Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 06.djvu/609

LEFT NITMIDIA 499 NUR ED-DIN MAHMUD the Christians of early and mediseval times implicitly believed in the Mosaic authorship of Numbers. Modem ration- alists resolve the book into different por- tions, assigning each to a separate writer. NUMIDIA, the name given by the Ro- mans to a part of the N. coast of Af- rica, corresponding to some extent with the modern Algiers, and lying between Mauretania and the Roman province of Africa ; on the S. it reached to the chains of Mount Atlas. The inhabitants of Nu- midia, as of Mauretania, belonged to the race from which the modern Berbers are descended. They were a warlika race, and excelled as horsemen, but were pro- verbially faithless and unscrupulous. Of their tribes the Massyli in the E. and the Massaoesyli in the W. were the most powerful. In the grand struggle betwen the Carthaginians and the Romans they at first fought on the side of the former, but subsequently the king of the East- em Numidians, Massinissa, joined the Romans, and rendered them effectual service in the war with Hannibal. Fa- vored by the conquerors, he united all Numidia under his sway. Of his suc- cessors in this kingdom Jugurtha and Juba are the most famous. After the victory of Caesar over Juba I. in the Af- rican war Numidia became a Roman province (46 B. c.) ; but Augustus after- ward gave the W. part, with Mauretania, to Juba II., and the name Numidia be- came limited to the E. part. For the piodern history of Numidia, see Algiers. NUMISMATICS, the science and study ^of the coins of all nations. In the wider though less accurate, acceptation of the term it includes also that of medals, both artistic and historical. The vari- ous branches of numismatics are (1) Greek, Phoenician, etc.; (2) Roman and Byzantine; (3) Mediaeval and Modern; and (4) Oriental. The chief value of numismatics consists in the light which coins throw on history. NUN, a virgin or widow who has con- secrated herself to the service of God by the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and bound herself to live in a religious house under a certain rule. The first authentic notice of nuns is that by St. Anthony, who, when retiring from the world, placed his sister in a house of virgins. St. Augustin, of Hippo, and St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, both founded nunneries, and all the great orders of men have orders of women affiliated to them or following their rule as closely as difference of sex will per- mit. Communities founded since the Council of Trent mostly follow the rule of St. Augustin, with certain modifica- tions. Also a name given to a variety of pigeon, having its head almost cov- ered with a veil of feathers; a name sometimes given to the smew. Also the blue titmouse. NUNC DIMITTIS ("now thou lettest depart"), the first two words of the Latin version of the canticle of Simeon given in Luke ii: 29-32, and used as the designation of the whole canticle, which forms part of the evening service in the Book of Common Prayer. NUNEATON, a market town of War- wickshire, England, on the Anker river and the Coventry canal; 22 miles E. of Birmingham. It has a good Gothic par- ish church, some remains of a 12th-cen- tury nunnery, with a modem church built thereon, and a grammar school (1553). The ribbon manufacture has given place to worsted, cotton, and woolen spinning. "George Eliot," born at Griff, 2 miles to the S., went to school at Nuneaton, and here witnessed the riot described in "Felix Holt." NUR ED-DIN MAHMUD, or MALEK AX-ADEL, emir and Sultan of Syria; bom in Damascus, Turkey, in 1117. His father, Omad ed-Din Zenghi, originally governor of Mosul and Diarbekir under the Seljuk sultans, had established his independence, and extended his author- ity over northern Syria. Nur ed-Din Mahmud succeeded him in 1145, and changed the seat of government from Mosul to Aleppo. From this time on- ward his life was one long duel with the Christians — the Crusaders, Hospitallers, Templars, and Knights of the Latin king- dom of Jerusalem. The most notable in- cidents in this contest may be briefly summarized. Count Joscelin, in an at- tempt to recover his capital, Edessa, was signally defeated. This gave occasion to the second Crusade. The Crusaders were, however, foiled by Nur ed-Din be- fore Damascus, and, defeated in a num- oer of conflicts, abandoned their enter- prise. The emir next conquered Trip- olis and Antioch, and before 1151 all the Christian strongholds in Syria were in Nur ed-Din's hands. He next took pos- session of Damascus in 1153. In 1157 the Christian orders suffered a severe defeat near Paneas, but in 1159 regained some lost territories. Nur ed-Din soon won back what had been taken from him, and turned his attention to Egypt. In 1168 his brother, Asad al-Din Shirkoh, overran Egypt, but, dying soon after- ward, was succeeded by his nephew, the celebrated Saladin, who completed the conquest of the country, and restored the Sunnite faith. This won for Nur ed-