Bible History

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

 

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X    Y    Z   



NANAEA

na-ne'-a (Nanaia; the King James Version Nanea): A female deity worshipped by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians and other Asiatic peoples, the Nana or Nanai of the Babylonians, known as "the lady of Babylon." The name means "the undefiled," and probably represented originally the productive powers of Nature (genetrix), and as such was the companion of the sun-god. She was identified with Ishtar in Assyria and Ashtoreth in Phoenicia, by the Greeks as Aphrodite (Clement of Alexandria Protr., 19), but sometimes as Artemis the huntress (Paus. iii.16,8; Plut. Artax. xxvii). Strabo (xv. 733) identifies her with Anaitis (=Anahita), the Asian Artemis. She was the Venus, but sometimes the Diana, of the Romans. There are many variants of the name: Anaea (Strabo xvi.738), Aneitis (Plut. Artax. xxvii), Tanais (Clement of Alexandria, loc. cit.), also Tanath, sometimes in Phoenician inscriptions, Tanata, Anta (Egyptian). In 2 Macc 1:13 ff, a fictitious account is given of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, in a temple of Nanaea in Persia, by the treachery of Nanaea's priests. The public treasury was often placed in Nanaea's temple; this, Epiphanes was anxious to secure under the pretext of marrying the goddess and receiving the money as dowry. The priests threw down great stones "like thunderbolts" from above, killed the king and his state and then cut off their heads. But 1 Macc 1 ff, which is more reliable, gives a different account of the death of Epiphanes after an attempt to rob a rich temple in Elymais. The account of 2 Macc 1:13 ff must be mere legend, as far as Epiphanes is concerned, but may have been suggested or colored by the story of the death of Antiochus the Great, who met his death while plundering a temple of Belus near Elymais (Strabo xvi.l.18; Diod. Sic. 573; Justin, xxxii.2). The temple of Nanaea referred to in 2 Macc 1:13 ff may be identified with that of Artemis (Polyb. xxxi.11; Josephus, Ant, XII, ix, 1) or Aphrodite (Appian, Syriac. 66; Rawlinson, Speaker's Comm.).
S. Angus Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Definition for 'nanaea'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". bible-history.com - ISBE; 1915.

Copyright Information
© International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

ISBE Bible Encyclopedia Home
Bible History Online Home

 

Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary

Related Bible History

Popular and Trending:

Meaning of the name Alexander, Alexander the Great, Alexander the Coppersmith, Syria and Bible Prophecy, Bible Study about Syria, What the Bible Says about Syria and Damascus, Isaiah 17, The Bible and Palm Trees, Bible Study about the Palm Tree, The Righteous Will Flourish like a Palm Tree Psalm 92:12 , Definition of Paraclete, Bible study about the Holy Spirit and the Paraclete, Paracletus in the Greek, Games in the Bible, What Games Did Kids Play in Biblical Times? Which Kinds of Games Existed in the Time of Jesus?, The Church at Thyatira, What Was the Message to Thyatira, Revelation 2 and Thyatira, history of Thyatira, David and Goliath, How Tall Was Goliath, Archaeological Discoveries and Goliath, Goliath And Philistine History, Who Was Titus in the Bible, Paul's Letter to Titus, Bible Study Lessons in Titus, Meaning of the Name Tanner, Bible Study about Simon the Tanner, Acts 10:6 Peter Was Staying at the House of Simon the Tanner, What Was a Tanner