Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Unknown God
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
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UNKNOWN GOD . St. Paul, wandering along the streets of Athens, saw an altar bearing the dedication, ‘To an Unknown God’ ( Acts 17:23 ). He used this as the text of his sermon before the Areopagus. There is evidence in other ancient writers in favour of the existence of such a dedication, and the conjecture may be permitted that the altar was erected as a thank-offering for life preserved in some foreign country, the name of the proper divinity of which a very important thing in Greek ritual was unknown to the person preserved.
A. Souter.
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These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography Information
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Unknown God'. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​hdb/​u/unknown-god.html. 1909.
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Unknown God'. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​hdb/​u/unknown-god.html. 1909.