The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2609 page)

 
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Valabh
, Assembly of
.

A Jain Assembly at which an attempt was made to formalize something approaching a canon of sacred texts. It was held in 453 CE (though by some reckonings in 466). Since there is no record of the unclad (i.e.
Digambaras
) attending, it seems to have been a
vet
mbara endeavour. The main works accepted are described under
a
ga
.

 
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Valentine, St
.

Roman Christian martyr of the 3rd cent. The association of St Valentine's Day (14 Feb.) with lovers and choosing of a ‘Valentine’ has nothing to do with the martyr, but probably derives from customs of the Roman festival of Lupercalia in honour of the goddess Februata Juno, when boys drew by lot the names of unmarried girls (mid-February). The suggestion of Francis
de Sales
that the names of saints to be emulated should be drawn as Valentines has not caught on.

 
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(2nd cent. CE)
.
Gnostic
theologian. According to his orthodox opponents (
Irenaeus
,
Tertullian
,
et al
.) he lived at Rome,
c.
136–
c.
165, and only left the Catholic Church after failing to be elected bishop. His sect, the Valentinians, was the largest of the gnostic bodies. He produced a variety of writings, including the earliest commentary on the gospel of
John
and perhaps the
Gospel of Truth
.

 
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