Headings in all-capital letters designate main articles

AARON (Aarʹon). A son of Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi, born in Egypt in 1597 B.C.E. Levi was Aaron’s great-grandfather. (Ex 6:13, 16-20) Miriam was his elder sister, and Moses was his younger brother by three years.

Bold lettering with capital letters is used for principal subheadings

During the Kingships of David and Solomon. It appears that when David finally gained the throne, Abiathar was made the high priest. Some scholars suggest that, after High Priest Ahimelech’s death, King Saul had Zadok installed as high

Bold italics indicate a subdivision of material under the principal subheading

Christian principles regarding strangers. In the Christian Greek Scriptures love toward the stranger (Gr., xeʹnos) is strongly emphasized as a quality the Christian must exercise. The apostle Paul says: “Do not forget hospitality [Gr., phi·lo-

Pronunciation guide

ABEDNEGO (A·bedʹne·go) [probably, Servant of Nebo [a Babylonian god]]. The name given to Azariah, one of the youths of the Jewish royalty or nobility taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in

Meaning of name

ELIJAH (E·liʹjah) [My God Is Jehovah].

1. One of the foremost prophets of Israel. Evidently his home was in Tishbeh, thought by some to be a village in the land of Gilead, E of the Jordan River. (1Ki 17:1) He started his long

Question that is answered in the following paragraph(s)

Why was Aaron not punished for making the golden calf?

Despite his privileged position, Aaron had his shortcomings. During Moses’ first 40-day stay on Mount Sinai, “the people congregated themselves

 A boldface number at the beginning of a paragraph indicates a different person or place with the same name

1. A gatekeeper of the Korahites appointed by David; the seventh son of Meshelemiah of the tribe of Levi.​—1Ch 26:1-3.

2. The son of Zerahiah who, accompanied by 200 males of the paternal house of Pahath-moab, returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Ezra.

Cross-references direct attention to articles that have valuable additional information or to visual aids

firmed by the finding of a silver denarius coin bearing the head of Tiberius and put in circulation about the year 15 C.E. (PICTURE, Vol. 2, p. 544) (Compare Lu 3:1, 2.) The fact that Pontius Pilate was then Roman governor of Judea is also demonstrated by a stone slab found at Caesarea bearing the Latin names Pontius Pilatus and Tiberieum.​—See PILATE; PICTURE, Vol. 2, p. 741.

Modern-day equivalents are given for Biblical weights, measures, and money

Hosea paid 15 silver pieces (if shekels, $33) and one and a half homer measures (330 L; 300 dry qt) of barley to buy back the adulterous woman Gomer as his wife (Ho 1:3; 3:1, 2), a price that some commentators consider to total the price of a slave, 30 silver shekels ($66). (Ex 21:32) The “offering of jealousy” required by the

All abbreviations are explained in Volume 1, on pages 1277, 1278

(Isa 40:11) The expression “wife of [one’s] bosom,” as in some translations (KJ; Ro; RS; AT ), is given clearer meaning when rendered, “wife thou dost cherish in thy bosom” (Kx), “your cherished wife.”

Geographic names in parentheses are equivalents in another language (usually in modern Hebrew)

In the period of the Judges, the Canaanite city was situated on a mound identified with Tell el-Fukhkhar (Tel ʽAkko), about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the bay and 1.8 km (1 mi) E of the present-day Old City walls. During the Persian period, from the sixth century B.C.E., the city spread westward to

Geographic locations are shown on an accompanying map; scriptures tell what happened there during the period of history under consideration

LOCATIONS ON MAP—With Related Scriptures

Ai

Ge 12:8; 13:3, 4

Beer-sheba

Ge 21:31-33; 22:19

Bethel

Ge 12:8

Damascus

Ge 14:15

Dan

Ge 14:14

Gerar

Ge 20:1-18