Abarim, a mountain range across Jordan, extending from Mount Nebo in the north, perhaps to the Arabian desert in the south. ”

“ He studied theology at Landshut, was ordained at Ratisbon, 1816, studied Oriental languages at Vienna, Rome, and Paris (1818–20) , became professor in the University at Landshut in 1824, and was transferred with the university to Munich in 1826, but owing to a weak throat he had to accept a canonry at Ratisbon, in 1835, and became Dean of the chapter at Augsburg, in 1838. His works are: "Aphorismen über den Zusammenhang der heiligen Schrift Alten und Neuen Testaments, aus der Idee des Reichs Gottes" (Ratisbon 1819) ”

“ After Saul with three of his sons had fallen at Mount Gelboe, Abner made Isboseth, the fourth son of Saul, king over the whole land of Israel excepting Judea, which adhered to David. For seven years and a half Abner fought for the throne of Isboseth. ”

“ Hence the Greek name ἄκανθα, thorn, the Latin, acanthus for the Egyptian acacia. Acacia wood is designated, ξύλον ἄσεππον "incorruptible wood", in the Septuagint, and lignum setim, "setim-wood" in the Vulgate. The Biblical Acacia belongs to the genus Mimosa, and is no doubt identical with the Acacia seyal (Del.) or the Acacia tortilis (Hayne) ; both are called seyyal, or torrent trees, sayl meaning torrent. They grow in the desert wadis, or torrent valleys, of Sinai. The wood is light, hard, and durable, and grows almost as black as ebony with age. ”

“ He studied at the Maronite College in Rome, published a Syriac grammar (1628) , and taught Syriac and Arabic at the College of the Propaganda. In 1630 he began to teach the same languages in the Royal College Paris, and to assist in editing Le Jay's "Polyglot Bible", working with Gabriel Sionita on the Syriac and Arabic texts and their Latin translation. He contributed III Mach. in Arabic, and Ruth in Syriac and Arabic, with a Latin translation. ”

“ Abaddon, a Hebrew word signifying (1) ruin, destruction (Job, xxxi, 12) ; (2) place of destruction; the Abyss, realm of the dead (Job, xxvi, 6; Prov., xv, 11) ; (3) it occurs personified (Apoc., ix, 11) as Ἀββαδών, and is rendered in Greek by Ἀπολλυών, denoting the angel-prince of hell, the minister of death and author of havoc on earth. ”

“ In the sixth year of Salmanassar II the allies were overcome by the Assyrians near Karkar, and their compact ceased. Achab now allied himself with Josaphat, King of Juda, and they began war against Syria in order to conquer Ramoth Galaad (III K., xxii, 3 sqq.) . The false prophets foretold victory, while Micheas predicted defeat. The battle was begun in spite of this warning, and an arrow wounded Achab between the lungs and the stomach (III K., xxii, 34) . ”

“ Agabus, mentioned in Acts, xi, 28, and xxi, 10, as a prophet of the New Testament. Most probably both passages refer to the same person, who appears to have been a resident of Jerusalem. Tradition makes him one of the seventy-two disciples (Luke, x, 1) , and one of the martyrs who suffered at Antioch. The Roman Martyrology mentions his name on 13 February, while the Greek Church commemorates him on 8 March. According to Acts, xi, 27–30, Agabus predicted the famine which apparently must be identified with that happening in the fourth year of Claudius, a.d. 45. ”

“ Abiathar (Hebrew 'ebhyāthār, Father of plenty, or, the great one is father) , descendant of Achimelech, Achitob, Phinees, Heli, Ithamar, Aaron, a high priest who escaped from the slaughter at Nob, went to David in his banishment (I K., xxii, 20–23; xxiii, 6) and assisted him with his advice (I K., xxiii, 9–14; xxx, 7) . ”

“ Accaron (Ekrôn) , the most northern of t he five principal Philistine cities (Jos. xiii, 3; xv, 11, 46) . We do not know whether it was founded by the Philistines or the Hevites. It was first given to the tribe of Juda (Jos., xv, 11, 45) and then to Dan (Jos., xix, 43) . Juda conquered it for a time (Judg., i, 18) , but it fell again into the hands of the Philistines. ”

“ In Apoc., viii, 11, the Greek equivalent ὁ ἄψινθος is given as a proper name to the star which fell into the waters and made them bitter. The Vulgate renders the Hebrew expression by absinithium, except in Deut., xxix, 18, where it translates it amaritudo. ”

“ Ἰχθύς, fish, the mystical symbol of our Lord. The acrostic is supposed to have been quite popular among the early Christians. In a wider sense the name acrostic is applied to alphabetical or "abecedarian" poems. ”

“ Abel-Keramim (meadow of vineyards) , a village of the Ammonites, about six miles from Philadelphia. Jud., xi, 33. (3) Abelmehula, Abelmeula (Abelmechola, "a meadow of the dance") , in the Jordan valley near Bethsan.—Jud., vii, 23; III K., iv, 12; xix, 16. (4) Abel-Mizraim (Vulg. "the mourning of Egypt") , according to St. Jerome identical with the "threshing floor of Atad." Gen., l, 10 sq. (5) Abelsatim, Settim, Setim, Hebr. 'ābhēl háshshittîm (meadow of acacias) is a place in the plains of Moab. ”

“ His works are: "Vita Jesu Christi" (Antwerp, 1578) ; "Theatrum Terræ Sanctæ et Biblicarum Historiarum" (Cologne, 1590) . This last work gives a description of Palestine, of the antiquities of Jerusalem, and a chronology from Adam till the death of John the Apostle, a.d. ”

“ Alexander, a son of Simon of Cyrene mentioned by St. Mark (xv, 21) who carried the Cross after Jesus.— (4) Alexander, who was a member of the court that tried Peter and John (Acts, iv, 6) ; some identify him with Alexander Lysimachus the brother of Philo and friend of Claudius before he ascended the throne.— (5) Alexander, a Jew or a Jewish Christian (Acts, xix, 33, 34) , who attempted to defend St. ”

“ He taught rhetoric at Pont-à-Mousson, then engaged in missionary work, and finally taught theology at Pont-à-Mousson for seventeen years. His principal works are: (1) "Nonni Panopolitani Paraphrasis Sancti secundum Joannem Evangelii. Accesserunt Notæ P.N.A., Soc. Jes." (Paris, 1623) ; (2) "Commentarii in P. Virgilii Maronis Bucolica et Georgica. Accessit diatriba de quatuor fluviis et loco paradisi" (Pont-à-Mousson, 1633–35) ”