James Hastings Dictionary of the NT: Candace

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James Hastings Dictionary of the NT: Candace


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Candace ( ÊáíäÜêç ) is mentioned in Act_8:27 as ‘queen of the Ethiopians,’ i.e. of Meroë (see Ethiopia and Ethiopian Eunuch). It appears from various ancient authorities that this was a name always borne by the queen-mother of the Ethiopians, and that in many cases she reigned still as dowager: e.g. we read ÊáíäÜêçí Áἰèßïðåò ðᾶóáí ôὴí ôïῦ âáóéëÝùò ìçôÝñá êáëïῦóéí (J. A. Cramer, Catena in Acta Apostolorum, 1844, p. 143), an extract from an anonymous author who proceeds to quote Bion (of Soli) thus: Áἰèßïðåò ôïὺò âáóéëÝùí ðáôÝñáò ïὐê ἐêöáßíïõóéí , ἁëë ʼ ὡò ὄíôáò õἱïὺò ἡëßïõ ðáñáäéäüáóéí · ἑêÜóôïõ äὲ ôὴí ìçôÝñá êáëïῦóé ÊáíäÜêçí ; cf. Athen. xiii. 566 and Pliny, Historia Naturalis (Pliny) vi. 29. The name in its Egyptian form is said to occur on the monuments, and a queen so named tried conclusions with the Romans during the reign of Augustus 24-21 b.c. and obtained some measure of success. The expression in Act_8:27 that the åὐíïῦ÷ïò äõíÜóôçò , whom Philip baptized, ‘was over all her treasure’ suggests that this monarch was powerful and wealthy.

C. L. Feltoe.