Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/473

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415

GENEVIEVE


415


GENIOOT


Vie de Sainte GenevQve, ed. Chahpentier (Paris, 1697); Ada SS.. Jan., I, 137-8, 725; Tillemont, Memnires {Paris, 1712), XVI, 621 and 802; Gallia Chrisliana, \ 11, 700: IIutler, Lives of the Saints, I, 17-20; Bennett in I>ul. Chri.^l. Bioij.. s. v.; Delalain, Legende^s historiques tU S'tmlr iinirritve (Paris, 1872); Trianon in Revue du Monde rathniiqit,' U*aris, 1872), XXXIV, .171.-82; Park in DnUin Uniecrsily Magazine (Dublin, 1876), LXXXVII, 102; Guerin, Vie des Saintu (Paris, 1880), I, 92-104; VmiEn, Sainle Genevieve et son influ- ence sur les destinees de la France (Paris, 1896); Fleurt, Hist. tccUs., LXIX, 22, LXXIV, 39.

A. A. MacErlean.

Genevieve, Daughters op Saint. See Holy Family, Religious Congregations op.

Genezareth, Land of. — By this name is desig- nated in Mark, vi, 53, a district of Palestine bordering on the Sea of Ciahlee, and which in the parallel passage of Matthew (xiv, 34) is called " the country of Gen- esar". The two forms of the name are obviously cog- nate, but their origin and signification are disputetl points among Biblical scholars, nor is there unanimity of opinion as to whether the name was given first to the land and afterwards to the lake or vice versa. The traditional signification: "Garden of the Princes" (as if derived from D'"lt;|3, Gan-sarim) goes back to St. Jerome and the T;ilmud. Several modern scholars, however, prefer the derivation of the name from the Hebrew word mJ3, kinnereth; or from the plural form kinneroth, cognate with kintior, signifying a harp or zither. This name, according to them, would have been originally given to the lake on account of the sup- posed harp-like shajje of its contour; but it seems more probable that the name was first used to designate the district, and was derived from the ancient fortified city within the borders of Nephtali, mentioned in the Book of Josue as Ceneroth in xi, 2, and as Cenereth in xix, 35. According to the Gospel narrative (cf. Matt., xiv, 13-36; Mark, vi, 31-5(5; Luke, ix, 10-17), which is confirmed by the description found in Josephus (Bel. Jud., ni, x), the land of Genezareth lay to the west, and partly to the north, of the lake of the same name, and bordered thereon. These sources do not deter- mine the exact boundaries of the district, but it is probable from other incidental indications that it com- prised the entire west coast of the lake, extending westward as far as the boundary separating Nephtali and Zabulon from Aser, and northward probalily as far as the plain of Huleh and the mountains of Safed. Physically the district resembles somewhat a section of a vast amphitheatre, sloping, gently on the northern side and more abruptly on the west, toward the low basin of the lake, and terminating in the plain now called Ghueir.

From the historical and religious standpoint the land of Genezareth is one of the most interesting locali- ties in all Palestine, chiefly because of its connection with the public ministry of Our Lord. Within its boundaries were located Capharnaum, Corozain, Ar- bela, Magdala, and Tiberias, as well as the more an- cient Cenereth. Of these once famous towns nothing remains at present except a few ruins, and the two wretched little villages occupying the site of Tiberias and of Magdala. According to the descriptions found in the Talmud, this region was a marvel of richness and fertility, a veritable paradise; and the same is affirmed by Josephus (loc. cit.), who describes it as "wonderful in fertility as well as in beauty". He adds: " Its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it . . . for the air is so well tempered that it agrees with all sorts. Thus the palm-tree, which re- quires a warm atmosphere, flourishes equally well with the walnut, which thrives best in a cold climate. . . . One may say that this place accomplishes a marvel of nature, forcing those plants which are naturally ene- mies of one another to agree together." It was noted for its delicious fruits of all varieties, and the climate was such that they flourished in nearly all the seasons of the year. Centuries of neglect have completely


obliterated all this richness and luxuriance; and at present, except a few scattered palms and wild fig- trees, the slopes of the land of Genezareth are barren and lifeless as are most of the other regions of Pales- tine.

HElDETin ViG., Diet, de la Bible, s. v. Genesareth; Merrill in Hast., Diet, of the Bible, s. v. Gennesaret; Josephus, Bel. Jud., Ill, x; Victor Guerin, Description de la Palestine, I, pp. 208-9, 214-15, 221-5.

James F. Driscoll.

Genga, Girol.vmo, painter, born at TJrbino in 1476; died at the same place, 1551. This talented craftsman was apprenticed in his fifteenth year to Luca Signorelli, whom he assisted in many of his works, especially at Orvieto. He then attached himself to Perugino, in whose school he was for three years, becoming the in- timate friend of Raphael. After a residence in Flor- ence and Siena, he returnetl to Urbino to carry out some work for the duke, Guidobaldo II. Later on he resided at Rome, where he painted an altar-piece for the church of St. Catherine of Siena, but, in 1512, re- turned to Urbino at the request of the then duke. Francesco Maria, with whom eventually he went into banishment at Cesena, and for whom he painted his chief altar-piece, "God the Father, the Virgin, and Four Fathers of the Church", now in the Brera at Milan. He was not only a painter and sculptor, but a modeller in wax, clay, and terra-cotta, and some of the drinking-cups he executed in wax were used as models for finished works in silver. He designed vestments and musical instruments, and was an ex- pert musician himself. Vasari speaks of him as " an admirable inventor" and again as "a man of the most upright character, insomuch that a bad action committed by him was never heard of". In the Pitti Palace at Florence there is a "Holy Family" which was painted by Genga.

Vasari, Le Vile dei Pittori, ed. Milanesi (Florence, 1878- 1885);Cicognara, .S(oriade»a,Scij»ura(Prato, 1823); Kugler, Handbook of Painting (London, 1846); Bryan's ZH'c(. of Paint- ers and Engravers, eil. Williamson (London, 1903).

George Charle.s Williamson.

G^nicot, Edward, moral theologian, b. at Ant- werp, Belgium, 18 June, 1856; d. at Louvain, 21 February, 1900. After making a brilliant course of studies at the Jesuit college in Ids native city, he en- tered the Society of Jesus, 27 September, 1872. He was successively professor of humanities and of rhet- oric at Ghent and Antwerp, and after being ordained priest and sustaining a public defence in all theology, taught first canon law and then moral theology at the Jesuit college in Louvain from 1889 until his com- paratively early and unexpected death. Father G^ni- cot was a professor w-ell liked by all his classes because of the solidity and clearness of his teaching. In 1896 he published his "Theologiae Moralislnstitutiones", of which the sixth edition, in harmony with recent de- crees of the Holy See, appeared in 1909 (Brussels). Father Gdnicot drew his inspiration chiefly from the large work of Ballerini-Palmieri. His own work is characterized by a great clearness of exposition, firm and straightforward judgment, avoiiiance of subtil- ities, and rejection of defective arguments; also by marked intellectual honesty that dares to follow principles to their utmost conclusions and set down the conduct confessors may legitimately follow in the confessional. Confessors have no reason to fear the broadness of his conclusions, if they do not actually pass beyond the limits prescribed by the author. An- other work, "Casus Conscientiaj ", was published after the author's death. The third edition (1906) ap- peared with additions and corrections in 1909 (Lou- vain). These Casus, gathered in large part from actual experience, are remarkable for their presenta- tion of real life and are something more than a mere repetition of theory.

J. Salsmans.