Acts 14:12. Mythology represented Mercurius as having once visited Phrygia with Jupiter his father, and having been refused hospitality by all except Baucis and Philemon, two old peasants (Ovid, Metam. 8:620). Hence the simple people of Lystra supposed, from the miracle on the cripple, that Paul and Barnabas were Mercurius and Jupiter once more visiting the earth "in the likeness of men." Mercurius being the god of eloquence, they called Paul Mercurius, the herald of the gods. Mercurius was usually figured a beardless youth, but there was an old Pelasgic figure of him bearded. Barnabas, the more stately and majestic in mien, they called Jupiter (2 Corinthians 10:10).
From the co-author of the classic Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary, Fausset's Bible Dictionary stands as one of the best single-volume Bible encyclopedias ever written for general use. The author's writing style is always clear and concise, and he tackles issues important to the average student of the Bible, not just the Biblical scholars. This makes Fausset an excellent tool for both everyday Bible study and in-depth lesson or sermon preparation.Wikipedia
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