wished him to put her away; but this seems improbable after his having been married to her forty years. Others think, with more probability, that Zipporah valued herself on the honours of Moses, and acted imperiously towards Aaron and Miriam, who expostulated, showing their equal claims to respect. "Hath the Lord indeed only spoken by Moses? hath he not also spoken by us?" Bishop Patrick thinks they were jealous of the influence of Zipporah's father over Moses, by whose advice the latter instituted rulers, judges, and inferior tribunals, (Exod. 18,) apparently without consulting Aaron or Miriam. Scripture gives us no farther particulars of Zipporah. M.

city of Zebulon, and capital of Galilee, after Nero had given it to the younger Agrippa. It is about five miles from Nazareth. Tradition says that here stood the residence of Joachim and Anna, parents of the Virgin Mary; the house, however, shown as theirs, is a stately Gothic edifice, apparently the remains of a church. Josephus frequently mentions this city. Herod the Great took it from the garrison of Antigonus. In consequence of the tumults in Galilee, the troops of Varus (commanded by his son,) plundered the city, and made

the inhabitants slaves. But it was afterwards rebuilt

and fortified by Herod Antipas, and ultimately superseded Tiberias. Gabinius, president of Syria, established here one of the five provincial tribunals of justice.

After the fall of Jerusalem, Zipporis, or Sepphoris, became famous for its great numbers of synagogues; also for its academy, which with the Sanhedrin, was established for some time before their final removal to Tiberias. Here the famous Rabbi Judah Hakkadosh, i. e., the Saint, presided over the Sanhedrin, and died after a residence of seventeen years. This city was also remarkable for several other eminent rabbis.

It afterwards became a bishopric of Palestine Secunda. In the fourth century it was destroyed by the

Romans on account of the turbulence of its Jewish inhabitants. During the Crusades, it was in some sort celebrated for the large fountain in its neighbourhood, which frequently became the rendezvous of the Christian troops.

Zipporis, or Sepphoris, is not mentioned by that name in the Scriptures; but the Talmud says, that Kitron, mentioned in Judges 1. 30, is Zipporis, and that it is called Zipporis, from ziphor, a bird, being perched as it were upon a hill. The Romans changed its name to Diocæsarea.

Modern Zipporis, (now called Sessurich,) is a poor village at the foot of an isolated hill, on the top of which are the ruins of a large castle. Upon the hill are also the remains of a church, dedicated to Joachim and Anna. The present village must lie below the site of the old M.

town.

ZOAN. The ancient capital of Lower Egypt where Joseph resided as viceroy. It lay within the Delta, near that mouth of the Nile called by Plutarch, TaviтIKOV σтоμя. It was afterwards called Tanis. Moses says, that Zoan was less ancient by seven years than Hebron, as in Judith 1. 10. The Psalmist says, that it was in the plains of Zoan that Moses wrought his miracles. (Psalm 78 12-43,) Isaiah (19. 11; and 30. 14;) and Ezekiel (30. 4,) in denouncing Egypt, speak of Zoan as a principal place. Some ruins called by the Arabs Sann, still mark the site of Zoan; but they are not thought to be of the highest antiquity.

ZOAR, A city of the Pentapolis, at the eastern extremity of the Dead Sea. It was at first called Bela. (Gen. 14. 2.) It was destined to have been destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, the other four cities of the plain; but on Lot's intercession, was spared as a place of refuge for him. On this occasion, its name was changed from Bela to Zoar, which signifies little, for Lot, in his petition, spake of it as "a little city." (Gen. 19. 20.) St. Jerome and Theodoret say, that after Lot quitted the city, it was swallowed up by an earthquake. If so, a city of the same name was rebuilt on or near its site, as Zoar is frequently mentioned in history. Josephus calls it, Zoar of the Arabians, because it lay within the limits of Moab; he says, that it was taken from the Arabians, i. e., the people east of the Dead Sea, with other cities, by Alexander Jannæus. (Antiq. 14. 1.) In Jerome's time, Zoar held a Roman garrison. It was afterwards a bishopric of Palestina Tertia. In A. D. 1100, the Crusaders' army entered the eastern mountains from Segor or Zoghar, (the Enywp, Zoar, of the LXX.) which they found pleasantly situated among palm-trees. Dr. Robinson shows that ancient Zoar lay at the mouth of the Wady Kerah, a valley opening on a long peninsula at the east of the Dead Sea, in the country of Moab; the wady being still, as formerly, the great road between Southern Judea and the country of Moab. Here, Irby and Mangles found the site of an ancient town: "Stones that have been used in building, though for the most part unhewn, are strewed over a great surface of uneven ground, and mixed both with bricks and pottery. This appearance continues without interruption, during the space of at least half a mile, quite down to the plain, so that it would seem to have been a place of considerable extent. We noticed one column, and we found a pretty specimen of antique variegated glass; it may possibly be the site of the ancient Zoar. Near these remains, the wady opens from its glen into the plain to the northward by a nook, where there is a wall of rude brick, with an arched doorway." M.

ites, Moabites, and Edomites, marched against Jerusalem with a numerous army. Jehoshaphat and all the people praying to God for deliverance, were comforted by the prophet Jahaziel. When the invaders came to the cliff of Ziz, God sent a panic and confusion among them, so that they smote one another, without encountering Jehoshaphat's army, which when it arrived at a watchtower, (perhaps upon the cliff,) found the dead bodies, and obtained a large spoil. M.

the seat of pleasure. The people of Zobah were frequently at war with Saul, David, and Solomon, and were defeated by those kings. (1Sam. 14. 47; 28am. 10; 2Chron. 8.) M.

ZOHELETH. The stone at which Adonijah caused sheep and oxen to be slain for his great feast when he endeavoured to usurp the throne. (1 Kings 1. 9.) It lay near the fountain of Enrogel, under the walls of Jerusalem, and was used by the fullers in

ZOIIELETH

pressing the water out of their cloths, after washing them in Enrogel. The Rabbins say, that the stone was also used by the young men for rolling and lifting, in exercises and trials of strength. The king's gardens lay in the vicinity. M.

ZOPHAR. One of the friends who came to visit Job in his calamities. He was a native of Naama, a city of Idumea, in the direction of the Red Sea; so called, apparently from the beauty of its situation; the etymology being from y naham or nagham, to be pleasant or beautiful. It is probable that Zophar was an emir, or noble chief of Naama. In his discussion with Job, he was harsh and full of invective; doubting Job's protestations of innocence; exhorting him to repentance, insisting on the short-lived triumph of the wicked, and thence inferring that Job's afflictions had fallen him as punishments. Dr. Mason Good observes that the characteristics of Zophar's style are terseness and brevity; in contrast with the milder and more modest temper of Eliphaz; the forward and unrestrained violence of Bildad; and the pent up and overflowing fulness of

Elihu. M.

upon

ZORAH. I. A city of Judah, (Josh. 15. 33,) repaired and fortified by Rehoboam. (2Chron. 11. 10.)

II. Zorah, a city of Dan, on the frontiers of Dan and Judah, near Eshtaol; stated to be ten miles from Eleutheropolis, which Dr. Robinson believes to be the same as Beth Jibrin, now a considerable village, capital of a district in the province of Gaza. It was the birthplace

of Samson, and near to it he was buried, in the tomb of his father Manoah. (Judges 16. 31.) Josephus calls it Sarasat. Zorah, and the neighbouring city Eshtaol, are thought by the Rabbins, to have been built by two persons of those names, natives of Kirjath-Jearim, who became heads of families called the Zareathites, (or Zorathites,) and the Eshtaolites. (1 Chron. 2. 54.) M.

ZOROASTER or ZERDUSHT, the distinguished reformer of the Persian religion, is said, in some Oriental traditions not unworthy of attention, to have been the disciple of the Prophet Daniel, from whom he learned the sublime doctrine of the Divine Unity, which he made the basis of his own theological system. Some of the Rabbinical writers severely censure Daniel for having communicated to foreigners that creed which they regarded as the proper birthright of the descendants of Abraham, and declare that the Prophet was punished by being deprived of divine illumination at the close of his life. There can, indeed, be little doubt that the Jews during their captivity diffused some knowledge of their national religion among the tribes that border on the Euphrates. In that most affecting of patriotic lamentations, the 137th Psalm, we find the exiles complaining, that while they bewailed their beloved country by the waters of Babylon, "There they that carried us away captive, required of us a song; and they that wasted us, required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion." The diffusion of such religious knowledge must have greatly assisted Cyrus in overthrowing the supremacy of the Medes, which, like that of the Brahmins, appears to have been based on the supremacy of caste; and hence gratitude was probably one of the motives which led him to issue his celebrated edict for the restoration of the Jews.

The transfer of supremacy from the Medes to the Persians was, in fact, both a religious and a political revolution; it was not consummated until the reformed creed of Zoroaster was established; and Mirkhond, the Persian historian, directly asserts that Zerdusht had a

the Persian conqueror.

existence of two great principles:-Ormuzd, pure eternal light, the original source of all perfection; and Ahriman, the opponent of Ormuzd, and the father of darkness and evil. Zerdusht, or Zoroaster, taught that the nature of Ahriman, like that of Ormuzd, originally belonged to light, and therefore at the first he was pure and good, but through jealousy of the superior light of Ormuzd, he obscured his own, and shrouding himself in darkness, began eagerly to diffuse sinful principles over the

The creed of Zoroaster was based on the eternal

universe.

The similarity between the character of Ahriman and that of Satan in the later Prophets, and in the New Testament, is so striking and obvious that there can be little doubt of their having had a common origin; and this, of course, greatly strengthens the

tradition that Zoroaster received

some elements of religious instruction from Daniel and several other Jewish captives.

According to the Persian creed, Ormuzd and Ahriman performed the work of creation at different epochs, and brought into existence various species of beings. Ormuzd created by his living word, that is, the power of his will, the community of good spirits,-first six immortal spirits of light for the service of his throne (Amshaspand), this being also a Jewish tradition, only that the Rabbins make the number of superior celestial spirits seven; then twenty-eight subordinate spirits, representatives of the months and days; and at last a multitude of human souls. Ahriman produced a number of evil spirits; six arch-deos, the guardians of his throne and chiefs of his infernal council, and a multitude of inferior deos, whom he constantly employs as the messengers and agents of evil. The good dwell with Ormuzd in light; Ahriman lives with his creatures in the kingdom of darkness. These notions of a hierarchy of celestial and infernal angels were adopted by the Rabbins, by many of the ancient heresiarchs, by several of the Oriental Christian churches, and universally by the Mohammedans. It is still common in the East to hear strange diseases attributed to the power of deos, or dæmons, the emissaries of the evil principle, and to attribute their power over the patient to some sin committed either by the sufferer himself, or by his parents. It will be remembered that Our blessed Lord rebuked his disciples for indulging in this superstition.

Ormuzd, according to Zoroaster, reigned alone for the space of three thousand years; after which he created material beings in their various degrees, and at the last he produced man, his most perfect work. After this labour, Ormuzd celebrated the first festival of creation in company with the good spirits, who hailed his work with delight and admiration. This is evidently taken from the description of the creation in the Book of Job: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? . . . . when the morning-stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38. 4-7.)

After the work of creation, Ormuzd is said to have ruled over a world of peace, innocence, and happiness for three thousand years. It is remarkable, notwithstanding the express declarations of Scripture, that several Jewish and Mohammedan traditions ascribe a similar extent of duration to the period of Elysian

The kingdom of Sicyon founded.

1996

The Hyksos, or Shepherd-kings, begin to be formidable.

Abram born; he was 75 years of age when his father Terah died, aged 205 years; so that Terah begat not Abram in the 70th year of his age, but Nabor and Haran, and in the 130th year of his age begat Abram. See Acts 7. 4.

Sarai Abram's wife, (called also Iscah) Haran Abram's brother's daughter, born ten years after her husband.

About this time Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, subdues the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela; who serve him twelve years.

Terah, with his family, leaves Ur, of the Chaldeans, and dwells at Haran.

SCRIPTURAL EVENTS.

ABRAM, in the 75th year of his age, is commanded by God to enter upon the land of Canaan.

In the year following a famine in the land forces him to go with his family into Egypt. From this first coming into Egypt to the departure of the children of Israel are reckoned 430 years.

Abram and Lot in this same year return into Canaan; but the land not being sufficient for both their flocks, they part. Lot goes to Sodom.

Bera, the king of Sodom, with four other kings, rebel against Chedorlaomer. Lot being taken prisoner, Abram rescues him.

Canaan is again pro

God promises Abram a son.
mised.
Sarai, being barren, gives Hagar to Abram.
Ishmael, Hagar's son, born.

God makes a covenant with Abram, and in token of a greater blessing, changes his name into Abraham.

Lot is commanded to flee from Sodom, and obtains leave to go into Zoar. Sodom, Gomorrah, and all the cities in the vale of Siddim, destroyed.

COTEMPORARY EVENTS IN PROFANE HISTORY.

[Little is known of the early progress of population in Europe; its first colonists were the descendants of Japheth, who appear to have come out of Asia, through Scythia, and hence the early traditions of Greece and Italy ascribe a northern origin to the founders of most of their oldest cities. We have no certain record of the origin of navigation, but from the earliest times the Ægean Sea appears to have been most frequented by ships. The Greek islands between Europe and Asia are so close to each other, and approach so near to both continents, that sailors are hardly out of sight of land, at any period of their passage from Anatolia to Hellas.]

ham and his posterity were called Hebrews.

Esau marries Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite.

The kingdom of Argos in the Peloponnesus founded by Inachus.

Reign of Amasis in Egypt.

Supposed era of Deucalion's flood in Thessaly.

[During this period Egypt took the lead in civilization and the arts of life. The valley of the Nile being irrigated annually by the periodical overflowing of the river, early invited the attention of the agriculturist, and thus induced the Egyptians to adopt a settled life. The wealth which they acquired excited the cupidity of the pastoral and wandering tribes beyond the isthmus of Suez, and a long series of wars, carried on with varying success, necessarily followed. In general it may be stated, that agricultural pursuits were the original sources of civilization; those engaged in the cultivation of the earth were forced to collect in towns and villages to protect themselves, their properties and their families, from the wandering tribes of hunters, who had no resource but plunder whenever there was a deficiency of game.

It is probable that the Greek legends of the wars between the Centaurs and the Lapithæ relate to a state of things not very different from the relations between the Egyptians and the Hyksos; for in all ancient history we find that Nomade races, and the tribes possessed of fixed residences and permanent occupations, regarded each other as natural enemies.

Recent discoveries appear to prove that some ancient civilized race was exterminated in America by the Nomade progenitors of the Red Indians.]

[About this period many of the races in Western Asia, particularly those who inhabited Syria and Palestine, began to lay aside their wandering habits of life, and fix themselves in permanent dwellings. To this age must therefore probably be attributed the commencement of the erection of those fortifications by which the companions of Caleb were so daunted in a later age. Cyclopic architecture seems to prove that it had its origin in a rocky and varied country, such as Palestine, where it would naturally be suggested to the builders of the first cities by the physical defences which their native fastnesses afforded. According to Oriental tradition, the Philistines, or some nation of cognate origin, were the most celebrated proficients in the art of building among the ancient nations on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.]

Prometheus, the inventor of many useful arts, is supposed to have flourished in Greece at this period.

Joseph is sold to Ishmaelites and Midianites, who carry him into Egypt, where he is sold to Potiphar, and by him made overseer of his house.

Joseph is falsely accused, and cast into prison. Isaac dies, aged 180 years.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's two dreams; and is

made governor of the land of Egypt.

Here begin the seven years of plenty in the land of

Egypt. About this time Manasseĥ and Ephraim, Jcseph's two sons, are born.

Here begin the seven years of famine.

Jacob sends his ten sons into Egypt to buy corn;

they are imprisoned by Joseph; but are set at liberty on condition of bringing Benjamin.

Jacob sends Benjamin. Joseph makes himself

known to his brethren, and sends for his father.

Jacob goes with all his family into Egypt, in the third year of famine, and 130th year of his age, and is seated in the land of Goshen.

Joseph gets the money, lands, and cattle, of the Egyptians for bread; except the lands belonging to the priests.

Jacob dies, aged 147 years. He is carried into Canaan, and buried in the sepulchre of his father.