Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Dionne, Narcisse Eutrope närsēsˈ ötrôpˈ dyôn [key], 1848–1917, French Canadian historian. He was a prolific writer and produced biographies in French of Samuel de Champlain, Jacques Cartier, ...

(Encyclopedia) Absalom ăbˈsəlŏm [key], in the Bible, son of David. He murdered his half-brother Amnon for the rape of their sister Tamar, and fled. No sooner was he reconciled with his father than he incited a r...

(Encyclopedia) Pseudo-Philo, early Jewish work extant in Latin, probably written originally in Hebrew and emanating from Palestine. It was attributed to Philo (c.20 b.c.–a.d. 50) because it circulated with his wri...

(Encyclopedia) Gilgal gĭlˈgăl [key], in the Bible. 1 First encampment of the Israelites near Jericho, W of the Jordan; Saul was made king there. It was also the scene of Saul's impetuous sacrifice before battle i...

(Encyclopedia) Thucydides tho͞osĭdˈĭdēz [key], c.460–c.400 b.c., Greek historian of Athens, one of the greatest of ancient historians. His family was partly Thracian. As a general in the Peloponnesian War he ...

(Encyclopedia) Pea Ridge, chain of hills, NW Ark., where the Civil War battle of Pea Ridge (or Elkhorn Tavern) was fought Mar. 6–8, 1862. Earl Van Dorn, leading a large Confederate command, which included Sterling...

(Encyclopedia) Langley Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 3,195 acres (1,293 hectares), SE Va., N of Hampton; est. 1917 and named for aviation pioneer Samuel P. Langley, amalgamated 2010 with Fort Eustis in...

(Encyclopedia) Nazarite năzˈərītˌ [key] [Heb. nazir=consecrated], in the Bible, a man dedicated to God. The Nazarite, after taking a special vow, abstained from intoxicating beverages, never cut his hair, and a...

(Encyclopedia) Montmagny, Charles Jacques Huault de shärl zhäk üōˈ də môNmänyēˈ [key], fl.1622–54, governor of New France (1636–48). He was an administrator in New France from 1632 and succeeded Samuel...

(Encyclopedia) Port Royal Sound, arm of the Atlantic Ocean, between St. Helena and Parris islands to the north and Hilton Head Island to the south, in S S.C.; it receives the Broad River. The sound was named in 1562...