Bible Dictionary: Hercules

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A hero, fabled to have been the son of Jupiter and Alcmena, and celebrated for great strength, esp. for the accomplishment of his twelve great tasks or labors.

2. (n.) A constellation in the northern hemisphere, near Lyra.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

HERCULES

hur'-ku-lez (Herakles): The process of Hellenizing the Jews which began at an earlier date was greatly promoted under Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.). Jason, who supplanted his brother Onias in the office of high priest by promising Antiochus an increase of tribute, aided the movement by setting up under the king's authority a Greek palaestra for the training of youth in Greek exercises, and by registering the inhabitants of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch (2 Maccabees 4:8). Certain of these Antiochians of Jerusalem Jason sent to Tyre, where games were held every five years in honor of Hercules, that is, the national Tyrian deity Melcart, identified with Baal of Old Testament history. According to Josephus (Ant., VII, v, 3) Hiram, king of Tyre in the days of Solomon, built the temple of Hercules and also of Astarte. Jason s deputies carried 300 drachmas of silver for the sacrifice of Hercules, but they were so ashamed of their commission that they "thought it not right to use the money for any sacrifice" and "on account of present circumstances it went to the equipment of the galleys" (2 Maccabees 4:18-20).

J. Hutchison

Library

Hercules.
... XV."Hercules. Hercules, because he destroyed the monster of the Aventine
Mount, who had been wont to steal the herds of Evander ...
/.../commodianus/the instructions of commodianus/xv hercules.htm

Hercules.
... Homily VI. Chapter XVI."Hercules. "And Hercules, who slew the serpent
which led and guarded riches, is the true philosophical ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter xvi hercules.htm

Of Hercules and his Life and Death.
... the divine institutes book i. of the false worship of the gods. Chap.
IX."Of hercules and his life and death. Did not Hercules ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap ix of hercules and his.htm

Gods, those which were Confessedly Elevated to the Divine ...
... Hercules an Inferior Character. ... Even if Hercules visited the infernal regions,
who does not know that the way to Hades is open to all? ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xiv gods those which were.htm

The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation of Herodotus' ...
... Book V. Chapter XX."The Cosmogony of Justinus an Allegorical Explanation
of Herodotus' Legend of Hercules. Herodotus, [563] then ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xx the cosmogony of justinus.htm

But Since He Sends us to Hercules, Let Him Repeat to us any of His ...
... Chapter LIV. But since he sends us to Hercules, let him repeat to us any
of his� But since he sends us to Hercules, let him repeat ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter liv but since he.htm

The Devil, Since He Emulates the Truth, Has Invented Fables About ...
... Chapter LXIX."The devil, since he emulates the truth, has invented fables
about Bacchus, Hercules, and Æsculapius. "Be well assured ...
/.../chapter lxix the devil since he.htm

Of the Wicked Life and Death of Hercules.
... The Epitome of the Divine Institutes. Addressed to His Brother Pentadius.
Chap. VII."Of the Wicked Life and Death of Hercules. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap vii of the wicked life.htm

A Disgraceful Feature of the Roman Mythology it Honours Such ...
... was a hired prostitute, whether as the nurse of Romulus, and therefore called Lupa,
because she was a prostitute, or as the mistress of Hercules, now deceased ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter x a disgraceful feature of.htm

Concerning the Likeness and Agreement of the Fabulous and Civil ...
... Whence also is that story about the sacristan of Hercules, which says that, having
nothing to do, he took to playing at dice as a pastime, throwing them ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 7 concerning the likeness and.htm

Thesaurus

Tyre (59 Occurrences)
... on the northern coast of Africa, at Carthage and other places, in Sicily and Corsica,
in Spain at Tartessus, and even beyond the pillars of Hercules at Gadeira ...
/t/tyre.htm - 45k

Hercules
...HERCULES. ... According to Josephus (Ant., VII, v, 3) Hiram, king of Tyre in the days
of Solomon, built the temple of Hercules and also of Astarte. ...
/h/hercules.htm - 7k

Money (284 Occurrences)
... corresponds to the shekel of the Phoenician standard of about 220 grains, which
represents, on the obverse, the god Melkarth, the Tyrian Hercules, tiding on a ...
/m/money.htm - 69k

Phoenicians
... They were the first who dared to push out of sight of land in their voyages
and sail beyond the Pillars of Hercules into the ocean. ...
/p/phoenicians.htm - 38k

Phoenicia (6 Occurrences)
... They were the first who dared to push out of sight of land in their voyages
and sail beyond the Pillars of Hercules into the ocean. ...
/p/phoenicia.htm - 40k

Jason (5 Occurrences)
... He even sent deputies from Jerusalem to Tyre to take part in the worship of Hercules;
but what he sent for sacrifices, the deputies expended on the "equipment ...
/j/jason.htm - 12k

Graecia
... Grecia and Sicily, Crete, and occasionally Cyprus, Cyrene, and the scattered colonies
dotting the shore of the Mediterranean, almost to the Pillars of Hercules...
/g/graecia.htm - 21k

Pillar (72 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Figuratively, that which resembles such a pillar in appearance, character,
or office; a supporter or mainstay; as, the Pillars of Hercules; a pillar of ...
/p/pillar.htm - 38k

Antiochians
... When the sacrifice of Hercules was observed in connection with the Grecian games
at Tyre "Jason sent special messengers from Jerusalem, who were Antiochians ...
/a/antiochians.htm - 10k

Attribute (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) Reputation. 4. (n.) A conventional symbol of office, character, or identity,
added to any particular figure; as, a club is the attribute of Hercules. ...
/a/attribute.htm - 7k

Subtopics

Hercules

Related Terms

Hercules

Money (284 Occurrences)

Phoenicians

Phoenicia (6 Occurrences)

Jason (5 Occurrences)

Graecia

Pillar (72 Occurrences)

Antiochians

Attribute (1 Occurrence)