Septuagint version of the Bible instead of the Hebrew. This jealousy early
appeared in the Christian community. It was alleged by the Hellenists that
their widows were overlooked in the daily distribution of alms. This spirit
must be checked. The apostles accordingly advised the disciples to look
out for seven men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost, and men of
practical wisdom, who should take entire charge of this distribution,
leaving them free to devote themselves entirely to the spiritual functions of
their office (Acts 6:1-6). This was accordingly done. Seven men were
chosen, who appear from their names to have been Hellenists. The name
“deacon” is nowhere applied to them in the New Testament; they are
simply called “the seven” (21:8). Their office was at first secular, but it
afterwards became also spiritual; for among other qualifications they must
also be “apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3: 8-12). Both Philip and Stephen, who
were of “the seven,” preached; they did “the work of evangelists.”
- DEACONESS Romans 16:1, 3, 12; Phil. 4:2, 3; 1 Timothy 3:11; 5:9, 10;
Titus 2:3, 4). In these passages it is evident that females were then engaged
in various Christian ministrations. Pliny makes mention of them also in his
letter to Trajan (A.D. 110). - DEAD SEA the name given by Greek writers of the second century to
that inland sea called in Scripture the “salt sea” (Genesis 14:3; Numbers
34:12), the “sea of the plain” (Deuteronomy 3:17), the “east sea” (Ezekiel
47:18; Joel 2:20), and simply “the sea” (Ezekiel 47:8). The Arabs call it
Bahr Lut, i.e., the Sea of Lot. It lies about 16 miles in a straight line to the
east of Jerusalem. Its surface is 1,292 feet below the surface of the
Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of about 300 square miles. Its depth
varies from 1,310 to 11 feet. From various phenomena that have been
observed, its bottom appears to be still subsiding. It is about 53 miles long,
and of an average breadth of 10 miles. It has no outlet, the great heat of
that region causing such rapid evaporation that its average depth,
notwithstanding the rivers that run into it (see JORDAN), is maintained
with little variation. The Jordan alone discharges into it no less than six
million tons of water every twenty-four hours.
The waters of the Dead Sea contain 24.6 per cent. of mineral salts, about
seven times as much as in ordinary sea-water; thus they are unusually
buoyant. Chloride of magnesium is most abundant; next to that chloride of
sodium (common salt). But terraces of alluvial deposits in the deep valley
of the Jordan show that formerly one great lake extended from the Waters