Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
provinces were variable; and Lycaonia was, politically, sometimes in Cappadocia, sometimes in
Galatia. Paul visited it three times in his missionary tours.
Lycia
(land of Lycus) is the name of that southwestern region of the peninsula of Asia Minor which
is immediately opposite the island of Rhodes. The Lycians were incorporated in the Persian empire,
and their ships were conspicuous in the great war against the Greeks (Herod. vii. 91, 92). After the
death of Alexander the Great, Lycia was included in the Greek Seleucid kingdom, and was a part
of the territory which the Romans forced Antiochus to cede. It was not till the reign of Claudius
that Lycia became part of the Roman provincial system. At first it was combined with Pamiphylia.
Such seems to have been the condition of the district when St. Paul visited the Lycian towns of
Patara, (Acts 21:1) and Myra. (Acts 27:5) At a later period of the Roman empire Lyoia was a
separate province, with Myra for it capital.
Lydda
(strife), the Greek form of the name, (Acts 9:32,35,38) which appears in the Hebrew records
as Lod a town of Benjamin, founded by Shamed or Shamer. (1 Chronicles 8:12; Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah
7:37; 11:35) It is still called Lidd or Ludd, and stands in part of the great maritime plain which
anciently bore the name of Sharon. It is nine miles from Joppa, and is the first town on the
northernmost of the two roads between that place and Jerusalem. The watercourse outside the town
is said still to bear the name of Abi-Butrus (Peter), in memory the apostle. It was destroyed by
Vespasian, and was probably not rebuilt till the time of Hadrian, when it received the name of
Diospois. When Eusebius wrote (A.D. 320-330) Diospolis was a well-known and much-frequented
town. The modern town is, for a Mohammedan place, buy and prosperous.
Lydia
the first European convert of St. Paul, and afterward his hostess during his first stay at Philippi.
(Acts 18:14,15) also Acts 18:40 (A.D. 47.) She was a Jewish proselyte at the time of the apostle’s
coming; and it was at the Jewish Sabbath-worship by the side of a stream ver 13, that the preaching
of the gospel reached her heart. Her native place was Thyatira, in the province of Asia. ver. 14;
(Revelation 2:18) Thyatira was famous for its dyeing works; and Lydia wars connected with this
trade, as a seller either of dye or of dyed goods. We infer that she was a person of considerable
wealth.
(land of Lydus), a maritime province in the west of Asia Minor bounded by Mysia on the north,
Phrygia on the east, and Caria on the south. It is enumerated among the districts which the Romans
took away from Antiochos the Great after the battle of Magnesia in B.C. 190, and transferred to
Eumenus II. king of Pergamus. Lydia is included in the “Asia” of the New Testament.
Lysanias
(that drives away sorrow), mentioned by St. Luke in one of his chronological passages, ch.
(Luke 3:1) as being tetrarch. of Abilene (i.e. the district round Abila) in the thirteenth year of
Tiberius (A.D. 26), at the time when Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Herod Philip tetrarch
of Ituraea and Trachonitis.
Lysias
(dissolving), a nobleman of the blood-royal, 1Macc 3:32; 2Macc 11:1, who was entrusted he
Antiochus Epiphanes (cir. B.C. 166) with the government of southern Syria and the guardianship
of his son Antiochus Eupator. 1Macc 3:32; 2Macc. 10:11. After the death of Antiochus Epiphanes,
B.C. 184, Lysias assumed the government as guardian of his son, who was pet a child. 1Macc 6:17.
408
William Smith