Assidean

[ as-i-dee-uhn ]

noun

, Judaism.

1. a member of a sect, characterized by its religious zeal and piety, that flourished in the 2nd century b.c. during the time of the Maccabees and vigorously resisted the Hellenization of Jewish culture and religion.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Assidean¹

1605–15; < Greek Assidaî ( oi ) (plural) (< Hebrew hasīdhīm pious ones; Hasid ) + -an

Example Sentences

The guttural letter in the middle naturally disappears in the Greek text, just as the Greek word “Assidean” represents the Hebrew Chasidim in the same history.

From Project Gutenberg