Olaus, John. See Olaus Magnus.
Olaus Magnus, a Swedish Roman Catholic divine of note, was brother of John Olaus, archbishop of LTp- sala, and was an archdeacon in the Swedish Church when the Reformation, supported by Gustavus Yasa, gained the ascendency in Sweden. In conse(iuence of this change the two brothers, who remained attached to the Roman Catholic faith, left their country and re- tired to Rome, where Olaus Magnus passed the remain- der of his life in the enjoyment of a small pension from the pope. At Rome he wrote his work, Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, earumque diversis Statibus, Conditionibus, Moribus, itidemque Superstitionibus, IHs- ciplinis, etc. (Rome, 1555, fol., and Basle, 1507). Other editions of this work have been published, which, as well as a French translation in 1561, are all incomplete. The work is minute, and contains some curious infor- mation, but is uncritically written. Olaus died st Rome in 1568. His brother John wrote a work entitled Go- thoi'uni Suevorumque Historia. probatissimis A ntiquorum monumentis collecta (Rome, 1554, fol.), which is a still more uncritical performance than that of his brother Magnus. — English Cyclop, s. v.
Old. A fine descrijition of the decrepitude of old age is contained in Eccles. xii, 5 sq. The ancient He- brews, in obedience to a natural feeling, and because of their superior moral discipline, entertained the high- est regard for the aged (Job xii, 12; xv, 10); and this sentiment still prevails throughout the East (Rosen- miiller, Morgenland, ii, 208 sq. ; Descript. de VEgijpte, xviii, 174 sq.), as it did among all ancient nations (Homer, //. xxiii, 788; Isocr. Arcop. p. 354,355; Diog. Laert. i, 3, 2; viii, 1, 19; Herod, ii, 80; Juvenal, Sat. xiii, 54 ; Aul. Gell, ii, 15 ; Strabo, xi, 503 ; Justin, iii, 3, 9; Doughta;i Analect. i, 84; see C. Kretzschmar, De Senectute Priscis Honorata [Dresd. 1784]), although in Europe, as the power of education has increased, and the circumstances of life have become more complicated, the honor given to age has decreased, (But comp. I']bert, Ueberliefer, ii, 1, p. 90 sq.) The yomig were accus- tomed to rise and give place modestly, whenever an old person approached (Lev. xix, 32 ; ^lian, .1 nim. vi, 61 ;
OLD BELIEVERS
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OLD CALABAR
Herod, ut sup. ; comp. also Job xxix, 8 ; Otho, Lex. Rabbin, p. 680). Want of reverence for the aged was severely rebuked (Dent, xxviii, 50; Lam. v, 12; Wisd. ii, 10), and moralists often inculcated peculiar obliga- tions to the old (Prov. xxiii, 22 ; Sirach iii, 13 ; vi, 35 ; viii, 7 ; xxxii, 13). The Essenes were especially zeal- ous in their regard for the old (Philo, 0pp. ii, 459, 633). The salutation "Jatlie?-" was frequently addressed to aged men among the Hebrews, as also among the Greeks and Romans (comp. Heindorf, Oii Ilorat. iSat. ii, 1, 12); but it appears in the Bible rather as an expres- sion of respect, or as applied to holy men (2 Kings vi, 21 ; xiii, 14). From the earliest times the Hebrews chose their officers and judges from the okl men of the nation. While yet in Egypt they had elders to rep- resent the people (Exod. iii, 16; iv, 29; xii, 21 ; comp. xvii, 5; xviii, 12), and Jloses himself appointed a col- lege of seventy "elders" (Numb, vi, 16; but comp. Exod. xxiv, 1, 9) to aid him in ruling. From this time the Israelites always had '^el(k'?-s," sometimes of the whole nation (Josh, vii, 6 ; xxiii, 2 ; 1 Sam. iv, 3 ; viii, 4; 2 Sam. iii, 17; v, 3; xvii, 4; 1 Kings viii, 1, 3; Jer. xix, 1 ; xxix, 1), sometimes of single tribes (Dent. xxxi, 28; 2 Sam. xix, 11; 2 Chron. xxxiv, 29), who however were distinct from the princes and officers of tribes and provinces (Deut. xxix, 10; Judg. xi, 5), and sometimes only of cities (Deut. xix, 12 ; xxi, 3, 6 ; xxii, 15; 1 Sam. xi, 3; xvi, 4; 1 Kings xxi, 8, 11 ; Ezra x, 14; 2 Mace, xiv, 37; comp. Judg. viii, 14). In the ceremonial order of sacritice, also, they were representa- tives of the people for certain purposes (Lev. iv, 15; ix, 1). The elders (if the city formed a council, with ju- dicial and police authority (Deut. xxii, 15 sq. ; xxv, 7 sq. ; liuth iv, 2 sq. ; Judith x, 7), which held its ses- sions at the gates (Job xxix, 7). Yet other judges are sometimes mentioned (Ezra x, 14; comp. Susan, v; and see Judge). The elders of the people and of the tribes were the constitutional representatives of the people under the kings (1 Kings viii, 1 ; xx, 7 ; 2 Kings xxviii, 1). They still retained their functions during the Cap- tivity (Ezek. xiv, 1 ; xx, 7), and after the restoration to Palestine were the medium of communication be- tween the people and their foreign rulers (Ezra v, 9 ; vi, 7), and even until the time of the Maccabees were a tribunal of general resort in the internal affairs of the nation (Ezra vi, 14; x, 8; 1 Mace, xii, 6, 35; xiii, 36; xiv, 9). It does not appear, however, that the '^elJeis" were always in reality the oldest men ; supejior abil- ity and personal influence were qualitications for this position, even apart from advanced age, so that gradu- ally the word elder ('i^T, zakeii) passed into a mere title, belonging of course to the office (comp. Philo, 0pp. i, 393), just as the word yEpiov in the Grecian states (as in Sparta, Wachsmuth, //el. Alt. i, 463), setiator in Rome, and eldei- in the Protestant churches (comp. Gesen. Tkesaur. p. 427 sq.). In the New Testament the eldeis of the people (!Matt. xxvi, 47 ; Luke vii, 3 ; called "the senate of' the children of Israel" [^yepovcria rwv v'loJv 'lapatiX], Acts v, 21) usually appear as com- posing, in connection with the high-priests and scribes, the Jewish Sanhedrim (Matt, xxvi, 3,47; xxvii, 1 s(j. ; Mark xiv, 43; xv, 1; Luke xxii, 66; Acts iv, 5; v, 21). See Sanhpiokiji. After the model of the Jewish synagogue, at the head of which stood the elders, the apostles appointed elders also in the several churches (called the "presbytery" 1 Tim. iv, 14; see Acts xi, 30; xiv, 23; XV, 2 sq. ; xvi, 4).— Winer, i, 50. See Agk; Elders; Puesbyterv.