archdeaconry of Ely was conferred upon him. Of his contributions to Greek literature we have not room to speak; but, in the midst of personal quarrels, his liter- ary activity for many years was wonderful. In 1713 he published, under the signature of Philoleutheros Lipsiensis, a reply to Collins's Discourse of Frt > think- ing; and in none of his writings are his accurate learn- ing and matchless faculty of disputation more signally displayed. In 1717 he was chosen regius professor of divinity at Cambridge. In 1720 he issued proposals for a new edition of the N. T. in Greek, with the Latin version of Jerome. Taking up that father's observa- tion that in the translation of the Holy Scriptures "the very order of the words is mystery," he conjectured that if the most ancient Greek manuscripts were com- pared with Jerome's Latin, they might be found to agree with that version both in the words and order ; and, upon trial, his ideas were realized even beyond his expectations. He stated also in these proposals that he believed he had recovered, with very few ex- ceptions, the exemp'ar of Origeh, the great standard of the most learned fathers for more than two hundred years after the Council of Nice ; and observed that, by the aid of the Greek and Latin manuscripts, the text of the original might be so far settled that, instead of thirty thousand different readings, found in the best modern editions, not more than two hundred would deserve much serious consideration. But so much op- position was made to his plan that he dropped it. Bentlejr died July 14, 1742. His Works, collected and edited by the Rev. Alexander Dyce, were published in London in 1836 (3 vols. 8vo), but unfortunately the collection is incomplete. His Life and Writings, by bishop Monk, were published in London in 1830; and his Correspondence, edited by Wordsworth, in 1842 (2 vols. 8vo). See Foreign Quarterly Rerieu; July, 1839; North American Review, xliii, -158; Edinburgh Review, li, 321 ; Allibone, i, 169 ; Hook, Ecclesiastical Bicgra- phy, ii, 253.
Benzel, Erich, a prominent Swedish theologian, was born in 1642 at Benzeby ; became in 1665 Profes- sor of History and Ethics, and in 1666 Professor of Theology, at Upsala ; in 1677 bishop of Stregnas, and in 1700 archbishop of Upsala, where he died in 1709. He wrote, among other works, Breviarium historic ec- clesiastics V. et N. Testament. (Ups. 3d ed. 1717). He also superintended the printing of the Swedish Bible translation under Charles XII. One of his sons, whose name was likewise Erich, became in 1726 bishop of Gothenburg, and died as archbishop of Upsala in 1743.
Ben-zo'heth (Heb. Ben-Zocheth' ', nniT"|2, son ofZoheth; Sept. translates viol ZwajS v. r. Zwy«/3), a person named (1 Chron. iv, 20) as the second of the sons of Ishi, a descendant of Judah (B.C. apparently post 1856), the other being given as Zoheth simply ; but either the true name of the son of the Zoheth pre- ceding seems to have fallen out of the text, or this in- dividual is only mentioned patronymically as the grandson of Ishi, being son of Zoheth himself. See Ben-.
Be'on (Heb. Beon , )i'2, apparently an early error of transcription for Meon [q. v.] ; Sept. Bumv v. r. Ba/(o), one of the places fit for pasturage given by Joshua to the tribes on the east of Jordan (Num. xxxii, 3). It is elsewhere more properly called Beth-Baal- Meon (Josh, xiii, 17), or more briefly Baal-Meon (Num. xxxii, 38), and Beth-Meon (Jer. xlviii, 23), for which this name may be a contraction.
Be'or (Heb. Bear', "li"2, a torch; Sept. Tittup), the name of two men. See Balaam.
1. The father of Bela (q. v.), one of the kings of Edom (Gen. xxxvi, 32 ; 1 Chron. i, 43). B.C. appar- ently ante 1618.
2. The father of Balaam, the backsliding prophet (Numb, xxii, 5 ; xxiv, 3, 15 ; xxxi, 8 ; Josh, xiii, 22 ;
BERA W
xxiv, 9 : Mic. vi, 5 ; Deut. xxiii, 4). In 2 Pet. ii, 15, he is called Boson (q. v. I. B.C. ante 1618.
Be ra (Heb. id. Sf?) llf1' otherwise excellence, but more prob. for "~~"|2, son of evil; Sept. BaWd ; Josephus, BaAAae, -<"'• »» 9> *)> king of Sodom at the time of the invasion of the five kings under Chedor- laomer (q. v. i. which was repelled by Abraham (Gen. xiv. 2 : also 17 and 21). B.C. cir. 2077.
Ber'achaii (Heb. Berakah', !"I213, a blessing), the name of a valley and also of a man.
1. (Sept. translates tuXoyiaS) A valley in the direc- tion of Tekoa, so called as being the place where Je- hoshaphat celebrated the miraculous overthrow of the Moabites and Ammonites (2 Chron. xx, 26). It is still called Wady Bereikut, near the ruined village of the same name south of Tekua (Robinson's Researches, ii, 189 i. first identified by Wolcott {B'Mioth. Sac. 1*43, p. 43; comp. Wilson, LaSiels of Bible, i, 38G). See Jeruel ; Caphar-barucha.
2. (Sept. Bspyia.) One of the thirty Benjamite war- riors "Saul's brethren," who joined David while in retirement at Ziklag (1 Chron. xii, 3). 13.C. 1054.
Berachi'ah (1 Chron. vi, C9). See Berechiah.
Berakoth. See Mishna.
Berai'ah (Heb. Berayah', !~rx~2, created by Je- hovah; Sept. Bapaia), next to the last named of the nine sons apparently of Shimhi, and a chief Benjamite of Jerusalem (1 Chron. viii, 21). B.C. perhaps 588.