BENGA'ZI, a seaport t. of Barca, n. Africa, finely situated on the e. coast of the gulf of Sidra, in lat. 32° 6' n., and long. 20" 2' east. It has a pop. of about 7000, who carry ou a trade with Malta and Barbary in oxen, sheep, wool, and corn. The value of exports in 1874 was £279,000. It has a castle. the residence of a bey, who governs it for the pasha of Tripoli. Its harbor is rapidly tilling up with sand. There are here English, Preach, and Italian consuls. 13. is chiefly interesting to the traveler, as having been the site of the ancient city of Ilesperis, near which were several singularly luxuriant delis of large extent, inclosed within steep rocks rising to the height of GO or 70 feet. These were supposed to answer well the description of the fabled gardens of the Hesperides. It first rose to importance under Ptolemy III., who called it 13erenice, after his wife. It had then a large population, chiefly of Jews. Justinian afterwards fortified it.
BENGEL„TorrANN ALnitEcur, a distinguished German theologian and commentator, whose writings have exercised considerable influence in England, was b. at Winnenden, in WUrtemberg, June 24, 16S7. Ilis early life was checkered by many vicissitudes. After completing his theological curriculum in 1707, he became curate of Metzingen; rear after, he was appointed hcological tutor at Tubingen. Later in life, he held several high offices; among others. that of consistorial councilor and prelate of Alpirsbach, in
II/Weinberg, where he died 2d Dec., 1752. He was the first Protestant author who treated the exegesis of the New Testament in a thoroughly critical and judicious style. He did good service also in the rectification of the text of the Bible, and in pa the way for classifying the sacred manuscripts into families. The short notes in his ° Gnomon Xovi 1742) have been generally regarded as valuable. and translated into various languages. They were especially made use of by John Wesley. in his _Notes onthe .New Testament, which forms one of the standards of Wesleyan Methodism. Indeed Wesley's work may he regarded as little more than an abridged translation from Bengel. An Exposition of the Revelation of St. John (Stuttgard, 1740). and a chronological work— t he Ordo Teinporum a Principin per Periods (Economics Divince Ipistorieu.4 atom! Prophetieus (Tubingen, 1741), gained for B., in his time, a great reputation; some regarding him as an inspired prophet, but the majority as a visionary. In these works lie calculated. on the basis he supposed to be laid down in the Apocalypse, that the world would endure for the space of years; and that the "breaking loose and the binding of Satan" would take place in the summer of 1836.