Subjects in the Labels List (Labels Which Begin with the Letter B, with a range of bel to bil)

 This blog is ακωλυτως, unhindered. (Acts 28:31) Any subject is fair game. Below is a listing of the LABELS which begin with the letters bel to bil. All can be searched from the list which follows the last posted article on this page or by typing them into the SEARCH button at the top of the page. Most will call up multiple postings in which they appear

            Bela Lugosi, Belarus, Belgium, belief systems, believe, Belize, Bella, belligerence, bells, Belshazzar, Beltane, Bemidbar, Ben Carson, Ben Harper, Ben Johnson, Benedictines, Benjamin Franklin, Benny Hinn, Bereans, bereavement, Bereshit, Berlin, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernie Sanders, Bethany House Publishers, Beth Shelburne, Bethany, Bethany House Publishers, Bethlehem, Bethsaida, betrayal, Betty Boop, Bhutan, Bible, Bible Belt, Bible codes, Bible printer’s errors, Bible reading, Bible study, Bible theme parks, Bible verses, Bible-haters,  Bibleman,  biblical, biblical canonicity, biblical error, biblical history, biblical interpretation, biblical medicine, biblical place names, biblical places, bibliography, bibliolatry, Bickertonites, Big Oak Ranch, bigotry, bikini, Bill and Ted, Bill Gates, Bill Maher, Bill Mauldin, Bill O’Reilly, billboard, Billy Bass, Billy Crystal, Billy Graham.

Religious Place Names

Glennahaglish, Ireland: This place incorporates the Irish word “eaglais” which translates as “church.”

Saqqara, Egypt: This place name reflects the name of the ancient Egyptian hawk-headed god of death, Sokar or Seker. HIs name is believed to be derived from the ancient Egyptian phrase “sy-k-ri,” which means “hurry to me.”

Pihana - a- ka -lani, Hawaii State, United States of America: The Hawaiian word “lani” translates as “heaven,” “sky,” or “king” and “pihana” means “a gathering place.”  Pihana was used as a temple site for the sacrifice of war captives to the king’s Hawaiian deities. It was a “gathering place of the supernatural.”

Braganca, Portugal: Walled settlements began to appear in this area in about 1000 to 700 BCE, Brigantia, “the elevated one,” was a Celtic goddess whose name is believed to have come from the Proto-Indo-European words “bhrg hnti” meaning “high,” “lofty,” or “elevated.”

Luang Prabang, Laos: The Lao words “Phra Bang” translate as “royal Buddha image.” The city-state already existed when it entered history in 698 CE when it was conquered by a Tai prince.

Modern Names of Biblical Places: Susa

Susa, mentioned in Nehemiah 1:1, Esther 1:2, Ezra 4:9, and Daniel 8:2,16 survives as the modern city of Shush, Iran which had a population of 53,897 in 2006.  Ancient Susa (aka: Shushan, Susan, and Susun) was occupied as early as 4395 BC/BCE and was a city of the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian Empires.  The palace of King Xerxes and Queen Esther was excavated late in the nineteenth century.

Religious Place Names

Ibadan, Nigeria: From the Arabic word “ibada,” meaning “divine service.”

Menehune Ditch, Hawaii, USA: The menehune are little fairy-like supernatural people from Hawaiian mythology.

Islamabad, Pakistan: Islam is the Arabic word for “submission (to God).”

Saint-Isidore, Quebec, Canada: From “Isis,” the Greek form of the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess (probably “Aset” in ancient Egyptian), plus the Greek word “doron,” meaning “gift.”

Guwahati, India:  This city has had several names over its history, including Durjaya (Sanskrit = “impregnable”), and Pragyostishpur, from “pragyotish,” the Sanskrit word for “astrology.” The modern name of Guwahati is more mundane.  It comes from two Assamese words; “guwa” (“azeca nut”) and “haat” (“marketplace”).

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.

Christian Illustrators: Karen Hargett

Christian illustrators often work in secular markets.  Karen Hargett is a Christian artist (pencils and pastels) in Buda, Texas (USA).  She is a professional working artist who does nature scenes, animals portraits, and work for commission.

Karen Hargettt lives in Buda, Texas, a rapidly growing community.  In the 2000 census, Buda had 2404 residents; in 2010 the population had grown to 7295.  Originally known as DuPre, the town became Buda late in the 19th century.

There are two possible known derivations for the name of the town.  Both sound plausible.  Perhaps both sources contributed to the name.

The Carrington Hotel in Buda is popularly known as the "Buda House"because of the "viudas" (Spanish = "widows") who worked in the kitchen.

The second explanation is that the town is named for the hometown (Buda) of Hungarian refugees who settled in the area after the failed 1848 revolution in Hungary.  Budapest, Hungary was formed from the merging of the cities of Buda and Pest. 

The city name Buda may derive from the name of its founder, Bleda (Buda), the brother of the Hunnic ruler Attila.   It may also be derived from the Slavic word "вода, voda" ("water"), a translation of the Latin name "Aquincum", which was the main Roman settlement in the region

Religious Place Names

Mecca, Saudi Arabia: The name of this city is believed to have derived from the Arabic word “makorab” (“shrine”).

Benghazi, Libya: This modern name of this city is probably from a local Muslim saint,  Marsa ibn Ghazi.

Baku, Azebiajan: There are several possible origins for this name.  One explains the name as being from Iranian “abad” = “town” plus “ku” = “fire,”  a reference to the existence of a fire worship religion.

Asuncion, Paraguay: Asuncion is Spanish for “Assumption.” The city was founded in 1536 on the day of the Feast of the Assumption.

Arkhangelsk, Russia:  The name means “Archangel.”

Religious Place Names

Andaman Islands:  This name is believed to have been derived from the name of the monkey god, Handuman.

Amritsar, India: From the Sanskrit words “amrita saras,” meaning “lake of immortality.”

Munster, Germany:  From the Old High German word “munistri.”  This word was ultimately derived from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Montruex, Switzerland:  This name is also from from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Kilmanjaro, Tanzania:  The name of this volcano derives from the Swahili words “kilima” = “mountain” plus “njaro” = “god of cold.”

Religious Place Names

Deseret, Utah, USA: In The Book of Mormon, “deseret” means “honeybee.”  The word comes from the book of Ether 2:3 in the Book of Mormon.  Mormons say that is in the language of the Jaredites.  Most historians doubt the existence of the Jaredites.

Grimscote, England:  Old English for “Grim’s Cot.”  Grim was an alternate name for the Norse deity Odin or Woden.

Harrow on the Hill, England: The Old English name of this town was Gumeninga hergae (temple of the Gumeninga tribe).  A “herg” was a “temple.” This word is the derivation of “harrow.”  The suffix “ingas” means “the people belonging to” and “Gumen” was a man’s name.

Weeford, England: The Old English word “weoh” means “holy.”

Kirkharle, England: This name of this town is of Old English origin.  “Kirk” means “church.”  “Harle” has two possible origins: 1. “Herela lea” (Herela’s grove) or 2. “herg leah” (temple grove). 

Religious Place Names

Many place names have religious origins.  Here are a few of them.

Madras, India: from Arabic word “madrasa,” an Islamic religious school

Peshkopi, Albania: from the Greek word “episkope,”  “the eat of a bjshop”

Kilimanjaro (volcano), Tanzania: from the Swahili word “njaro,” meaning “god of gold.”

Omkareshwar, India: “om” is the Sanskrit word for the “holy sound.”

Saytan Sofrasi, Turkey:  This rock formation is named for Satan. 

Religious Place Names

Boaz, Alabama, USA:  Boaz (Ruth 2:1) lived about 1100 BC/BCE. In Hebrew his name means something like “in him is strength.”

Kilkenny, Ireland: The Irish name of this place is Cill Chainnigh, which means “Church of Cainneach.”

Haryana, India: This name is derived from two Sanskrit words, “aryana” (“home”) and “hari” (Vishnu).  Vishnu is the Hindu god

al-Miqdadiyah, Iraq:  aka. Muqdadiyah. This is Arabic for “given by the Magi.”

Arbil, Iraq:  “Ar” is Hurrian word.  The settlement existed as early as the 23^rd Century BC/BCE.  The Akkadians called it “arba u ilu,”  “four gods.”

Recurrent Segments in This Blog

From time to time I add new features to this blog.  I will always keep you updated as I do. Currently there are fifteen recurrent segments.  You can search for them on the Labels list at the bottom of the current page.  I welcome suggestions for new recurrent subjects.

Bible Printer's Errors: You have to proofread "vewwy vewwy cahrfuwwy" or you may say something you didn't intend.
Book Comments: Comments on books about Christianity, religion, philosophy, ethics, history, scholarship, Bible study, Christian writing, children's books, publishing, pastoring, etc.
Christian Heresies:  An ongoing listing of the historical heretical doctrines and a few modern ones.
Christians: Mini biographical listings of persons from any period of history who have, at some time in their lives, been identified as Christians. You may be surprised to see some of these people listed here.
Female Images of God: Obviously, if you think about it, God is not male or female. He is both and more. The gender identification of God was given to us so we would have a point of reference from which to understand Him as a Person (He is obviously not an "it.") It may surprise you that the Bible often presents God with female imagery.
Film Comments: Many films address issues of religious and/or philosophical import. Some may provide insights for Christians which were possibly not part of the original intent of the film's director.
Interesting Websites: Websites which present interesting or eccentric points of view; websites of Christian oriented groups; etc.
Lost Books of the Bible: There are books mentioned in the Bible which are otherwise unknown. Other books may be fragments of longer books.
Messianic Prophecies from the Bible: Christians believe that manyOld Testament (TANAKH) passages speak about the Messiah Jesus.
Names in the Bible: The names of the persons in the Bible are not just sounds.  Many have known meanings.
Poetry: Some from me, some from other folks.
Religious Humor: Contrary to what many people think, Christians are not without humor. Look up Rev, Grady Nutt.
Religious Place Names: The religious origins of some place names may not be immediately obvious.
Trivia: Obscure facts about Christianity, the Bible, religion, etc. Some really are trivial, some, not so much.
What Does It Mean?: Many passages in the Bible need a little explaining to make sense to modern readers because they must be understood in the historical and religious context in which they were written. Remember that they made perfect sense to their original readers/hearers.

My Bibliography

A new item on my blog is my bibliography page. The link is located in a sidebar on the right side of the page. The bibliography lists books and magazine articles I have written plus reviews and listings of my work.