(ci ree' nee) The home of a certain Simon who was compelled to carry Jesus' cross to the place of crucifixion (Matthew 27:32 ). Located in northern Africa, it was the capital city of the Roman district of Cyrenaica during the New Testament era. Cyrenaica and Crete formed one province. Simon of Cyrene may have belonged to the rather large population of Greek-speaking Jews who resided in the city during the first part of the first century A.D. See Simon of Cyrene.

A city (now Tripoli) in Upper Libya, North Africa, founded by a colony of Greeks (B.C. 630). It contained latterly a large number of Jews, who were introduced into the city by Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, because he thought they would contribute to the security of the place. They increased in number and influence; and we are thus prepared for the frequent references to them in connection with the early history of Christianity. Simon, who bore our Lord's cross, was a native of this place (Matthew 27:32 ; Mark 15:21 ). Jews from Cyrene were in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:10 ); and Cyrenian Jews had a synagogue at Jerusalem (6:9). Converts belonging to Cyrene contributed to the formation of the first Gentile church at Antioch (11:20). Among "the prophets and teachers" who "ministered to the Lord at Antioch" was Lucius of Cyrene (13:1).

Mentioned with Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Manaen, and Saul, among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1). He probably was one of the "men of Cyrene" who heard the tongues and then Peter's Pentecostal sermon (Acts 2:10), and of the "men of Cyrene" who when "scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen" went to Antioch, "preaching the Lord Jesus" (Acts 11:19-20). A distinct name from Luke, = Lucas, = Lucanus.

CYRENE . Capital of Libya (Tripoli) in N. Africa ( Acts 2:10 ), the home of numerous Jews who with the ‘Libertines’ (freedmen from Rome?) and Alexandrians had a synagogue of their own at Jerusalem ( Acts 6:9 ). Many of these became Christians, as Simon and his sons (doubtless), Mark 15:21 ; Lucius, Acts 13:1 ; and those in Acts 11:20 who preached to the ‘Greeks’ ( v.l. ‘Hellenists’).

A. J. Maclean.

CYRENE (Κυρήνη) was a Greek settlement on the north coast of Africa, in the district now called Benghazi or Barca, which forms the E. part of the modern province of Tripoli. It was founded b.c. 632. It was the chief member of a confederacy of five neighbouring cities; hence the district was called either Pentapolis or Cyrenaica. Under the first Ptolemy it became a dependency of Egypt; was left to Rome by the will of Ptolemy Apion, b.c. 96; was soon after formed into a province, and later, perhaps not till 27, united with Crete, with which under the Empire it formed a senatorial province, under an expraetor with the title of proconsul. It was noted for its fertility and for its commerce, which, however, declined after the foundation of Alexandria. It produced many distinguished men, such as the philosophers Aristippus and Carneades, the poet Callimachus, and the Christian orator and bishop Synesius.

Jews were very numerous and influential there. The first Ptolemy, ‘wishing to secure the government of Cyrene and the other cities of Libya for himself, sent a party of Jews to inhabit them’ (Josephus, circa (about) Apion. ii. 4). Cyrenian Jews are mentioned in 1 Maccabees 15:23, 2 Maccabees 2:23 (Jason of Cyrene). According to Strabo (ap. Josephus Ant. xiv. vii. 2), the inhabitants of Cyrene were divided into four classes—citizens, husbandmen (i.e. native Libyans), sojourners (μέτοικοι), and Jews. The Jews enjoyed equality of civil rights (Ant. xvi. vi. 1, 5). An inscription at Berenice, one of the cities of Cyrenaica, of prob. b.c. 13, shows that the Jews there formed a civic community (πολίτευμα) of their own, under nine rulers (CIG [Note: IG Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum.] iii. 5361). The Cyrenian Jews were very turbulent; Lucullus had to suppress a disturbance raised by them (Strabo, l.c.); there was a rising there at the close of the Jewish war, a.d. 70 (Josephus BJ vii. xi.; Vita, 76); and a terrible internecine war between them and their Gentile neighbours, under Trajan (Dio Cass. lxviii. 32; Euseb. Historia Ecclesiastica iv. 2).

Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus [wh. see]), who was impressed to bear our Lord’s cross (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26), was doubtless one of these Jewish settlers. Other NT references to Cyrenian Jews are: Acts 2:10 (at Pentecost), 6:9 (members of special synagogue at Jerusalem, opposing Stephen), 11:20 (preaching at Antioch to Greeks [or Hellenists]), 13:1 (Lucius of Cyrene, probably one of these preachers, a prophet or teacher at Antioch).

Literature.—Rawlinson’s Herodotus, iii. p. 130 ff.; Smith, Dict. of Greek and Roman Geography; Schürer, HJP [Note: JP History of the Jewish People.] i. ii. 283, ii. ii. 230 f., 245 f.; Marquardt, Romische Staatsverwaltung (1881), i. 458 ff.; art. ‘Diaspora’ (by Schürer) in Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, Extra Vol. p. 96b.

Harold Smith.

A wall; coldness; the floor

was a city of Lybia in Africa, which, as it was the principal city of that province, gave to it the name of Cyrenaica. This city was once so powerful as to contend with Carthage for preeminence. In profane writers, it is mentioned as the birthplace of Eratosthenes the mathematician, and Callimachus the poet; and in holy writ, of Simon, whom the Jews compelled to bear our Saviour's cross, Matthew 27:32 ; Luke 23:26 . At Cyrene resided many Jews, a great part of whom embraced the Christian religion; but others opposed it with much obstinacy. Among the most inveterate enemies of Christianity, Luke reckons those of this province, who had a synagogue at Jerusalem, and excited the people against St. Stephen, Acts 11:20 .

A city and province of Libya, west of Egypt, between the Great Syrtis and the Mareotis, at present called Cairoan, in the province of Barca. It was sometimes called PENTAPOLIS, from the five principal cities that it contained-Cyrene, Apollonia, Arsinoe, Berenice, and Ptolemais. From hence came Simon the Cyrenian, father of Alexander and Rufus, on whom the Roman soldiers laid a part of our Savior's cross, Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 . There were many Jews in the province of Cyrene, a great part of whom embraced the Christian religion, though others opposed it with much obstinacy, Acts 6:9 11:20 13:1 .

A resident of Cyrene in Libya, the father of Alexander and Rufus; he was forced to carry the Cross of Our Saviour for part of the journey to Calvary (Matthew 27; Mark 15).

Cyrene was a Mediterranean port on the north coast of Africa. It was one of the many places in northern Africa where Jewish people settled during the centuries leading up to the New Testament era. As in other places, they built synagogues and carried on the religious traditions of their forefathers (see DISPERSION).

Cyrenian - (ci ree' nih an) Citizen and/or resident of Cyrene. See Cyrene