Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Antipatris                   Acts 23:31                   Rosh HaAyin, Israel

Cuthah                       2 Kings 17:24              Tell, Ibrahim, Iraq

Dedan                         Ezekiel 8:13                 Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia

Elim                            Exodus 16:1                Wadi Gharandel, Egypt

Hamath                      2 Samuel 8:9               Hama, Syria

Medeba                      Numbers 21:30            Madaba, Jordan

                                    Joshua 13:9

Noph                           Isaiah 19:13                Memphis, Egypt

Qiryat Arba               Joshua 14:15               Hebron, West Bank

Rhegium                     Acts 28:13                   Reggio Calabria, Italy

Syene                          Ezekiel 29:10, 30:6     Aswan, Egypt

Nationalities of Biblical Persons if They Were Born Today

 

Xerxes/Ahasuerus          Iranian

Sargon of Akkad            Iraqi

Simon of Cyrene            Libyan

Simon Peter                    Israeli

Bartholomew                  Possibly Lebanese

Emperor Claudius         French

Jeremiah                         West Bank Palestinian

Samuel                            Israeli

Emperor Nero                Italian

Emperor Augustus         Italian

Nationalities of Biblical Persons if They Were Born Today

 

Jesus                                     West Bank Palestinian

Zechariah                            West Bank Palestinian

Ezekiel                                  Israeli

Lydia of Thyatira               Turkish

Paul                                     Turkish

Silas                                     Greek

Amos                                   West Bank Palestinian

Emperor Tiberius              Italian

Mary Magdalene               Israeli

Barnabas                            Cypriot

Two Roman Catholic Bishops Named Lucifer

The Hebrew phrase helel ben saar in Isaiah 14:12 was translated in the King James Version of the Bible as “Lucifer, son of the morning.” The traditional Jewish interpretation is that this is a reference to Nebuchadnezzar II. This is also the understanding of the Christian preterist interpretation of the Bible.

The Latin word for “morning star” is Lucifer. In later Christian tradition the name came to be seen as referring to the beautiful being Satan before his fall. The idea expressed in the name is “the morning star,” the “shining one.”or “the light bringer.” There seems to be no real Biblical indication that the personal name of the Devil is Lucifer. In fact, the three personal names the Devil is given are all actually insults: Abbadon (destruction), Apollyon (destroyer), and Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies). The Bible calls the Devil many names including liar, deceiver, accuser, adversary, lord of this world, lord of the flies, tempter, and evil one.

The Bible is quite clear that the Devil is a real person who is the embodiment of everything which is vile, evil, and opposed to God. He is not merely a force, or an idea, or a myth. We just do not know his name nor do we need to. It is finished. He is defeated.

In the Middle Ages, Lucifer (“shining one”) was used as a personal name as seen in the names of two Roman Catholic bishops: Saint Lucifer of Cagliari and Lucifer of Sienna.

Lucifer of Cagliari, who died in 371, was a Sardinian and held the office of Bishop of Cagliari in Italy. He was a determined opponent of the Arian heresy and a fierce defender of Bishop Atanasius. In 363, he led a schismatic sect called the Luciferians who opposed the return of Arian bishops into Roman Catholic orthodoxy.

Little is known of Lucifer of Siena other than that he was appointed in 306 as the the first bishop of Siena in Italy.

A Beautiful A Cappella Version of Amazing Grace

A beautiful a cappella version of Amazing Grace. The a cappella style of music utilizes human voices presented without the use of musical instruments. The word a cappella is of Italian origin and translates as "according to chapel, " meaning sung like a chant without musical instruments.


/www.godtube.com/watch/?v=JFME1JNU

Christianity in Herculaneum

On 24 August 79 AD/CE Mount Vesuvius in Italy began to erupt, spewing out large rocks and streams of molten lava.  The Roman communities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Oplontis were destroyed as well as several nearby villas.  The port of Herculaneum was smaller than the port of Pompeii and existed as a resort town for the wealthy.  The towns were covered by 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash and pumice.

Excavations at Herculaneum and the other towns yielded multitudes of intact buildings after the ash was removed.  Since a 1939 excavation at Herculaneum found only the bodies of a few women and children, it was thought that the town was successfully evacuated during the cataclysm.  It was not until 1981 that over 300 skeletons were found huddled together in cluster of buildings.

During the 1939 excavation of Herculaneum it was proven that Christianity had made inroads in the area when a wooden cross was found nailed to a wall in one of the houses.

Modern Names of Biblical Places

Ecbatana: Mentioned in Ezra 6:2, Ecbatana (aka: Agbatana) was probably first occupied by the Assyrians in 1100 BC/BCE.  About 700 BC/BCE, the city was the capital of the Medean Kingdom (“Persians and Medes”) under King Diokes.  The city is the site of the tombs of Esther and Mordecai and is known today as Hamadan, Iran.  The main exports of the city are leather, carpets, and ceramics.

Gerasa: The agricultural city of Jerash, Jordan (48 km north of Amman) is mentoioned in Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 as Gerasa.  It was also known as Antioch on the Golden River.  The city was founded in 331 BC/BCE either by Alexander the Great or by his general, Perdiccas, as a retirement city for career soldiers.

Pergamum: Revelation 2:12. The name of Pergamum probably is derived from the Luwian word  “parrai” of the Hittite word “parku.” Both words mean “high.”  The city was founded by Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals.  Under the Romans, the city had a population as large as 150,000.  The modern city, with a population of 55,000, is known as Bergama, Turkey and  produces cotton, gold, and carpets.

Neapolis: The seaport of Neapolis (Greek = “new city”) was settled in the 7^th century BC/BCE to exploit nearby silver and gold deposits.  In 168 BC/BCE Neapolis became a Roman city.  The modern name is Kavala, Greece.  The city is mentioned in Acts 16:11.

Puteoli: Acts 28:13 mentions the Roman colony of Puteoli.  The name is derived from the Latin word “putere” (“to stink”), probably because of the strong sulfur smell in the area. The Roman colony was established at the earlier Greek colony of Dicaearchia.  The city produced blown glass, marble, wrought iron, and mosaics and was a port for the Greek grain trade.  The modern name of the city is Pozzuoli, Italy.

At the Time When David Became King of israel

At the time when David became king of his unified Kingdom of Israel (ca 1000 BC/BCE), this is what was happening in other regions of the world.

The Chavin Culture established a trade network in Peru.

Japan was inhabited by a hunter-gatherer culture.

Agricultural farming began in Kenya.

The Phoenicians invented their alphabet.

Latins began to arrive in Italy.

The Hittite city of Troy (Troy Layer VII at Hisarlik, Turkey) was destroyed.

The Tamil language appeared in India.

China prospered under King Kang (ruled 1020-999BC/BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Bartolomeu de Gusmao: (b. 1685, Brazil –d. 1724) Portuguese Jesuit priest, naturalist, philologist, mathematician, linguist, university professor, chaplain to King John V of Portugal.  He designed a lighter-than-air airship but it was never built.

Francesco Lana de Terzi: (b. 1631, Italy – d. 1687) Italian Jesuit priest, naturalist, mathematician, aeronautics theorist, developer of a pre-Braille reading system for the blind.  He worried that flying ships could be used for warfare.

Serzh Azati Sargsyan: (b. 1954, Nagorno-Karabakh) Third President of Armenia, first elected in 2008. Armenian Apostolic.

Ernest Jennings Ford: (b. 1919, Tennessee, USA – d. 1991; aka: “Tennessee Ernie” Ford) Country and Gospel music singer, guitarist, and violinist. His television show always ended with a hymn. He struggled with alcoholism his entire life. Country Music Hall of Fame 1991.

Hugo Chavez: (b. 1954, Venezuela – d. 2013) president of Venezuela 1999-2013, Socialist. Roman Catholic.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (b. 1813, Italy – d. 1901, aka: Joesph Fortuninus Franciscus Verdi, Joseph Fortunin Francois Verdi) Italian composer, mainly of operas.  Roman Catholic.

Hrant Dink: (b. 1964, Turkey – d. 2007) Editor, journalist, columnist, civil rights activist.  Armenian Apostolic Chrurch, Evangelical Protestant.

Ernest David Kelly: Baptist minister, father of actor DeForest Kelly (1920-1999).

Geza Vermes (b. 1924, Hungary) British theologian, historian, expert in Hebrew, Aramaic, and the life of Jesus.  He and his family were Jewish converts to Roman Catholicism.

James Tetsuzo Takeda (b. 1901, Japan; aka: Tetsu) Episcopal priest, chaplain at St. Paul’s University.  He writes Japanese haiku. 

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Robert Patrick Ellison: (b. 1942, Ireland) Roman Catholic Bishop of Banjul, The Gambia

Mvemba a Nzinga: (b. ca 1582, Kongo – d. 1663, aka: Afonso I; Nzinga Mbemeba Affonso) A Kongo chieftain who became the Manikongo in 1506, reigning as Afonso I.

Solomon Tilewa Johnson: (b. 1954, The Gambia) Anglican Bishop of The Gambia.

George Beverly Shea: (b. 1909, Canada) Vocalist, evangelist.  Associated with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association since the 1940’s.

Luciano Pavarotti: (b. 1935, Italy – d. 2007) Operatic tenor, humanitarian.  Roman Catholic.

Religious Place Names

Frascati, Italy: This resort town is named for the Church of St. Mary and Sebastian “in the bushes (frascati) ”

Omdurman, Sudan: Named for Um-Marium (1646-1730),  a Muslim saint.

Lima, Peru:  This city was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pixarro as Ciudad de los Reyes (City of the Kings).  The modern name is derived from the name of an ancient deity, Rimac, and means “he who speaks.”

Munich, Germany: Munich was built on the site of a Benedictine monastery and the name derives from the Old High Germany word “munih,”  meaning “monk.”

Concepcion, Chile:  With a Spanish name meaning “conception,” this city was founded in 1550 on the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Duccio di Buoninsegna: (b. ca. 1255-1260, Italy – d. 1318-1319)  Painter.  He worked on commission and provided paintings for churches, cathedrals, and government buildings.  Many of his works are now lost.

Frederick Fyvie Bruce: (b. 1910, Scotland –d. 1990; aka: F. F. Bruce) Biblical scholar, university professor, specialist on the life and ministry of Paul, wrote over forty books and biblical commentaries.  In his classic work, New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, he showed that the New Testament documents have better historical attestation than any other ancient documents.

Allan B. Bicknell: (b. ca 1890, USA –d. 1948) University professor of French, Greek, Latin, and Spanish at Bridgewater University for forty-one years (1906-0917), opera singer.    

Asa: On 6 June 2012, a pastor identified only as Asa was arrested for proselytizing in Laos.

Joseph Elliot Giradi: (b. 1964, Illinois, USA) Major League Baseball catcher anf manager. 2006 National League Manager of the Year.

The Three States of the Converted

"There are in truth three states of the converted: the beginning, the middle, and the perfection. In the beginning, they experience the charms of sweetness; in the middle, the contests of temptation; and in the end, the fullness of perfection." Pope Gregory the Great (540?, Italy - 604)

I suspect that most of us are in the middle state.

What They Think of Us: Napoleon Bonaparte

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires but on what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius?  Upon force.  Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love, and at this hour millions of men would die for him."  Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French (1804-1815).

Napoleone di Buonaparte (1769 - 1821) was born on the island of Corsica to parents of Italian ancestry.  Before being ceded to France, the island had belonged to the Republic of Genoa.  As a military leader and ruler, Bonaparte was never known for his humility.

Raised as a Roman Catholic, as an adult he was a deist who rejected the deity of Jesus and thought of God as distant and absent.  Even so, he accepted the Anointing of the Sick sacrament from a Roman Catholic priest shortly before he died.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

John Croyle: (b. USA) Former University of Alabama football player who turned down a National Football League (NFL) contract to found (1974) The Big Oak Ranch, a home for boys from troubled and abusive families in Alabama.  In 1988, he and his wife, Tee added The Girl’s Ranch.  He needed $30,000 as a down payment on the original parcel of land for the ranch: Croyle’s teammate and fellow Christian, John Hannah, donated his $30,000 NFL signing bonus to make the payment.  Croyle is the father of NFL quarterback, Brodie Croyle.

http://www.bigoak.org 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bringing-Out-the-Winner-In-Your-Child/John-Croyle/e/9781581823516 

John Brodie Croyle: (b. 1983, Alabama, USA) Son of Big Oak Ranch founder, John Croyle.  University of Alabama college football player, professional football quarterback.

Hermann of Reichenau: (b. 1013, Swabia (Germany) – d. 1054: aka> Hermannus Contractus, Hermannus Augiensis, Herman the Cripple) Son of the Duke of Altshausen.  Benedictine monk, scholar, composer, music theorist, mathematician, astronomer, poet, beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in 1863.  He is probably the first to make a numerical-chronological listing of the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church.  He was crippled from birth, born apparently with cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and possibly spina bifida; he went blind as an adult.

Giovanni Battista Cybo: (b. 1432, Republic of Genoa (Italy) – d. 1492; aka. Pope Innocent VIII) Roman Catholic Pope 1484-1492. An opponent of witchcraft and of the Waldensians.  He appointed (1487) Tomas de Torquemada as Grand Inquisitor of Spain.

Hubert Ira Davis: (b. 1970, North Carolina, USA) Professional basketball (NBA) player, ESPN college basketball analyst.  He is the nephew of former professional basketball (NBA) player, Walter Davis.

And I'm Just a Man

This Christian song, "And I'm Just a Man." is sung by Stefano Colitti.

Hello, Italy!

Ciao, Italia. Benvenuti al gruppo di lettori provenienti da 43 paesi diversi che hanno anche visitare questo blog. Spero che troverete alcuni dei post utile o significativo.