Reithmayr, Franz Xaver, doctor and professor of theology, a Roman Catholic divine of Germany, was born in 1809 at Illkofen, near Regensburg. In 1832 he was made priest; in 1836 the Munich University made him doctor of theology; in 1837 he was extraordinary professor; in 1841 ordinary professor of the New Test, exegesis, and died Jan. 26, 1872. Reithmayr was one of the most prominent, theologians of the Roman Cath- olic Church, and published in 1838 a work on patrology, in 1845 a Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Re- gensb. 1845). In 1832 he published his Introduction to the Canonical Books of the Xnr Testament (ibid.); and in 1865 a Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. His last great work was the edition of a German trans- lation of the fathers, which he edited in connection with others, and which is still in the course of publi- cation at Kempten, under the title Bibliotheh der Kir- ckenvdter. See Zuchold. Bibl. Theol. ii, 977, 1051 ; Lite- rariscker Handweiser, 1871, p. 52 sq., 106; 1872. p. 142. (B. P.)
Re'kem (Heb. id. C£"\ rariegation, or perhaps i. q. /'i</i in), the name of three men, and of a city.
1. (Sept. 'PoKap; A. V. Rdkem, the name being "in pause," Cp"!.) Brother of Ulam, and a descendant of Machir, the son of Manasseh, by his wife Maachah ; ap- parently a son of Sheresh (1 Chron. vii. 16)» B.C. ante 1619.
2. (Sept. 'Pokou v. r. 'Pekou.') One of the five kings of the Midianites slain by the Israelites along with Ba- laam (Numb, xxxi, 8 ; Josh, xiii, 21). B.C. 1618.
3. (Sept. 'Pokou, 'Pa'tp, v. r. 'Pekoju.) The third named of the four sons of Hebron, and father of Sham- mai, of the tribe of Judah (1 Chron. ii, 43, 44). B.C. post 1618. "In this genealogy it is extremely difficult to separate the names of persons from those of places — Ziph, Mareshah, Tappuah, Hebron, are all names of places, as well as Maon and Beth-zur. In Josh, xviii, 27, Rekem appears as a town of Benjamin, and perhaps this genealogy may be intended to indicate that it was founded by a colony from Hebron" (Smith).
4. (Sept. 'PbkeuJ) A city in the territory of Benja- min, mentioned between Mozah and Irpeel (Josh, xviii, 27). Josephus, ir> speaking of the Midianitish kings slain by Moses (Ant. iv, vii, 1), mentions a city named after Rekem (No. 2, above), which was the chief city of all Arabia, and was called 'Apeictpt], A receme, by the Arabians, but Petra by the Greeks. This is, of course, different from the Rekem of Benjamin. As the latter is in the group situated in the south-west quarter of the tribe, the site was possibly that of the present ruins called Deir Yesin, about three miles west of Jerusa- lem (Robinson, Researches, ii. 141; Badeker, Palastina, p. 288).
Rekesh. See Horse.
Reland, Adriaan, a celebrated Orientalist, was born July 17, 1676, at Ryp, a village in Northern Hol- land, where his father was pastor. He early devoted himself to the study of Oriental languages under Leus- den, with the aid of Henry Sicke. After staying six years for this purpose at Utrecht, he went to Leyden to finish his theological studies. He was soon after- wards offered a professor's chair at Linigen, but he pre- ferred to return to his aged father. In 1699 he was made professor of philosophy and Oriental languages at Harderwyck, and two years afterwards was called to teach Oriental languages and ecclesiastical antiquities at Utrecht, a position which he filled to the end of his days, having in 1713 refused a professor's chair at Fra- neker, and in 1716 another at Leyden. He died <>l small-pox, Feb. 5, 1718. Reland is admitted to have been by far the greatest Orientalist of his day, and his writings display exhaustive learning, the most pains- taking accuracy, and sound judgment. He was also not lacking in imagination, as some of his earlier pro- lusions show. To these admirable qualities he added great affability of manners and a noble sweetness of
IiELIC-CASE
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RELIGION
character. Of his numerous writings we here mention only the mosi important: Analecta Rabbinica (Ultraj. 1702): />■ Religiont Mohaminedica (ibid. 1705 and later): -Dissertationes Miscellanea (ibid. 1707) : — A niiqnitaies Veterum Hebrceorum (ibid. 1708): />> Numis Vet. Ue- brmorum (ibid.1709): Palcestina ex Monumentis Veteri- bus Illustrata i ibid. 171 1 1, a work which in it- way can superseded: — Di Spoliis 7*cmp/»(Traject.l716): —Elenchus Philologicus (Ultraj. 1709). See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. General . b. v. ; Herzog, Rt al-Encyklop. >. v.
Relic-case. See Reliquary.
Relics. By this term arc usually understood the bodies or clothes of saints and martyrs, or the instru- ments by which they were pul to death or suffered tor- ment, which were so revered in the Romish Church as to be worshipped and carried about in procession. The honoring of the relics of saints, on which the Church of Rome afterwards founded her superstitious and lucra- tive use of them, as objects of devotion, as a kind of charms, or amulets, and as instruments of pretended miracles, appears to have originated in a very ancient custom thai prevailed anion-- Christians, of assembling at the cemeteries or burying-places of the martyrs for the purpose of commemorating them and of performing divine worship. Here they displayed their affection for their brethren by such rites as were dictated by fer- vent affection and were consistent with the principles of religion. In the 4th century the boundary between respeel and worship was passed. Helena, the mother ol Cons tan tine, made a journey to Jerusalem and there discovered, as she supposed, the wood of the true cross, a part of which she gave to the city of Jerusalem, and sent the other part to Constantine, who encased it in his own statue and regarded it as the palladium of his new- city. When the profession of Christianity obtained the protection of the civil government, under Constantine the < in at. stately churches were erected over sepulchres, and the names and memories of the departed were treated with every possible token of affection and re- sp ct I his reverence, however, gradually exceeded all reasonable hounds: and those prayers and religious services were thought to have a peculiar sanctity and virtue which were performed over their tombs; hence the practice which afterwards obtained of depositing relies of saints and martyrs under the altars in all churches. This practice was early thought of such im- portance that St. Ambrose, in the 4th century, would nol consecrate a church because it had no relics; and the Council of Constantinople, in Trullo I A.l>. 692), or- dained that those altars should be demolished under which were found no relics. Such was the rage for them al one time that even Mabillon, the Benedictine, justly complains that the altar- were loaded with suspected relics, numerous spurious ones being everywhere offered to the piety and devotion of the faithful, lie adds, too, that hones are often consecrated which, so far from be- longing to saints, probably do not belong to Christians. From the catacombs of Italy. Sicily, and other places