therefore
a
frequent
ground
of
Christian
martyrdom.
Christians
would
be
brought
to
Fergamus
for
trial
from
any
northern
part
of
the
province,
and
the
mention
of
one
martyr,
Antipas,
as
having
suffered
there
does
not
prove
that
he
belonged
to
Fergamus.
The
Church
at
Fergamus
is
charged
with
having
'them
that
hold
the
doctrine
of
Balaam,
who
taught
Balak
to
cast
a
stum-bling-block
before
the
children
of
Israel,
to
eat
things
sacrificed
unto
idols,
and
to
commit
fornication';
and
also
'them
that
hold
the
doctrine
of
the
Nicolaitans.'
We
must
gather
from
this
that
a
definite
section
of
the
church
at
Fergamus
maintained
that,
inasmuch
as
heathen
ceremonies
'
meant
nothing'
(cf.
Co
8'
10""),
they
were
at
liberty
to
join
in
idolatrous
feasts,
and
thus
to
maintain
their
social
position
and
justify
their
loyalty
in
the
sight
of
the
law.
The
allusion
in
2"
to
'a
white
stone,
and
in
the
stone
a
new
name
written,'
may
be
an
allusion
to
a
practice
of
keeping
secret
a
new
name
taken
at
baptism
in
a
place
where
it
was
dangerous
to
be
known
as
a
Christian.
From
its
official
and
religious
character
there
can
be
little
doubt
that
Antipas
was
but
one
of
many
martyred
at
Fergamus.
Fergamus
was
the
seat
of
a
bishopric,
but
its
subsequent
history
is
obscure.
It
retains
its
name
in
the
form
Bergama.
The
German
Government
has
been
conducting
excavations
on
the
site
since
1878,
and
in
1901
a
Fergamon
Museum
was
opened
in
Berlin.
The
name
of
Fergamus
survives
in
the
word
'
parclunent,*
i.e.
Fergamena.
It
is
said
that
king
Eumenea,
the
founder
of
the
library,
invented
the
use
of
this
preparation
of
sheep-skin
or
goat-skin
for
the
purposes
of
writing.
A.
E.
Hilijihd.
FERIDA.
—
A
family
of
'
Solomon's
servants,'
Neh
7"
=
Ezr
2"
Feruda,
1
Es
5»'
Pharida.
PERIZZITES.—
According
to
the
frequently
re-curring
list
of
the
Deuteronomic
editors,
one
of
the
pre-Israelitish
nations
of
Falestine
(cf.
Ex
38-
"
23»
33'
34",
Dt
20",
Jos
3>»
24").
The
Ferizzites,
however,
do
not
appear
anywhere
definitely
in
the
history.
Be-cause
in
Gn
15^°
and
Jos
17'*
they
are
mentioned
with
the
Rephaim,
some
have
inferred
that
they
were
one
of
the
pre-Semitic
tribes
of
Palestine.
In
the
J
docu-ment
the
Ferizzites
are
three
times
mentioned
with
the
Canaanites
(Gn
13'
343",
Jg
1<).
The
name
'Perizzite'
(in
AV
and
RV
of
1
Es
8",
2
Es
1",
and
AV
of
Jth
5"
Fherezite(B))
is
in
Hebrew
almost
identical
with
a
word
meaning
'dweller
in
an
unwalled
village,'
hence
Moore
(on
Jg
1')
has
suggested
that
they
were
Canaanite
agriculturists,
living
in
unwalled
towns,
and
not
a
separate
tribe.
This
view
is
most
probable.
George
A.
Bahton.
PERJURY.
—
See
Chimes
and
Funishments,
§
5.
PERSECUTION.—
Jesus
Christ
frequently
warned
His
disciples
that
persecution
would
be
the
lot
of
all
who
followed
Him
(Jn
IS's-
20).
So
far
from
being
dismayed
at
this,
it
should
be
a
cause
of
rejoicing
(Mt
5"-
").
The
early
Church
had
not
long
to
wait
for
the
fulfilment
of
these
words.
The
martyrdom
of
Stephen
was
the
signal
tor
a
fierce
outburst
of
persecution
against
the
Christians
of
Jerusalem,
by
which
they
were
scattered
in
all
directions.
Saul
of
Tarsus
was
the
moving
spirit
in
this
matter,
until,
on
his
road
to
Damascus
to
proceed
against
the
Christians
there,
'
Christ's
foe
became
His
soldier.'
The
conversion
of
Saul
seems
to
have
stayed
the
persecution.
The
attempt
of
Caligula
to
set
up
his
statue
in
the
Temple
at
Jerusalem
also
diverted
the
attention
of
the
Jews
from
all
else.
Hence
'the
churches
had
rest'
(Ac
9'').
The
next
persecution
was
begun
by
Herod,
who
put
to
death
the
Apostle
St.
James,
and
would
ha
ve
done
the
same
to
St.
Peter
had
he
not
been
delivered.
Herod's
motive
was
probably
to
gain
a
cheap
popularity,
but
the
per-secution
was
ended
by
his
own
sudden
and
terrible
death.
After
this
the
history
of
persecution
becomes
more
the
history
of
the
sufferings
of
certain
individuals,
such
as
St.
Paul,
though
passages
in
the
Epistles
show
us
that
the
spirit
of
persecution
was
alive
even
if
the
details
of
what
took
place
are
hidden
from
us
(1
Th
2»,
He
1032.
33,
1
p
2'»-Ki).
Finally,
in
the
Revelation
of
St.
John,
the
seer
makes
frequent
reference
to
the
persecu-tion
and
martyrdom
of
the
saints
as
the
lot
of
the
Church
in
all
ages.
Mohley
Stevenson.
PERSEPOLIS.—
The
chief
capital
of
the
ancient
kings
of
Persia,
chosen
as
such
by
Darius
Hystaspis
(B.C.
S21-486).
Imposing
ruins
still
mark
its
site
about
30
miles
north-east
of
Shiraz.
It
is
named
in
2
Mac
92
in
connexion
with
the
unsuccessful
attempt
of
Antiochus
Epiphanes
to
plunder
its
temples
and
palaces.
J.
F.
M'CUBDY.
PERSEUS.—
'King
of
Chittim,
'i.e.
Macedonia
(1
Mac
8>).
His
kingdom
was
brought
to
an
end
with
his
defeat
by
the
Romans
at
Fydna
(b.o.
168).
PERSIA,
PERSIANS.—
The
Persians,
when
they
appeared
first
in
history,
were
the
southern
branch
of
the
Iranians
who
had
migrated,
in
the
10th
or
9th
cent.
B.C.,
from
the
tableland
of
Turkestan
westward
and
southward.
They
were
for
long
subject
to
the
more
numerous
and
powerful
northern
branch
(see
Medes),
from
whom,
however,
they
were
separated
by
the
country
of
Elam,
through
their
settlement
in
the
district
later
called
Fersis,
east
of
the
Persian
Gulf.
Southern
Elam
they
acquired
before
B.C.
600.
Their
prince,
Cyrus,
the
second
of
that
name
among
the
ruling
family
of
the
Achsemenides,
threw
oCE
the
Median
yoke
and
deposed
his
sovereign
Astyages
in
B.C.
650.
In
645
the
kingdom
of
Lydia
fell
to
him
by
the
capture
of
Sardis
under
its
king
Croesus.
In
639
Babylon
surrendered
to
his
troops
without
fighting,
after
a
two
weeks'
campaign,
and
became
thenceforth
one
of
the
Persian
capitals.
Thus
the
Babylonian
empire
was
added
to
the
Medo-Persian.
Cf.
Is
13.
14.
21
(where
in
v.'
'Elam'
stands
for
Persia,
into
which
it
was
incorporated;
see
above)
41.
44-47,
Jer
50.
51.
Thus
was
founded
the
greatest
W.
Asian
empire
of
antiquity,
whose
power,
moreover,
was
upon
the
whole
consistently
employed
for
the
protection
of
the
subject
peoples,
including
in
the
great
satrapy
'
beyond
the
River'
the
Hebrew
community
in
Palestine
which
was
re-
established
by
the
generosity
of
Cyrus
himself
(see
Ezra
and
Neh.
passim).
Of
the
kings
who
succeeded
Cyrus
there
are
named
in
OT,
Darius
Hystaspis
(b.c.
621-486),
his
son
Xerxes
(486-465,
the
'Ahasuerus'
of
Esther),
Artaxerxes
i.
(465-424).
See
these
names
in
their
alphabetic
places.
To
them
is
possibly
to
be
added
Cambyses,
son
of
Cyrus
the
Great,
made
king
of
Babylon
in
538,
and
thus
corresponding
to
the
misnomer
'
Darius
the
Mede'
of
Dn
6^-
91
11'.
J.
F.
M'Cotidy.
PERSIS.
—
A
Christian
woman
saluted
in
Ro
I612.
PERSON
OF
CHRIST.—
I.
Christology
of
the
Synoptic
Gospels.—
-In
so
brief
an
article
as
the
present
no
attempt
can
be
made
to
detail
the
stages
in
the
self-revelation
of
Jesus,
or
to
assign
each
partial
disclosure
to
a
lixed
period.
Nor
is
it
possible
to
inquire
critically
how
far
the
picture
of
Jesus
in
the
Gospels
has
been
coloured
by
later
experiences
of
the
Church.
Accepting
the
substantial
authenticity
of
the
narrative,
and
of
the
view
of
Jesus'
Person
and
teaching
it
embodies,
we
are
led
to
examine
chiefly
the
various
significant
titles
in
which
His
religious
claim
was
expressed.
But
we
must
glance
first
of
all
at
the
human
portrait
drawn
by
the
Evangelists.
1.
Humanity
of
Jesus.
—
Everywhere
in
the
Synoptics
the
true
humanity
of
our
Lord
is
taken
seriously.
His
bodily
and
mental
life
are
both
represented
as
having
undergone
a
natural
development.
He
is
hungry
and
athirst,
capable
of
the
keenest
suffering,
possessed
of
a
soul
and
spirit
which
He
yields
up
to
God
in
death.
Joy,
sorrow,
distress,
peace,
love,
anger
—
every
whole-some
human
emotion
is
felt
by
Him.
He
prays
to
God
the
Father,
looking
up
to
heaven
habitually
in
lowly
trust,
for
strength
and
guidance
to
do
His
appointed
work.
Out
of
the
sinless
impulse
to
use
His
powers
