among the province principis, were ruled by legates, who were of consular rank (consulares) and
bore severally the full title of “Legatus Augusti pro praetore.” Judea occupied a peculiar position;
a special procurator was therefore appointed to rule it, who was subordinate to the governor of
Syria, but within his own province had the power of a legatus. Syria continued without serious
disturbance from the expulsion of the Parthians, B.C. 38, to the breaking out of the Jewish war,
A.D. 66. in A.D. 44-47 it was the scene of a severe famine. A little earlier, Christianity had begun
to spread into it, partly by means of those who “were scattered” at the time of Stephen’s persecution,
(Acts 11:19) partly by the exertions of St. Paul. (Galatians 1:21) The Syrian Church soon grew to
be one of the most flourishing (Acts 13:1; 15:23,35,41) etc. (Syria remained under Roman and
Byzantine rule till A.D. 634, when it was overrun by the Mohammedans; after which it was for
many years the scene of fierce contests, and was finally subjugated by the Turks, A.D. 1517, under
whose rule it still remains.—ED.)
Syrophoenician
occurs only in (Mark 7:26) The word denoted perhaps a mixed race, half Phoenicians and half
Syrians; (or the Phoenicians in this region may have been called Syro-phoenicians because they
belonged to the Roman province of Syria, and were thus distinguished from the Phoenicians who
lived in Africa, or the Carthaginians.—ED.)
Syrtis, The
(Acts 27:17) in the Revised Version in place of “quicksands” in the Authorized Version. It was
the well-known Syrtis Major, the terror of all Mediterranean sailors. “It is a dangerous shallow on
the coast of Africa, between Tripoli and Barca, southwest of the island of Crete.” The other Syrtis
Syrtis Minor, was too far west to be feared by Paul’s fellow voyagers.—ED.
Taanach
(sandy), an ancient Canaanitish city whose king is enumerated among the thirty-one kings
conquered by Joshua. (Joshua 12:21) It came into the half tribe of Manasseh, (Joshua 17:11; 21:25;
1 Chronicles 7:29) and was bestowed on the Kohathite Levites. (Joshua 21:25) Taanach is almost
always named in company with Megiddo, and they were evidently the chief towns of that fine rich
district which forms the western portion of the great plain of Esdraelon. (1 Kings 4:12) It is still
called Ta’annuk, and) stands about four miles southeast of Lejjun and 13 miles southwest of
Nazareth.
Taanathshiloh
(approach to Shiloh), a place named once only— (Joshua 16:6)—as one of the landmarks of
the boundary of Ephraim. Perhaps Taanath was the ancient Canaanite name of the place, and Shiloh
the Hebrew name.
Tabbaoth
(rings). The children of Tabbaoth were a family of Nethinim who returned with Zerubbabel.
(Ezra 2:43; Nehemiah 7:46) (B.C. before 536.)
Tabbath
(celebrated), a place mentioned only in (Judges 7:25) in describing the flight of the Midianite
host after Gideon’s night attack; (probably the present Tubukhat-Fahil, a very striking natural bank