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Byzantine Empire
The eastern half of the Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople, survived as the Byzantine Empire for nearly 1,000 years after the fall of Rome.
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Romances That Changed History
For better or for worse, these historic romances altered the course of history.
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Bar Hebraeus
(born 1226, Melitene, Armenia [now Malatya, Turkey]—died July 30, 1286, Maragheh, Iran) medieval Syrian scholar noted for his encyclopaedic learning in science and philosophy and for his enrichment of Syriac literature by the introduction of Arabic culture.
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Canon Law, Code of
official compilation of ecclesiastical law promulgated in 1917 and again, in revised form, in 1983, for Roman Catholics of the Latin rite. The code obliges Roman Catholics of Eastern rites only when it specifically refers to them or clearly applies to all Roman Catholics.
A conference of the Christian Apostles in Jerusalem in about 50 CE that decreed that Gentile Christians did not have to observe the Mosaic Law of the Jews. It was occasioned by the insistence of certain Judaic Christians from Jerusalem that Gentile Christians from Antioch in Syria obey the Mosaic custom of circumcision. A delegation, led by the apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas, was appointed to confer with the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
The ensuing apostolic conference (noted in Acts 15:2–35), led by the apostle Peter and James, “the Lord's brother,” decided the issue in favour of Paul and the Gentile Christians. From this time onward Gentile Christians were not bound by the Levitical ceremonial regulations of the Jews, except for the provisions of the so-called apostolic decree: abstention “from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity” (Acts 15:29). The Council of Jerusalem thus demonstrated the willingness of apostolic leaders to make compromises on certain secondary issues in order to maintain peace and unity in the church.
Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.
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This Day in History
Feb 10
Lead Story
Kasparov loses chess game to computer, 1996
On this day in 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Gary Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer…
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Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas DVD
An enchanting look at some of the most beloved holiday traditions.
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