Mazdak (or Mazdek), a Persian religious enthu- siast, rtourislied towards tlio close of the 5th centurv (he is believed to liave been born about A.D. 470). He professed to be a prophet, and, securing many followers, declared for a community of property. Gaining in strength among the people, he found favor finally also in the eyes of his ruler, king Kobad, and the system of communism was adopted, effecting great changes in the social order. The revolution, however, lasted only a short time, and gradually the old order of things was restored.
Mazel, ABUAiiA:\r, a leader of the French Camisards, w.'is li .in at Saiiit-.Jean-du-Gard some time about the middle of the 17th century. After the insurrection of
the Cevennes in 1702 he was imprisoned, but, escaping from liis captors, he determined to bring the people to a more determined stand, and while engaged in this work was killed in a skirmish near Uzes in 1710. See Court, Histoire des Camisards. See Casiisauds.
Maziti'as (Ma^iWaf v. r. Ztiriac'), given by er- roneous Gnecism (1 Esdr. ix, 35) in place of the He- brew Mat'tatuiau (Ezra x, 43).
Mazolini, Sii>vestko, an Italian theologian, is usually known by the surname Prierias (after the name of his birthplace, Prierio). See Pkierias.
Ma'zor (Heb. Matsor', li^'D), a name occurring only in the original, and which the translators of the A. V. ('-besieged places," 2 Kings xix, 24; Isa. xxxvii, 25 ; " fortified cities," Micah vii, 12 ; " defence," Isa. xix, 6) have confounded with a word of the same form signifying a, fortress (as in Psa. xxxi, 22 ; Hab. ii, 1, etc.). Gesenius, however {Thesaur. Heh. p. 815), regards it as a title of Egypt, and apparently Lower Egj'pt, as, in three out of the four passages where it occurs, it is in the phrase "li^TQ "^T}^?) ^^^ streams or canals of Egypt, i.e. the branches of the Nile (Isa. xix, 6 ; xxxvii, 25 ; 2 Kings xix, 24) ; and that it comes from the Egpytian word mesduro, a kingdom ; perhaps the sing, of the dual form Mizraim, C^T^'O^ q. d. double Egypt (comp. Josephus, Ani. i, G, 2). Others (see Bochart, Phaleg, iv, 24), as probably the Hebrews themselves, considered Egypt to be so called as being strongly forti- fied (see Diod. Sic. i, 31). See Egypt ; Fouruiiss.
Maz'zaroth (Heb. Mazzaroth', TiT^Jp, a word found only in the plural, and occurring but once. Job xxxviii, 32, probably by an interchange of liquids for mP'Pj " planets," 2 Kings xxiii, 5), an astronomical term, probably meaning the twelve signs of the Zodiac (see Hirzel, Delitzsch, and Conant, severally, ad loc). See Astronomy. "The Peshito-Syriac renders it by iogalto, the Wain, or Great Bear; and J. D. Michaelis {Suppl. ad Lex. Heh. No. 1391) is followed by E\vald in applying it to the stars of the northern crown (EAvald adds the southern), deriving the word from It 5, nezer, a croAvn. Fiirst {Handw. s. v.) understands by Mazza- roth the planet Jupiter, the same as the star of Amos V. 26. But the interpretation given in the margin of our version is supported by the authority of Gesenius (Thes. p. 869). On referring to 2 Kings xxiii, 5, we find the word r.VsfD, mazzaloth (A. V. the planets), dif- fering only from mazzaroth in having the liquid I for r, and rendered in the margin ' the twelve signs,' as in the Vulgate. The Sept. there also has fia'^^ovpwB, which points to the same reading in both passages, and is by Suidas explained as the 'Zodiac,' but by Procopius of Gaza as probably ' Lucifer, the morning star,' follow- ing the Vulgate of Job xxxviii, 32. In later Jewish writings mazzaloth are the signs of the Zodiac, and the singular, ?nazzdl, is used to denote the single signs as well as the planets, and also the influence which they were believed to exercise upon human destiny (Selden, De Dis Syr. Synt. i. c. 1). In consetpience of this, Jarchi, and the Hebrew commentators generally, iden- tity mazzaroth and mazzaloth, though their interpreta- tions vary. Aben Ezra understands ' stars' generally ; but R. Levi ben-Gershon, 'a northern constellation.' (iesenius himself is in favor of regarding mazzaroth as tlie older form, signifying strictly 'premonitions.' and in the concrete sense, ' stars that give warnings or pre- sages,' from the usage of the root "lj5, ndzar, in Arabic, He deciphered, as he believed, the same words on some Cilician coins in the inscription PS) "jT 'pl^, which he renders as a prayer, 'may thy pure star (shine) over (us)' {Mon. Phoen. p. 279, tab. 36)" (Smith).
Mazzocchi (<ir Mazzoccolo), Alessio Sijijia- ciio, an Italian antiipiary and < )rieutalist, was born at Santa jMaria di Capua in 1G84, and afterwards flourished
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as professor of Greek and Hebrew at Naples. He died in 1771. Mazzocchi was celebrated for liis learning far beyond the borders of his native land. His many treat- ises (written in Latin and Italian) were elaborate and scholarly dissertations upon various subjects. The Paris Academy of Inscriptions recognised his services to the M'orld by making him a member of its body. See Hoefer, Nour. Bio<j. Generalc, s. v.
Mazzola, Girolamo Bedolo, an Italian painter, pronounced the most distinguished pupil of Parmigiano, was born near Parma in 1503, and died about 1580. He excelled as colorist and in perspective. Among his most valuable productions are those falling within the domain of sacred art. The most worthy of notice are his Ma- donna icith St. Catharine and Miracle of the Multiplica- tion of the Loaves. See Vasari, Lives of the Painters ; Hcefer. Nouv. Biofj. Generule, s. v.