Difference between revisions of "Berea"

<p> Paul, accompanied by Silas, first visited Berea on his second missionary journey (&nbsp;Acts 17:10). The town was in the province of [[Macedonia]] in northern Greece, on the main road from Thessalonica in the north to Athens in the south. (For map of the region see [[Acts, Book Of]] ) </p> <p> The Jews of the local synagogue, unlike many of the Jews Paul met on his travels, were prepared to listen to Paul’s teaching and test it against the Scriptures. As a result, many believed. However, Paul was forced to leave the young church when Jews from neighbouring Thessalonica forced him out of the town (&nbsp;Acts 17:11-14). Paul most likely revisited Berea on his third missionary journey (&nbsp;Acts 20:1-2). A representative from the Berean church joined his party to take an offering from the Greek churches to the poor [[Christians]] in [[Jerusalem]] (&nbsp;Acts 20:4; &nbsp;Romans 15:26; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 8:1-4; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 9:1-4). </p>

<p> [[Berea]] ( ''Be-Rç'Ah'' ). A city of Macedonia, &nbsp;Acts 17:10-13 (Berœa in R. V.), on the eastern side of the Olympian mountains; now Verria, with a population of about 6000. </p>

<p> ''''' be ''''' - ''''' rē´a ''''' . See Bercea </p> <p> Bereave; Bereaver; [[Bereft]] </p> <p> ''''' bē̇ ''''' - ''''' rēv ''''' ´, ''''' bē̇ ''''' - ''''' rēv´ẽr ''''' , ''''' bē̇ ''''' - ''''' reft ''''' ´: [[Bereave]] is frequently used in the Old Testament in the (now almost obsolete) meaning of "to deprive," "to take away," especially with reference to loss of children. The [[Hebrew]] word used here is שכל , <i> ''''' shākhōl ''''' </i> , "to be childless," or in the Piel "to make childless" (compare &nbsp;Genesis 42:36 et al.). In the King James Version &nbsp; Ecclesiastes 4:8 (from the Hebrew חסר , <i> ''''' ḥāṣēr ''''' </i> , "to lack") we read "and bereave my soul of good" (the Revised Version (British and American) "deprive"), and in &nbsp;Ezekiel 36:14 (from Hebrew כּשׁל , <i> ''''' kāshal ''''' </i> , "to stumble"), "neither bereave thy nations any more" (the Revised Version, margin "cause to stumble"). </p> <p> Bereaver , otherwise very rare, is found the Revised Version (British and American) &nbsp;Ezekiel 36:13 (from Hebrew שׁכל , <i> ''''' shākhōl ''''' </i> "to be childless"), "a bereaver of thy nation" (the King James Version "hast bereaved"). </p> <p> Bereft is found in &nbsp; 1 Timothy 6:5 (from the Greek <i> ''''' aposteréō ''''' </i> , "to rob") "bereft of the truth" (the King James Version "destitute"). The expression <i> bereavement </i> (the Revised Version (British and American) &nbsp; Isaiah 49:20 ) in the phrase "the children of thy bereft" means "the children born to thee in the time when God had afflicted thee." </p>

<p> ( '''''Βερέα''''' ), a place in [[Judea]] apparently not very far from Jerusalem, where Bacchides, the general of Demetrius, encamped shortly before the engagement in which [[Judas]] Maccabaeus was slain (&nbsp;1 [[Maccabees]] 9:4). Other copies, however, read ''Berzath'' ( '''''Βεηρζάθ''''' , '''''Βεηρθάζ''''' , '''''Βηρζήθ''''' , etc., see Grimm, in loc.), from in which Reland conjectures ( ''Palaest.'' p. 624) that it may be the [[Bezeth]] (q.v.) of &nbsp;1 Maccabees 7:19, especially as Josephus, in his parallel account (Ant. 12, 11, 4), calls the place in question Bethzetho ( '''''Βηθζηθώ''''' , ''Ant.'' 12, II, 1; compo. 10, 2). (See [[Beroea]]). </p> <p> (&nbsp;1 Maccabees 9:4). Lieut. Conder (Tent Work, ii, 335) proposes to identify this place with Bireh, which, however, has long since been settled as the site of Beeroth. </p>