MERIBAH, mer`i-bit: A Hebrew word meaning "strife," apparently given as a name to two places where water was miraculously provided through Moses for the wandering Israelites. A critical problem is raised by the fact that two accounts are given in the Pentateuch of events closely re. sembling each other but apparently at different places. One account is in Ex. xvii. of occurrences at Horeb (verse 6), and to the place the name Massah was also given; another account is in Num. xx. 1-13 of occurrences apparently connected with Kadesh (cf. Num. xxvii. 14; Deut. xxxii. 51; Ezek. xivii. 19, xlviii. 28). The Septuagint and Vulgate generally translate the word by expressions which mean "railing, reproach, irritation" (so the English A.V. of Ps. xcv. 8, " in the provocation "), a sense which would fit the context in Num. xx. 13, 24, xxvil. 14; Deut. iii. 51, zrriii. 8; Ps. lusi.

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7, xcv. 8, cvi. 32 (in the last two cases the English R.V. margin explains "strife"). Ezekiel's mention implicitly connects the occurrence with Kadesh, and does not oppose the rendering of the word by " striving "; his mention does not even necessitate that such a place as Meriboth-kadesh or Meribath kadesh (note the two formal) existed in his day, since his scheme of the land and its partition is ideal. Attempts to locate the places serve only by the variance between scholars to emphasize the conclusion that the word is probably an appellative, not a proper name.

Geo. W. Gilmore.

MERICI, ANGELA, SAINT: Founder of the Ursuline nuns (see Ursulines); b. at Desenzano (20 m. w. of Verona) Mar. 21, 1474; d. at Brescia Jan. 27, 1540. In early youth she became a Franciscan tertiary, and devoted herself to works of piety and charity while still living in the world. She was already fifty-six, however, before she was convinced by a vision that the time had come to carry out a long-cherished plan by founding an order of women devoted to works of mercy. She took a house in Brescia with twelve companions, and the order was formally established on Nov. 25, 1535. According to Angela's plan the members were not to leave the world but to live with their parents or other relatives, assembling for conference at stated times and observing various rules of conduct, though without the requirement of vows. At a chapter held in March, 1537, attended by fifty-nine out of the seventy-six sisters, Angela was unanimously elected mother superior, and by the influence of her holy life did much to strengthen the order in her few remaining years. She was buried in the church of St. Afra at Brescia; beatified in 1768; and canonized in 1807.

Bibliography: Dae Leben der hei.ligen Angela Merici, Augsburg, 1811; M. Sintzel, Leben der healipen Angela, Regenzburg, 1842; W E. Hubert, Die heilige Angela Meriei, Mainz, 1891; Geschichte der heidigen Angela Merici and

des . . . Ordens der Ureulinen, Innsbruck, 1892; Lebenegeschichte der he$lipen Angela Merici, Paderborn, 1892.