Talk:Salem, Massachusetts
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The Jerusalem page says that the city was referred to as "Salem" in Genesis, and the "salem" word may be a reference to "shalom" or it may be the word for "complete". I don't know definiti vbfghh
fghbb vely, but it seems to me most likely that Salem Mass was named after the old name for the city of Jerusalem.
The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom and the Arabic word "Salam", both meaning 'peace'.
Whilst I don't have a source to hand, I would be very surprised if this settlement was not named after Salem in the Bible, Salem being an alternative name for Jerusalem and the abode of Melchizedek. I'm less certain, but suspect, that the Puritan settlers were make an allusion to the heavenly Jerusalem. I'm sure they were not thinking of peace between Jews and Muslims, which the above sentence seems to faintly suggest. Greenshed 08:44, 30 April 2006 (UTC)
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The Danvers, Massachussets page says that the trials occured in Salem, not in Salem Village. At least one of these pages is obviously wrong.
Badly worded on the Salem page. Story is complicated. No time to look into it now. It started in Salem Village (Danvers) and the original witchcraft events and accused witches lived there. The trials and some? all of the executions took place in Salem.
http://www.wired.com/news/roadtrip/0,2640,61058,00.html Wired article "It was the town now known as Danvers, once known as Salem Village, that was ground zero for the events of 1692," said Benjamin Ray, professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and a producer of the Salem Witch Trials website, which tells the real story of the trials.
Picture of Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial at 176 Hobart Street, Danvers, MA 01923 dfgdfЕ Danvers, MA website "The first European settlement in present-day Danvers, Massachusetts, was called Salem Village. This village was established in the late 1630's when a group of farmers moved 5 miles from Salem Town to the area now known as "Danvers Highlands". By 1672 Salem Village became a separate parish at which time they built a meeting house and hired their own minister. In 1689 the village established a covenant church with Reverend Samuel Parris as their new minister.... In early 1692, Reverend Parris's 9 year-old daughter, Elizabeth, 12 year-old niece, Abigail Williams, as well as other neighborhood girls began to fall into horrid fits...." etc.
[edit] Thoughts about Salem article
I think there should be a separate article on the Salem Village where the witchhunt took place Stancel 20:16, 13 May 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Tourists
Mention the motto (slogan? adline?) "Stop by for a spell"? Trekphiler 23:49, 17 December 2005 (UTC)!
[edit] More about the trials
I'm just going by memory here, but I've attended a handful of lectures by noted local historian Jim(?) McCallister(?) [well, not noted by me obviously]. As I recall, the accused were primarily the decadent rich from Salem Town and the accusers were predominantly from the less-wealthy Salem Village--this was partly a class issue. I'll see what *good* references I can find. Yes, I don't have any particularly good information to contribute at the moment, but I'll see this entry in my log and I'll remember to look stuff up. Straif 18:11, 10 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Importance of Salem in early America
Salem and the counties around it was one of the largest, most prosperous and influential regions in early America, more important than Boston. Perhaps at some point that will be reflected in the article. flux.books 22:03, 12 February 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Founded
The city was founded in 2 A.D. ?
