church historian - Page 2 of 2

Ankh

ANKH An ancient Egyptian sign of life in hieroglyphics, transmitted to the Christian Egyptians as the cross or sign of eternal life. The ankh in the form of a cross with a rounded head was always carried by the gods of Egyptian mythology as well as by the pharaohs, who were also regarded as gods. …

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Pentapolis

Places / By Armia FAYEZ

PENTAPOLIS This area derives its name from the five Greek cities of Cyrenaica: Berenice-Euesperides/Benghazi, Arsinoe- Taucheira (Teucheria)/Tukrah, Ptolemaïs/Tulmaythah, Apollonia/Sozousa/Marsa Susah, and Cyrene / ‘Ayn Shahhat. The history of the Pentapolis was dominated by three centers of attraction and potential peril: the Mediterranean, Egypt, and the desert hinterland populated by Berber tribes having strong relations, often …

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Persecutions

History / By Armia FAYEZ

PERSECUTIONS The persecution of Christians in Egypt has to be considered in connection with the religious policy and the ruler cult of the Roman emperors. Right from the start the Christians, being the followers of what was largely perceived as a Jewish sectarian executed by order of a Roman government representative, looked suspicious to both …

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Martyrdom

Culture / By Armia FAYEZ

MARTYRDOM The voluntary submission to death for the sake of one’s faith. The term “martyr” originally signified one who possessed firsthand knowledge of a matter to which one witnessed in public. In this sense, it was first used to describe the apostles who bore witness for Christ and the Resurrection (Acts 1:8, 22). Later the …

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Neander, Johann August Wilhelm

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

NEANDER, JOHANN AUGUST WILHELM (1789-1850) A German church historian. Jewish by birth, his original name was David Mendel. He was baptized as a Protestant in 1806 and changed his name to Neander. He taught ecclesiastical history at Berlin from 1813 until he died. Apart from his famous General History of the Christian Church (6 vols., …

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Duchesne, Louis (1843-1922)

Eminent / By Youssef Matta

DUCHESNE, LOUIS (1843-1922) A church historian. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1887 and completed his theological studies at Rome. His interest in the history of the early church was intensified by his travels in Greece and Asia Minor. He became a professor of ecclesiastical history at the Institut catholique in Paris in 1885, …

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