The reference to Nicopolis and to the supposed journey are necessarily connected with the disputed
uestion of the authenticity and trustworthiness of the Pastoral Epistles. Those who deny that those Epistles can be accepted as a rational foundation on which to construct the history of St. Paul’s life, will of course take no account of Nicopolis. But those who accept them as recording trustworthy historical statements must date them some years after the first Roman captivity, and conclude that St. Paul was acquitted on his first trial. Some of those even who deny the authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles, admit, like Harnack, that they contain historical information. ‘Then the earliest possible time when St. Paul could have been ar- rested for preaching Christianity would be after the outbreak of the Neronian persecution. The winter that he proposed to spend at Nicopolis, therefore, taust be that of 64-65, or 65-66, or 66-67.
The later history of Nicopolis is short. After falling into decay, it was restored by Julian about 362; and afterwards it was captured by the Goths and destroyed, but again was restored by Justinian, as Procopius, de Aedif. iv. 2, describes. It is men- tioned as the metropolis of Old Epirus by Hierocles about A.D. 530, oat retained that position in the ecclesiastical organization; but a late medisval list of cities that changed their names mentions Νικόπολις ἡ νῦν Πρέβεζα, implying that Prevesa had taken its place and dignity. There are many remains of the ancient city, on which the guide- books of Murray, Baedeker, etc., ΕΝ be con- sulted. W. M. RAMSAY.
NIGER (Νίγερ). --- Among the prophets and teachers that were at Antioch when Barnabas and Paul were sent out on their first missionary journey, was ‘Symeon, which is called Niger’ (Ac 13). Niger was probably the Gentile name which he h pee The name is found as a Roman cognomen, and a certain Niger of Persea is men- tioned in Jos. BJ τι. xix. 2. Nothing further is known about the Niger of Ac 13', and there do not appear to be even any legends.
A. C. HEADLAM.
NIGHT (5:5, ποῦ [the ending » = being prob. radical and not 7 loc.—Oz/, Heb. Lex.), Aram. wid, vit). — Besides representing these propery equivalent Heb. and Gr. words, ‘night’ stands in AV once for Wn (‘darkness’), Job 26% (RV ‘darkness’); thrice for 4} (‘twilight’), Is δ᾽} (RV ‘night’), 915 59! (RV *twilight’); and four times for 2 (‘evening’), Gn 497 (RV ‘even’), Lv 6° (RV ‘evening’), Job 74(RV ‘night’), Ps 30° (RV ‘night,’ RVm ‘even’), ay is tr? ‘night season,’ Fob 3017, and mid ‘night seasons,’ Ps 167. The Aram. m2 (‘to pass the night’) occurs Dn 6", and in NT we have μεσονύκτιον (‘midnight’), Mk 13%, Lk 11°, Ac 16% 207; διανυκτερεύειν (‘to con-
NIGHT
tinue all night’), Lk 613; νυχθήμερον (fa night and a day’), 2Co 11%. RV omits ‘night’ on textual grounds from four passages where the word appears in AV, viz. Mt 27%, Mk 14”, Jn 7%, 2 P 39,
The simple conception of night as the period of darkness alternating with daylight is embodied in the first creation narrative (Gn 1“ 5), which de- scribes how the darkness (η: Π) was divided by God from the light, and was called Night (75:4). ark- ness and night are similarly identified in Ps 104™, and night is a synonym for darkness in Am 5%, Mic 3°, Wis 17-® 14-21. The regular succession of days and nights represents the permanent order of the universe (Gn 8“, Jer 33-5), As the daytime was assigned to the sun, so the night was assigned to the moon and the stars (Gn 13618 Ps 136%, Jer 31%). Night as a part of the creation is God’s (Ps 74'*), and bears witness to His glory (Ps 193).
The following usages of ‘night’ in connexion with ‘day’ are noteworthy. (a) Time is measured in terms of both. ‘Thus we find ‘three days and three nights,’ 1S 30%, Jon 127, Mt 12%; ‘seven days and seven nights,’ Job 2%; ‘ forty days and forty nights,’ Gn 7* (the flood), Ex 24 ete, (Moses on Mt. Sinai), 1 K 195 (Elijah at Horeb), Mt 4? (Christ’s temptation). (5) ‘Day and night’ or ‘night and day’ expresses the continuousness of an action or condition either during a definite time (Ly 8%, Est 418, Ac 2051) or indefinitely, as of work (1 Th 2°, 2 Th 38); of grief and trouble (Ps 32! 423, Jer 9! 1417, La 218), of prayer (Ps 88', 2 Mac 13”, Lk ΟἿ᾽ 1 Th 3%, 1 Ti δ᾽, 2 Ti 1°); of meditation in the law (Jos 1%, Ps 1°); of God’s service (Jth 11”, Ac 267). In Rev 20! ‘day and night’ is followed by ‘for ever and ever.’ In Mk 4” ‘night and day’ has the special sense of ‘da after day,’ ‘as time goes on.’ (6) ‘All day and all night’ is used of circumstances that are exception- all, prolonged, as in Ex 10" (an east wind), Nu 11* (the gathering of quails), 1S 19% (Saul’s ecstasy), 28? (Saul’s fast), 1 Mac 5” (the assault on Ephron).
Night is the natural time for daily work to cease (Jn 9*), and for rest and sleep (Sir 40°, 1 Th δ). Wakefulness at night is abnormal (Est 6°), and is usually due to sickness or to painful excite- ment (Job 7* 4 3017, Ec 2° 8"). Itis at night that excessive grief finds vent (Ps 6° 305, La 13, To 10”). On the other hand, not only do wild beasts roam at night (Ps 104”), but some men are called to night duties, as the priests in the temple (Ps 134"), the city watchmen (Is 915), shepherds (Lk 2°), fishermen (Lk 5°, Jn 215). The ἀπε δανα of the virtuous woman is shown by her working at night (Pr 313518),