Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/460

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440 ROSENMttLLER ROSETTA forming the 12th and last volume of his and F. W. Schubert's complete edition of Hegel's works (1838-'40); Studien (5 vola., 1839-'47); Die Pddigogik ah System (1848 ; English trans- lation by Anna 0. Brackett, St. Louis, 1873) ; Die Wissenschaft der logischen Idee (2 vols., 1858-'9); Diderot's Leben und Werke (2 vols., 1866); HegeVs Naturphiloaophie (1868); Hegel als Nationalphilosoph (1870 ; English transla- tion by G. S. Hall, London, 1874) ; Von Mag- deburg und Konigsberg (1873) ; and Neue Stu- dien (1874-'5). ROSEXMULLER. I. Jolunn Georc, a German theologian, born at Ummerstadt, near Hildburg- hausen, Dec. 18, 1736, died in Leipsic, March 14, 1815. Ho became professor of theology at Erlangen in 1775, at Giessen in 1783, and at Leipsic in 1785, and also superintendent of the Lutheran church. He wrote Religionsgeschichte far Kinder (1771 ; 10th ed., 1827) ; Christlicher Unterricht far die Jugend (1773 ; 14th ed., 1822) ; Ilistoria Interpretation^ Librorum Sanctorum in Ecclesia Christiana, ab Aposto- lorum jEtate ad Literarum Instaurationem (5 parts, 8vo, 1795-1814) ; and Scholia in No- vum Tettamentum (6th ed., 6 vols., 1815-'31). IL Ernst Friedrlrh Karl, son of the preceding, born Dec. 10, 1768, died in Leipsic, Sept. 17, 1835. He was professor of oriental languages at Leipsic, and published Scholia in Vetut Te- tamentum (23 vols. 8vo, Leipsic, 1788-1835). A " Compendium of the Scholia," containing the Pentateuch, the Psalms, Job, and the proph- ets, was executed by Dr. J. C. Lechner, with the cooperation of the author, in 5 vols. (1828- '33). He also wrote a Handbuch der biblitchen Alterthum*knnde (4 vols. 8vo, 1823-'31). ROSE OF JERICHO, a trivial name for an oriental plant of the cruciferce or mustard fara- Eose of Jericho (Anastatlca hlerochnntina). The Dead Plant and a Leafy Branch. ily, anastatica Tiierochuntina (Gr. a resurrection), the only species of the genus, which is found in northern Africa, Syria, and Arabia. It is an annual, and grows in sandy wastes; its main stem is very short, and its branches, which are a few inches long, spread in all directions; it has obovate leaves, and small, sessile, white flowers, succeeded by glo- bose pods, each of which has two rounded ear- like projections. The plant in flower during the growing season presents no unusual ap- pearance, but as the pods begin to ripen on the approach of dry weather, the branches, which were heretofore succulent and spreading, drop their leaves, and become hard and woody ; at the same time each branch curls inward from the tip. and when completely ripe the whole plant appears like a ball of curious wickerwork at the top of a short stem ; most of the root dies away, and the fierce autumn wind readily uproots the dead plants, which are rolled along before it to a great distance. Should the plant, as it often does, reach the sea or other body of water, or should it be lodged somewhere on dry land until a rain falls, then the curled and dried branches, under the influence of moisture, unbend and resume their proper position ; the pods open and discharge their seeds, it may be at a great distance from the locality where the plant made its growth, illustrating one of the many methods by which the distribution of plants is effected. In its native country the plant is surrounded by various superstitions. Besides rose of Jericho, it was called by the monks rosa Maria, and in Palestine it is known as raf Maryam, Mary's flower, it being assert- ed that the flower, as it is called, expands each year on the day and hour of Christ's birth. The phenomenon of the so-called blooming, which is simply a hygrometric change of form, may be repeated as often as the plant becomes dry and curls into a ball. It is said that wo- men in the countries where it is found place the plant in water at the commencement of labor, hoping that the expansion may be the signal of their deliverance. Other plants have similar hygrometric properties; this is some- times called " resurrection plant," a name also given to a still more striking club moss of the Pacific coast. (See LYCOPODIUM.) ROSE OF SHARON. See HIBISCUS. ROSETTA (Arabic, Ra*hi<1 a town and sea- port of Lower Egypt, on the westerly or Ro- setta branch of the Nile, 36 m. E. N. E. of Alexandria, and (5 in. from the Mediterranean by way of the river; pop. in 1872, 15,002. It is about 1^ m. N. of what is supposed to be the site of the ancient Bolbitine. Rosetta is regarded as one of the most attractive towns in Lower Egypt. It contains many beautiful gardens, and the houses are well built, although numbers of them have been allowed to fall into ruin. The port is secure, but is difficult of entrance, owing to a shifting sand bar. The trilingual inscription known as the " Rosetta stone," the key to the discoveries of Young and Champollion, was found here. (See EGYPT, LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF.)