Baaras (Βαάρας), the name (according to Josephus, War, 7, 6, 3) of a valley inclosing the city of Herodium on the north, and so called from an extraordinary species of plant (but whether the same with the gigantic rue, πήγανον, mentioned in the same connection, does not appear), to the root of which the credulous Jewish historian ascribes magical properties of a most marvelous character. SEE HERODIUM. For other faint notices of a locality by names similar to Baaris, in the vicinity of Machaerus, see Reland, Palest. p. 881.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More