a disciple of Jesus Christ, one who was a Jew by nation, and by sect a Pharisee. The Scripture calls him a ruler of the Jews, and our Saviour gives him the name of a master of Israel. When our Saviour began to manifest himself by his miracles at Jerusalem, at the first passover which he celebrated there after his baptism, Nicodemus made no doubt but that he was the Messiah, and came to him by night, that he might learn of him the way of salvation. Jesus told him, that no one could see the kingdom of heaven except he should be born again. Nicodemus, taking this in the literal acceptation, asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" To this Jesus replied, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Nicodemus asked him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? No one hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

After this conversation Nicodemus became a disciple of Jesus Christ, and there is little doubt that he went to hear him as often as our Saviour visited Jerusalem. It happened, however, that the priests and Pharisees had sent officers to seize our Lord; but they, returning to their employers, reported, that never man spoke as he did. To this the Pharisees replied, "Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?" Upon this Nicodemus thought himself obliged to make answer, saying, "Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" To this they replied, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. After this the council was dismissed. At last Nicodemus declared himself openly to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and he came along with Joseph of Arimathea to pay the last duties to the body of Christ, which they took down from the cross, embalmed, and laid in a sepulchre.

We are told that Nicodemus received baptism from the disciples of Christ; but it is not mentioned whether this was before or after the passion of our Lord. It is added, that the Jews being informed of the circumstance, deposed him from his dignity of senator, excommunicated him, and drove him from Jerusalem; but that Gamaliel, who was his cousin-german, took him to his country-house, and maintained him there till his death, when he was honourably interred near St Stephen. There is still extant an apocryphal gospel under the name of Nicodemus, which in some manuscripts bears the title of the Acts of Pilate.

NICOLOAIEV, or NICOLAIET, a city of Russia, in the province of Cherson. It stands on the river Bug, at about eight leagues from the entrance of that river into the Black Sea, and at the point where the river Ingoul falls into it. From the entrance of the Bug at Oczakow, up to this city, its depth in the mid-channel is from four to six fathoms, and the navigation is consequently safe for the largest ships. This place is one of the chief naval arsenals on the Black Sea, and, besides ships of war, many gun-boats, with sails and oars fit for navigation, are built and equipped. The timber for ship-building comes chiefly by the Dnieper to Cherson. The admiral commanding in chief in the Black Sea, and a number of inferior officers, have their permanent residence at this place. The town is much scattered; its streets are wide and regular, and many of them are planted with trees on both sides, but scarcely any of them are paved. Almost all the houses are built of stone, and separated from each other by trees and gardens; but scarcely any of them are of a large size, and few have any pretensions to magnificence. The climate is healthy, the air is pure, rents are moderate, provisions are cheap, and the society is good; but fuel is scarce, and water is conveyed from a very copious fountain near the gates of the city. The principal public buildings are a new church in the great square, the guild-hall, the admiralty, the docks, the custom-house, the marine barracks, and the hospital. There is a school for naval instruction and for the education of the artillery, and a fine astronomical observatory. The number of inhabitants is now about 15,000, the greater part of whom are connected with the marine service. The observatory is situated in longitude 32° 0. 15. E. and latitude 46° 59. N.