a Roman bishop (or presbyter), was beheaded in the reign of the emperor Claudius, A.D. 270, and was early canonized. He is said to have been a man of admirable qualities, and noted for his love and. charity. Feb. 14 is celebrated in his honor. The custom of choosing Valentines on that day is accounted for in various ways. By some it is said to shave arisen from the fact that birds select their mates at that season; by others, from a practice prevalent at the ancient Roman festival of the Lupercalia, during the month of February, of placing the names of young women in a box, from which they were drawn by young men as chance directed. A similar custom was followed throughout Europe on the eve of Feb. 14 until recently, the person chosen becoming Valentine to the one choosing for a year. See Chambers, Book of Days, 1, 255. (See VALENTINUS, ST).
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