Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/391

 EBELING those who should faithfully keep the divine law, and the latter to pronounce curses on those who should violate it; whence Gerizim was known as the mount of blessing and Ebal as the mount of cursing. According to the in- junction of Moses, the Jews after obtaining pos- session of Canaan built an altar and celebrated a feast on Ebal. The Samaritans contended that this should have been done on Gerizim, and they built a temple on the latter, the ruins of which are still visible, and regarded it as the Jews regarded their temple at Jerusalem. They also held that Gerizim was the mountain upon which Abraham was directed to offer up Isaac. The remark of the Samaritan woman to Christ at Shechem (John iv. 20) is in allusion to this difference of opinion as to the proper place of worship. The Samaritans still have an an- nual sacrifice on Mt. Gerizim. EBELING, Christoph Daniel, a German scholar, born near Hildesheim, Hanover, in 1741, died in Hamburg, June 30, 1817. He was noted for his extensive knowledge of oriental lan- guages, of classic and foreign literature, and of history and geography. One of his publica- tions was a history and geography of North America (7 vols., Hamburg, 1796-1816), form- ing a continuation of Busching's general geog- raphy, for which he received a vote of thanks from the United States congress. He paid special attention to the geography of the new world, and collected about 10,000 maps and nearly 4,000 books, all relating to America. This library is now in Harvard college. EBENEZER, the name of a place where the Israelites were defeated when the ark of God was taken (1 Sam. iv. 1), and also of a me- morial stone or monument set up by Samuel to commemorate their victory over the Philis- tines at Mizpeh, when God interposed for their deliverance (1 Sam. vii. 5-12). The compound word signifies the stone of help. The monu- ment was erected by the prophet, saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." The name of the place, though mentioned first, was probably of later use, being borrowed from that of the monument. EBERHARD IM BART (Eberhard with the Beard), the first duke of Wtirtemberg, born Dec. 11, 1445, died Feb. 14, 1496. His father, Count Louis the Elder, dying while he was young, his education was neglected. Before he was 14 he wrested the government from his uncle Ulric, who had been appointed regent. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and the influ- ence of his wife, the princess Barbara of Man- tua, had a happy effect upon his character. He became celebrated in German history as the founder of the undivided sovereignty and of the representative constitution of Wurtem- berg. He devoted himself to study, promoted science and literature, and founded in 1477 the university of Tubingen. He improved the laws and the condition of the convents in his country, and was a friend of peace. The emperor Maximilian of Germany, who confer- 281 VOL. vi. 25 EBIONITES 383 red on him the title of duke (1495), declared at his grave several years afterward: "Here lies a prince who has left no equal in the German empire in princely virtues, and whose advice I have frequently followed with advantage." EBERHARD, Johann August, a German philoso- pher, born in Halberstadt, Aug. 31, 1739, died Jan. 6, 1809. He was first a teacher, and then a pastor. In a work entitled Neue Apolo- gie des Solcrates (3d ed., Berlin, 1788), he op- posed the opinion which had been lately ad- vanced that the virtues of the pagans were only splendid vices. A religious romance entitled Amyntor did not, as it was designed to do, cause the bold assertions of this apology to be forgotten. In 1778 he was appointed professor of philosophy in the university of Halle, and soon after a member of the academy of Berlin. He was attached to the philosophy of Leibnitz and Wolf, and combated the systems of Kant and Fichte. His writings on philosophical and sesthetical subjects are numerous. EBERHARD, Konrad, a German sculptor and painter, born at Hindelang, Bavaria, Nov. 25, 1768, died in Munich, March 13, 1859. He studied at Munich and Home, and in 1816 be- came professor of sculpture in the academy of fine arts at Munich. He painted many pictures illustrating the conflicts, progress, and tri- umphs of the Christian religion. Among his best works are the tomb of the princess Caro- line in the Theatinerkirche, and the statues of St. George and St. Michael before the Isar gate in Munich. EBERS, deorg Moritz, a German Egyptologist, born in Berlin, March 1, 1837. He studied at Gottingen and Berlin, and taught for several years at the university of Jena. After a visit to Egypt, Nubia, and Arabia, he received in 1870 a professorship at Leipsic. His first pub- lication, Eine agyptische Konigstochter (3 vols., Stuttgart, 1864), which describes the subjuga- tion of Egypt by the Persians in the style of a historical novel, has passed through numer- ous editions, and was translated in Holland, England, and America (New York, 1871). His subsequent works are more scientific ; the most important are Aegypten und die Bucher Nose's (1st vol., Leipsic, 1868) and Lurch Oosen zum Sinai (1872). EBIONITES (Heb. ebyonim, poor people), a party in the early Christian church. The name was first assumed by such Christians as held to Jewish opinions and practices. After the Christianity which savored of Judaism had come to be regarded by the church as a heresy, the name, in its Greek form, was applied to the members of the party by their opponents, and they themselves adopted that of Nazarenes. The doctrine of the Ebionites was a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. While they ac- cepted the Old Testament in its integrity, they rejected the New Testament, substituting a gospel based upon the facts in the Gospel of Matthew. This was known to the primitive Christians as the " Gospel of the Hebrews."