Kerithuth. See Talmud.
Kerkaroth. See Camel.
Kerkassandi, in Hindu mythologj^, is the name of the first Buddha who appeared (when men were yet attaining to the desirable age of 40,000 years) to take upon himself the sins of the world, to redeem them, and to secure them the continued enjoyment of the high age mentioned. — Vollmer, ifi/thol. Wurterb. s. v.
Kernel (only in the plur. Q'^3^"in, cliartsaimim', so called from their sharp taste ; Sept. (jrtf^KpvXat, Vulg. Ufcipussa) is understood by theTalmudists (so the A.V.) to mean the grape-stones (Mishna, Nasir. vi, 2) as op- posed to the skin (" husk"), i. e. the entire substance of the grape from the centre to the surface (Numb, vi, 4). The ancient versions, however, refer it to the sour or unripe, grapes themselves, and this signification is fa- vored by the use of kindred words in the cognate lan- guages. (See further in Gesenius, Thesaur. Ileh. p. 527.) See Grape.
Kero, a monk of St. GaU, who lived in the 8th cen- tury, is considered as the old German commentator of the rule of the Benedictines. His work appeared in the first volume of SchUter's Thesaurus antiquitatuni Teu- tonic, in the second volume of Goldast's Scriptores re- rum Aleman., and in the first volume of Hattemer's Denkmale d. Mittelalters. He is also considered as the author of the translation of the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed into old High-German, and is said to have written the Glossarium Keronis (to be f<iund also in Hattemer's Denkmale), and a number of hymns, etc. — Pierer, Universal Lex. viii, s. v.
Ke'ros (Heb. Kei/ros', D"i'^I|5, curved, Neh. vii, 47 ; Sept. Kfiptic V. r. YLiquq; or 6"ijr, A'ez-os', Ezra ii, 44; Sept. Kj/padf V. r. Kopsc, Ka(!)?jt,'i Vulg. C'eros), a man whose descendants (or a place whose former inhabit- ants) returned as Nethinim from Babj'lon with Zerub- babsl (Ezra ii, 44; Neh. vii, 47). B.C. ante 53G.
Kerr, George (1), D.D., LL.D., a Presbyterian min- ister, particularly eminent as a Christian educator, was born in Antrim County, Ireland, Dec. 18, 1814, and came to this country with his parents in 1823. Early attached to the Church, he decided to enter the ministry, for which he sought thorough preparation, first by a full classi- cal course at WOliams College, IMass., and later at the Union Theological Seminary of New York City. He was licensed and ordained in 1844, and began his ministe- rial labors as pastor of the Kcformed (Protestant Dutch) Church in Conesville, Schoharie Co., N. Y. In 1840 he received an urgent call to the principalship of Franklin (N. Y.) Academy, an institution then hardly deserving a higher place than the district school. Kerr, accepting the position, soon made this academy one of the best in the state. For a short period he filled a chair in the New York State Agricultural College, and then be- came principal of Watertown Academy, N. Y., and in
1805 removed to Cooperstowii, where he did active and valuable service for the large seminary then located there. In 1807 he decided to return to Franklin and to resume his position in that school, but, while prepar- uig for the removal, died, March 27. " Dr. Kerr was a man of work ; his characteristics were prominent and clearly defined ; all through life he was intellectually on the alert; everywhere, on all worthy subjects, analyt- ical, independent, discriminating. He was a thorough scholar, especially in Greek literature, and a marvel of enthusiasm and power as a teacher" (Wilson, Prtsh. His. Almanac, 1808, p. 215). He aimed not only to educate the mind, but had particular regard for the education of the heart of all his students. (J. H.W.)
Kerr, George (2), a Methodist minister, was born in Ireland in 1819. His parents, who emigrated to Can- ada in 1822, intended him for the mercantile profession ; but, converted when seventeen years old, and shortly after impressed with the conviction that lie was called to preach, he came over to the States, and settled at Winstead, Conn., was made a local preacher, and in 1844 joined the New York Conference. In 1800 he was su- perannuated, and made Hudson, N. Y., his residence. He died while on a visit to his friends in Ireland, Sept. 8, 1809. He was much esteemed, not only by members of his own Church, but by ministers and members of other evangelical churches of the city. — Smith, Annuls of De- ceased Preachers of N. Y. and N. Y. E. Corf. p. 119.
Kerr, Henry M., a Presbyterian minister, was bom in York District, S. C, Dec. oO, 1782. In very early life his mother had consecrated him, as Hannah did her Samuel, to the Lord, and had often expressed her desire to him that he should be a minister of the Gospel of the blessed Jesus. His parents being in moderate circum- stances, and he the oldest of eleven children, he was com- pelled to labor for their maintenance ; hence his educa- tion was much neglected in his earlier years. lie went first to an academy in Roman County, N. C. ; the ■; he re- paired to Iredell County, and enjoyed the advantages of instruction under the celebrated James Hall, D.D. Here he completed a very extensive course of scientific study, and was readily received as a candidate for the ministry by Concord Presbytery in 1811. He pursued his theo- logical course part of the term with the Rev. Dr. Kilpat- rick, and part of it with James ]\I'Kee, D.D. In 1 814 he was licensed by Concord Presbyter}'. At that time he was residing in Salisburj', N. C. He remained there, teaching and preaching, until the spring of 1810, when he removed to Lincoln County, and he was ordained in November of that j'ear pastor of Olney, Long Creek, and New Hope churches. In 1819 he removed to Ruther- fordtown to take charge of the village academy. He preached at the same time in the old church of Little Britain, and, after three years, removed into the Ijounds of this church. Here he spent fourteen years, and his laljors were again blessed in a remarkable degree. In 1833 he removed to Jonesboro', East Tennessee ; but, not finding his ministerial associations pleasant, he travelled further west, and settled in Hardeman County, West Tennessee, in 1835. Here he performed much mission- ary labor in all the surrounding counties, and organized many churches. The infirmities of age made it neces- sary for him to abandon, in part, his evangelistic labors, and he devoted the last years of his life to Bethel and Aimwell churches, in IM'Nairv County. In the fall of 1800 he settled near AVatervalley, in the Presbytery of North Mississippi, where he finished his long and usefid career January 28, 1805. Trained under the old system, he made no effort at rhetorical display. His discourses were pre-eminently scriptural. He used '' the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," and it Avas sharp in the heart of the King's enemies. " His style was per- spicuous and energetic, and he was often truly eloquent. The providence of God cast his lot chiefly in destitute ]iortions of the land, and his labors were evangelistic. He organized more churches, it is believed, than any