Tychicus (Ephesians 6: 21), Epaphroditus (Phil. 4:18), and John Mark
(Colossians 4:10). (See PAUL.)
Beneath this city are extensive galleries, called “catacombs,” which were
used from about the time of the apostles (one of the inscriptions found in
them bears the date A.D. 71) for some three hundred years as places of
refuge in the time of persecution, and also of worship and burial. About
four thousand inscriptions have been found in the catacombs. These give
an interesting insight into the history of the church at Rome down to the
time of Constantine.
- ROSE Many varieties of the rose proper are indigenous to Syria. The
famed rose of Damascus is white, but there are also red and yellow roses.
In Cant. 2:1 and Isaiah 35:1 the Hebrew word habatstseleth (found only in
these passages), rendered “rose” (R.V. marg., “autumn crocus”), is
supposed by some to mean the oleander, by others the sweet-scented
narcissus (a native of Palestine), the tulip, or the daisy; but nothing
definite can be affirmed regarding it.
The “rose of Sharon” is probably the cistus or rock-rose, several species of
which abound in Palestine. “Mount Carmel especially abounds in the
cistus, which in April covers some of the barer parts of the mountain with
a glow not inferior to that of the Scottish heather.” (See MYRRH [2].)
- ROSH (Ezekiel 38:2, 3; 39:1) is rendered “chief” in the Authorized
Version. It is left untranslated as a proper name in the Revised Version.
Some have supposed that the Russians are here meant, as one of the three
Scythian tribes of whom Magog was the prince. They invaded the land of
Judah in the days of Josiah. Herodotus, the Greek historian, says: “For
twenty-eight years the Scythians ruled over Asia, and things were turned
upside down by their violence and contempt.” (See BETHSHEAN.) - ROSIN found only in Authorized Version, margin, Ezekiel 27:17,
Hebrews tsori, uniformly rendered elsewhere “balm” (q.v.), as here in the
text. The Vulgate has resinam, rendered “rosin” in the Douay Version. As
used, however, by Jerome, the Lat. resina denotes some odoriferous gum
or oil. - RUBY (Hebrews peninim), only in plural (Lamentations 4:7). The ruby
was one of the stones in the high priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:17). A
comparison is made between the value of wisdom and rubies (Job 28:18;