Hypertext Webster Gateway: "dispersion"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Dispersion
(Gr. diaspora, "scattered," James 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1) of the Jews.
At various times, and from the operation of divers causes, the
Jews were separated and scattered into foreign countries "to the
outmost parts of heaven" (Deut. 30:4).
(1.) Many were dispersed over Assyria, Media, Babylonia, and
Persia, descendants of those who had been transported thither by
the Exile. The ten tribes, after existing as a separate kingdom
for two hundred and fifty-five years, were carried captive (B.C.
721) by Shalmaneser (or Sargon), king of Assyria. They never
returned to their own land as a distinct people, although many
individuals from among these tribes, there can be no doubt,
joined with the bands that returned from Babylon on the
proclamation of Cyrus.
(2.) Many Jews migrated to Egypt and took up their abode
there. This migration began in the days of Solomon (2 Kings
18:21, 24; Isa. 30:7). Alexander the Great placed a large number
of Jews in Alexandria, which he had founded, and conferred on
them equal rights with the Egyptians. Ptolemy Philadelphus, it
is said, caused the Jewish Scriptures to be translated into
Greek (the work began B.C. 284), for the use of the Alexandrian
Jews. The Jews in Egypt continued for many ages to exercise a
powerful influence on the public interests of that country. From
Egypt they spread along the coast of Africa to Cyrene (Acts
2:10) and to Ethiopia (8:27).
(3.) After the time of Seleucus Nicator (B.C. 280), one of the
captains of Alexander the Great, large numbers of Jews migrated
into Syria, where they enjoyed equal rights with the
Macedonians. From Syria they found their way into Asia Minor.
Antiochus the Great, king of Syria and Asia, removed 3,000
families of Jews from Mesopotamia and Babylonia, and planted
them in Phrygia and Lydia.
(4.) From Asia Minor many Jews moved into Greece and
Macedonia, chiefly for purposes of commerce. In the apostles'
time they were found in considerable numbers in all the
principal cities.
From the time of Pompey the Great (B.C. 63) numbers of Jews
from Palestine and Greece went to Rome, where they had a
separate quarter of the city assigned to them. Here they enjoyed
considerable freedom.
Thus were the Jews everywhere scattered abroad. This, in the
overruling providence of God, ultimately contributed in a great
degree toward opening the way for the spread of the gospel into
all lands.
Dispersion, from the plain of Shinar. This was occasioned by
the confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen. 11:9). They were
scattered abroad "every one after his tongue, after their
families, in their nations" (Gen. 10:5, 20,31).
The tenth chapter of Genesis gives us an account of the
principal nations of the earth in their migrations from the
plain of Shinar, which was their common residence after the
Flood. In general, it may be said that the descendants of
Japheth were scattered over the north, those of Shem over the
central regions, and those of Ham over the extreme south. The
following table shows how the different families were dispersed:
| - Japheth
| - Gomer
| Cimmerians, Armenians
| - Magog
| Caucasians, Scythians
| - Madal
| Medes and Persian tribes
| - Javan
| - Elishah
| Greeks
| - Tarshish
| Etruscans, Romans
| - Chittim
| Cyprians, Macedonians
| - Dodanim
| Rhodians
| - Tubal
| Tibareni, Tartars
| - Mechech
| Moschi, Muscovites
| - Tiras
| Thracians
|
| - Shem
| - Elam
| Persian tribes
| - Asshur
| Assyrian
| - Arphaxad
| - Abraham
| - Isaac
| - Jacob
| Hebrews
| - Esau
| Edomites
| - Ishmael
| Mingled with Arab tribes
| - Lud
| Lydians
| - Aram
| Syrians
|
| - Ham
| - Cush
| Ethiopans
| - Mizrain
| Egyptians
| - Phut
| Lybians, Mauritanians
| - Canaan
| Canaanites, Phoenicians
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Dispersion \Dis*per"sion\, n. [CF. F. dispersion.]
1. The act or process of scattering or dispersing, or the
state of being scattered or separated; as, the Jews in
their dispersion retained their rites and ceremonies; a
great dispersion of the human family took place at the
building of Babel.
The days of your slaughter and of your dispersions
are accomplished. --Jer. xxv.
34.
2. (Opt.) The separation of light into its different colored
rays, arising from their different refrangibilities.
{Dispersion of the optic axes} (Crystallog.), the separation
of the optic axes in biaxial crystals, due to the fact
that the axial angle has different values for the
different colors of the spectrum.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
dispersion
n 1: spreading widely or driving off [syn: {scattering}]
2: the spatial property of being scattered about over an area
or volume [syn: {distribution}] [ant: {concentration}]
3: the act of dispersing or diffusing something; "the
dispersion of the troops"; "the diffusion of knowledge"
[syn: {dispersal}, {dissemination}, {diffusion}]
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