BELGOROD BELIDOR 493 BELGOROD, or Blelzorod (Russ., white city), a town of Great Russia, on the Donetz, in the government and 80 in. S. of the city of Kursk ; pop. in 1867, 15,200. The town was originally built by the Tartars in the reign of Fedor Ivanovitch, 1597, on a chalk hill, whence its name. It was afterward removed a mile lower down. It is divided into the old and new town, and has three suburbs. The old town is sur- rounded by rampart and ditch, the new town by palisades only. Belgorod has several fac- tories for refining wax, and for spinning and weaving; it also carries on a considerable trade in hemp, bristles, honey, wax, leather, and soap. Three fairs are held during the year, to which merchants from the south of Russia resort. The environs are very fruitful. Bel- gorod is the seat of an archbishop, and has 18 churches, 2 convents, and 3 charitable asylums. BELGRADE (Serv. Belgrad, white city ; anc. Singidunum), the capital of Servia, with a Belgrade. convenient port on the right bank of the Dan- ube, at its junction with the Save, 44 m. 8. E. of Peterwardein ; pop. in 1866, 25,089. The citadel, formerly occupied by a Turkish garrison, is on a small strip of land between the two rivers, behind which is the city. Its parts are: the Turkish quarter, which slopes to the Danube, and, though no longer inhabited by Moslems, and partly in ruins, still presents an oriental appearance ; and the Servian quar- ter, which borders the Save, with a quay and fine houses in modern style. Belgrade is grad- ually becoming modernized, churches are su- perseding mosques, and new buildings are con- structed, chiefly in the German fashion. It produces arms, carpets, silk goods, cutlery, and saddles. It js the entrepot of commerce be- tween Turkey and the Austro-Hungarian em- pire, and the seat of the highest authorities of the principality. Its situation gives it military importance, but the fortifications are now rap- idly decaying. Belgrade was long an object of contention between the Christians and the Turks. It was unsuccessfully besieged by the latter in 1456, when John Hunyady defended it against Mohammed II., but was taken by Solyman the Magnificent in 1521, and held till 1688, when it was taken by the elector of Bavaria. Two years later it was retaken by the Turks. In 1717 it was besieged by Prince Eugene, who was in his turn surrounded by a vastly superior Turkish army. After a pro- digious defeat of the latter, the city surrendered. In 1739 the Turks came into possession of it by treaty, retaining it till 1789, when it was again taken by the Austrians under Laudon, who, however, relinquished it to the Turks in 1791. It was partly ruined during the Servian insur- rection in 1813. In 1862 a difficulty between the Turks and Servians caused the commander of the citadel to open tire upon the city. In 1863 all the Turkish inhabitants of the city were forced to emi- grate. In 1867 the sul- tan was prevailed upon to withdraw the gar- rison, and, though re- serving the right of sovereignty, to trans- fer the citadel to Ser- via. Since then Bel- grade has been making rapid progress in every respect. BELIAL, a compound Hebrew word, which the Vulgate and the English version of the Bible frequently but improperly render as a proper name. The ety- mology of the word, and consequently its precise signification, is not certain. The first part is undoubtedly the Hebrew beli, " without ; " the second part is by some connected with the Hebrew 'ol, "yoke," when the meaning would be "un- bridled;" by others with 'alah, "to ascend," and the signification would be "ignoble con- dition;" by others with ya'al, "usefulness," the signification being " worthlessness." The last derivation has the greater number of sup- porters. It is usually preceded by "man of" or "son of." The phrase "man ofbelial,"or "son of belial," is thus equivalent to "a very worthless fellow." In the best manuscripts of the New Testament the word appears as Be- liar, the final I, as is not unfreqnently the case, being changed to r. BELIDOR, Bernard Forest de, a French military engineer and author, born in Catalonia in 1693, died in Paris, Sept. 8, 1761. He was employed by Cassini and La Hire in their measurements of an arc of the meridian ; and they recom- mended him to the duke of Orleans, regent of
