Difference between revisions of "Libya"

<p> The name, in its largest sense, was used by the Greeks to denote the whole of Africa. But Libya Proper, or the Libya of the New Testament, the country of the [[Lubims]] of the Old, was a large country lying along the Mediterranean, on the west of Egypt. It was called Pentapolitana Regio by Pliny, from its five chief cities, Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and Cyrene; and Lybia Cyrenaica by Ptolemy, from Cyrene its capital. Libya is supposed to have been first peopled by, and to have derived its name from, the Lehabim, or Lubim. These, its earlier inhabitants, appear in the times of the Old Testament, to have consisted of wandering tribes, who were sometimes in alliance with Egypt, and at others with the [[Ethiopians]] of Arabia; as their are said to have assisted both [[Shishak]] and [[Zerah]] in their expeditions into Judea, 2 Chronicles 12, 14, 16. They were for a time sufficiently powerful to maintain a war with the Carthaginians, by whom they were in the end entirely overcome. Since that period, Libya, in common with the rest of the east, has successively passed into the hands of the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Turks. The city Cyrene, built by a [[Grecian]] colony, was the capital of this country, in which, and other parts, dwelt many Jews, who came up to Jerusalem at the feast of pentecost, together with those dispersed among other nations, and are called by St. Luke "dwellers in the parts of Libya about Cyrene," Acts 2:10 . </p>

<p> A country in the north of Africa, stretching along on the [[Mediterranean]] between Egypt and Carthage, and running back somewhat into the interior. The part adjoining Egypt was sometimes called Libya Marmarica; and that around Cyrene, Cyrenaica, from its chief city; or Pentapolitana, from its chief city; or Pentapolitana, from its five cities, Cyrene, Apollonia, Berenice, Arsinoe, and Ptolemais. In these cities great numbers of Jews dwelt in the time of Christ; and they, with their [[Libyan]] proselytes, resorted to Jerusalem to worship, Acts 2:10 . Libya received its name from the [[Lehabim]] of Lubim, [[Genesis]] 10:13; a warlike people, who assisted Shishak king of Egypt, and Zerah the Ethiopian, in their wars against Judea, 2 Chronicles 12:3 14:9 16:8 Daniel 11:43 . They were also allies of ancient Thebes, Nahum 3:9 . Compare Jeremiah 46:9 Ezekiel 30:5 . Libya fell at length under the power of Carthage; and subsequently, of the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Turks. </p>

<p> Libya (lĭb'y-ah), occurring only in Ezekiel 30:5 A. V. (R. V. "Put,"), and Acts 2:10, and Lybia is the classic name of northern Africa, west of Egypt. It was inhabited by a Hamitic race, spoken of in the Old [[Testament]] under the name of Lehabim or Lubim. </p>

<p> Acts 2:10, "the parts of Libya about Cyrene;" not here the whole of Africa, but the province W. of Egypt, opposite Crete, including Cyrene, the Cyrenaica pentepolitana, containing the five cities Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and Cyrene. </p>

<p> Lib'ya. This name occurs only in Acts 2:10. It is applied by the Greek and Roman writers to the African continent, generally, however, excluding Egypt. </p>

Genesis 10:13Acts 2:10

<p> (Λιβύα or Λιβύη ), a name which, in its largest acceptation, was used by the Greeks to denote the whole of Africa (Strabo, 2:131); but Libya Proper, which is the Libya of the New Testament (Acts 2:10), and the country of the Lubim in the Old, was a large tract lying along the Mediterranean, to the west of Egypt (Strabo, 17:824). It is called Pentapolittana Regio by Pliny (Hist. Nat. 5:5), from its five cities, Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and Cyrene; and Libya Cyrenaica by Ptolemy (Geog. 4:5), from Cyrene, its capital. See Smith's Dict. of Class. Geogr. s.v. The name of Libya occurs in Acts 2:10, where " the dwellers in the parts of Libya about Cyrene" are mentioned among the stranger Jews who came up to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost. This obviously means the Cyrenaica. [[Similar]] expressions are used by Dion [[Cassius]] (Λιβύη ἡ περὶ Κυρήνην, 53:12) and [[Josephus]] (ἡ πρὸς Κυρήνην Λιβύη , Ant. 16:6, 1). (See [[Cyrene]]). In the Old Test. it is the rendering sometimes adopted of פּוּט (Jeremiah 46:9; Ezekiel 30:5; Ezekiel 38:5), elsewhere rendered PHUT (Genesis 10:6, Ezekiel 27:10). </p> <p> Libya is supposed to have been first peopled by, and to have derived its name from, the Lehabim or Lubin (Genesis 10:13; Nahum 3:9; see Gesenius, Montum. Phan. page 211; comp. Michaelis, Spicil. 1:262 sq.; Vater, Comment. 1:132). These its earliest inhabitants, appear, in the time of the Old Testament, to have consisted of wandering tribes, who were sometimes in alliance with Egypt (compare Herod. 4:159), and at others with the Ethiopians, as they are said to have assisted both Shishak, king of Egypt, and Zerah the [[Ethiopian]] in their expeditions against [[Judea]] (2 Chronicles 12:4; 2 Chronicles 14:8; 2 Chronicles 16:9). In the time of [[Cambyses]] they appear to have formed part of the [[Persian]] empire (Herod. 3:13), and Libyans formed part of the immense army of Xerxes (Herod. 7:71, 86). They are mentioned by Daniel (Daniel 11:43) in connection with the Ethiopians and Cushites. " They were eventually subdued by the Carthaginians; and it was the policy of that people to bring the nomad tribes of Northern Africa which they mastered into the condition of cultivators, that by the produce of their industry they might be able to raise and maintain the numerous armies with which they made their foreign conquests. But [[Herodotus]] assures us that none of the Libyans beyond the Carthaginian territory were tillers of the ground (Herod. 4:186,187; compare Polybius, 1:161,167, 168,177. ed. Schweighaeuser). Since the time of the Carthaginian supremacy, the country, with the rest of the East, has successively passed into the hands of the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Turks." (See [[Africa]]). </p>

<p> Lib´ya. This name, in its largest acceptation, was used by the Greeks to denote the whole of Africa. But Libya Proper, which is the Libya of the New Testament and the country of the Lubim in the Old, was a large tract, lying along the Mediterranean, to the west of Egypt. </p> <p> Libya is supposed to have been first peopled by, and to have derived its name from, the Lehabim or Lubim [NATIONS, DISPERSION OF]. These, its earliest inhabitants, appear, in the time of the Old Testament, to have consisted of wandering tribes, who were sometimes in alliance with Egypt, and at others with the Ethiopians, as they are said to have assisted both Shishak, king of Egypt, and Zerah the Ethiopian in their expeditions against Judea (;; ). They were eventually subdued by the Carthaginians; and it was the policy of that people to bring the nomad tribes of Northern Africa which they mastered into the condition of cultivators, that by the produce of their industry they might be able to raise and maintain the numerous armies with which they made their foreign conquests. But Herodotus assures us that none of the Libyans beyond the Carthaginian territory were tillers of the ground. Since the time of the Carthaginian supremacy the country, with the rest of the East, has successively passed into the hands of the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Turks. The name of Libya occurs in , where 'the dwellers in the parts of Libya about Cyrene' are mentioned among the stranger Jews who came up to Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost. </p>