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Syntyche Fortunate; affable, a female member of the church at Philippi, whom Paul beseeches to be of one mind with Euodias (Phi 4:2, Phi 4:3).

Syracuse A city on the south-east coast of Sicily, where Paul landed and remained three days when on his way to Rome (Act 28:12). It was distinguished for its magnitude and splendour. It is now a small town of some 13,000 inhabitants.

Syria (Heb. Aram ), the name in the Old Testament given to the whole country which lay to the north-east of Phoenicia, extending to beyond the Euphrates and the Tigris. Mesopotamia is called (Gen 24:10; Deu 23:4) Aram-naharain (= Syria of the two rivers), also Padan-aram (Gen 25:20). Other portions of Syria were also known by separate names, as Aram-maahah (Ch1 19:6), Aram-beth-rehob (Sa2 10:6), Aram-zobah (Sa2 10:6, Sa2 10:8). All these separate little kingdoms afterwards became subject to Damascus. In the time of the Romans, Syria included also a part of Palestine and Asia Minor. "From the historic annals now accessible to us, the history of Syria may be divided into three periods:, The first, the period when the power of the Pharaohs was dominant over the fertile fields or plains of Syria and the merchant cities of Tyre and Sidon, and when such mighty conquerors as Thothmes III. and Rameses II. could claim dominion and levy tribute from the nations from the banks of the Euphrates to the borders of the Libyan desert. Second, this was followed by a short period of independence, when the Jewish nation in the south was growing in power, until it reached its early zenith in the golden days of Solomon; and when Tyre and Sidon were rich cities, sending their traders far and wide, over land and sea, as missionaries of civilization, while in the north the confederate tribes of the Hittites held back the armies of the kings of Assyria. The third, and to us most interesting, period is that during which the kings of Assyria were dominant over the plains of Syria; when Tyre, Sidon, Ashdod, and Jerusalem bowed beneath the conquering armies of Shalmaneser, Sargon, and Sennacherib; and when at last Memphis and Thebes yielded to the power of the rulers of Nineveh and Babylon, and the kings of Assyria completed with terrible fulness the bruising of the reed of Egypt so clearly foretold by the Hebrew prophets." - Boscawen.

Syriac (Kg2 18:26; Ezr 4:7; Dan 2:4), more correctly rendered "Aramaic," including both the Syriac and the Chaldee languages. In the New Testament there are several Syriac words, such as "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (Mar 15:34; Mat 27:46 gives the Heb. form, " Eli, Eli "), " Raca " (Mat 5:22), " Ephphatha " (Mar 7:34), " Maran-atha " (Co1 16:22). A Syriac version of the Old Testament, containing all the canonical books, along with some apocryphal books (called the Peshitto, i.e., simple translation, and not a paraphrase), was made early in the second century, and is therefore the first Christian translation of the Old Testament. It was made directly from the original, and not from the LXX. Version. The New Testament was also translated from Greek into Syriac about the same time. It is noticeable that this version does not contain the Second and Third Epistles of John, 2 Peter, Jude, and the Apocalypse. These were, however, translated subsequently and placed in the version. (See VERSION.)

Syrophenician "a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation" (Mar 7:26), i.e., a Gentile born in the Phoenician part of Syria. (See PHENICIA.) When our Lord retired into the borderland of Tyre and Sidon (Mat 15:21), a Syro-phoenician woman came to him, and earnestly besought him, in behalf of her daughter, who was grievously afflicted with a demon. Her faith in him was severely tested by his silence (Mat 15:23), refusal (Mat 15:24), and seeming reproach that it was not meet to cast the children's bread to dogs (Mat 15:26). But it stood the test, and her petition was graciously granted, because of the greatness of her faith (Mat 15:28).

Taanach A sandy place, an ancient royal city of the Canaanites, on the south-western border of the plain of Esdraelon, 4 miles south of Megiddo. Its king was conquered by Joshua (Jos 12:21). It was assigned to the Levites of the family of Kohath (Jos 17:11; Jos 21:25). It is mentioned in the song of Deborah (Jdg 5:19). It is identified with the small modern village of Ta'annuk .

Taanath-shiloh Approach to Shiloh, a place on the border of Ephraim (Jos 16:6), probably the modern T'ana , a ruin 7 miles south-east of Shechem, on the ridge east of the Mukhnah plain.

Tabbaoth Impressions; rings, "the children of," returned from the Captivity (Ezr 2:43).

Tabbath Famous, a town in the tribe of Ephraim (Jdg 7:22), to the south of Bethshean, near the Jordan.

Tabeal Goodness of God, the father of one whom the kings of Syria and Samaria in vain attempted to place on the throne of Ahaz (Isa 7:6).