BIBLE [bi'ble]. The word Bible is from the Greek biblia, "books." The whole collection of sacred Scriptures was called Ta Biblia, "the books," par excellence. The Greek plural 'biblia came to be used in Late Latin as a feminine singular noun. Hence, in modern languages, it appears as La Bible, Die Bibel, and the like. The Bible falls into two parts, commonly called the Old and New Testaments, instead of the more complete title, "Books of the Old and New Testaments." The word Testament is from the Latin testamentum, "a, will," which was the Vulgate rendering of the Greek diatheke, used, for example, by St. Paul in 2 Cor. 3. 14. Diatheke, again, was the rendering in the LXX. of the Hebrew berith, "covenant." The Law was based upon a Covenant (q.v.), and the Book of the Covenant (Ex. 24. 7) was the obvious name for a writing embodying it. And as the gospel is a new covenant contrasted with the old, we speak of the Old and the New Covenant when we mean the two dispensations. The Bible is "a divine library," consisting of many books, given forth "by divers portions and in divers manners," each having had its special occasion and mode of composition, though all inspired with one divine purpose. The books are manifold in their literary forms, diversified in their subjects; yet united they form a divine revelation, and are appropriately enough described as the Word of God. Not in the sense that every verse and every sentence is like an oracle proclaimed from heaven, in such a way, for example, as the Mohammedans regard their Koran; for the folly of man is allowed to speak in its pages as well as the wisdom of God, and there is the fullest record of human perversity as well as the clearest expression of divine goodness and justice. It is not in the individual words and phrases that the value of these books lies as a revelation: it is in the continuity and connection of the whole. BIER [bier] (2 Sam. 3. 31; Luke 7. 14). The Israelites, like the later Jews, buried the bodies of their dead (Gen. 23. 19). The burial was within a few hours after death. Probably the wooden framework of a bed served for a bier, as the same word is used for both. BIRDS [birds]. There are in Palestine about 350 species of birds, 26 of which are peculiar to that country. In the Law, nineteen (Lev. 11. 13-19) or twenty (Deut. 14. 11-20) species of birds, mostly carnivorous, are (with the addition of the bat) declared to be unclean. The birds caught for food were chiefly pigeons, partridges, and quails. The dove is mentioned in the Bible more than fifty times, and was the bird with which the Israelites were most familiar. Turtle-doves and they are often placed inside the walls in the houses of the poor. At the present day partridges abound, and also wild ducks, especially in the Jordan valley; and the stork (Heb. the "pious" bird) is common on the plains. There are eight species of ravens, and various species of vultures and hawks are seen, especially near the Dead Sea. There is, on the whole, a deficiency of singing birds, though blackbirds, larks, finches, cuckoos, and Palestine nightingales (Arab. bulbul) are heard in spring. The other birds mentioned in the Bible are the bittern (for which the R. V., following the LXX. text, gives porcupine), the common cock and hen (not mentioned in the Old Testament, but common in New Testament times), the cormorant, the crane, the eagle (margin of R. V. gives great vulture, or vulture,-probably the griffon), the gier-eagle (the Egyptian vulture, or Pharaoh's hen, R. F. vulture), the glede (probably the buzzard), the heron, the lapwing (R. V. hoopoe), the kite (R. V. falcon), the osprey, the ostrich, the Ossifrage (R. V. gier-eagle,- the bearded vulture or lammergeier), various species of owls, the peacock (imported by Solomon), the pelican, the sparrow, the swallow and swift, and the swan. BIRTHRIGHT [birth'right'] (Gen. 25. 31; Heb. 12. 16), a position of peculiar honor and privilege assigned to the eldest son ("the beginning of his father's strength," Deut. 21. 17). The "double portion" was his right. The birthright could be parted with (Gen. 25. 33), or lost through misconduct (1 Chr. 5. 1). BISHOP [bish'op] (Gr. "overseer") is in the New Testament one of the overseers of a Christian congregation, and synonymous with presbyter (elder q..). In the course of the second century the chairman or moderator, distinguished from his fellow-elders as primus inter pares (first among his equals), concentrated in his hand the superintendence and teaching of the congregation, and the name of bishop came to be confined to him. BISHOPS' BIBLE [bish'ops' bi'ble]. In 1568, They grow together, forming the beauty of Lebanon. Some have it that the references in the verses are to the cypress; but the box grows also in Lebanon, and attains a considerable height. That the box is referred to is confirmed by the rendering of Ezek. 27. 6 by the revisers, in which the benches of the Tyrian ships are said to be "of ivory inlaid in boxwood from the isles of Kittim." BRAMBLE [bram'ble], Brier, Thistle, Thorn, represented by nine words in the Old Testament CHRIST'S THORN. the fruit has a broad thin brim. and three in the New Testament. Spine-bearing plants form a considerable portion of the flora of Palestine. the large, handsome folio first edition of the Branch in flower and a separate flower branch in fruitBishops' Bible was published. It was prepared mainly by Episcopalian scholars, under the supervision of Archbishop Parker. From its rendering of Jer. 8. 22, "Is there no tryacle in Giliad?" it is vulgarly called the "Treacle Bible." The volume is printed in bold black letter. In 1571, copies were ordered to be placed in all the churches. The Geneva Bible became more and more the Bible of the people in their homes for private study; the Bishops', the Bible publicly read in the churches. [See ENGLISH BIBLE.J BRASS [bråss], Bronze, etc. [See COPPER.] BREAD (bread] was commonly of wheat-meal, sometimes of barley (Judg. 7. 13; 2 Kings 4. 42). The meal was kneaded in wooden "troughs' (Ex. 12. 34); the dough was then mixed with yeast or leaven, and pressed or cut into thin, round cakes, then baked over hot stones or in an oven. BREASTPLATE (High-priest's) [breast'plate' (high'-priest's']. See PRIESTS and GEMS. BITUMEN [bi-tu'men] (Heb. zepheth or chamar, Gr. asphaltos, A.V. slime). The name includes several compounds of carbon and BRETHREN [breth'ren] OF JESUS, four in hydrogen, from which pitch, asphalt, etc., are number (Mat. 13. 55; Mark 6. 3), during his life obtained. Bitumen is often stranded on the unbelieving (John 7. 3-7), were among the earlishores of the Dead Sea. It occurs at the base est members (Acts 1. 14) and missionaries (1 Cor. of Hermon, and there are springs of it in the 9.5) of the church. One of them, St. James Euphrates valley. It is also found near Nine-"the Lord's brother," had the authority of an veh. This substance is not necessarily connected with volcanic disturbances. BOAR [boar] WILD. Heb. chazir (Sus scrofa). Mentioned with reference to its destructive habits in Ps. 80. 13: "The boar out of the wood doth waste it." Wild boars are especially numerous in the thickets and brakes of the Jordan valley, whence, when the river rises just before harvest, they are driven out, and play havoc with the cornfields and cultivated ground of the uplands. They are equally common in the southern wilderness, where they plough the ground for the bulbs which abound there. BOTTLES [bot'tles] in Palestine were, and are to this day, commonly made of the skin of a goat turned inside out. BOX [box] is twice mentioned in association with the fir-tree and the pine (Isa. 41. 19; 60. 13). apostle (Gal. 1. 19; 2. 9 and 12). BRIMSTONE [brim'stone]. [See SULPHUR.] BROOM [broom]. [See JUNIPER.] BULL [buil], Wild. [See ANTELOPE.] BULRUSH [bul rush'], the papyrus, which formerly grew in the Nile, rooting itself in the river mud (Ex. 2. 3; Job 8. 11; see margin R. V., and cf. Isa. 18. 2, R.V.). It is now extinct in Egypt, though still found higher up the Nile valley. It covers acres of the shallow water in Lake Merom. The papyrus has a triangular stem eight to ten feet high, terminating in a bush of slender leaves, from which paper was made. BURIAL [bur'i-al, ber'ri-al] was probably, as it now is in Palestine, on the day of death, or next day. As soon as death had taken place, the eyes of the dead were closed (Gen. 46. 4) The body was washed (Acts 9. 37), anointed (Mark 16. 1; Luke 24. 1; John 12.7; 19. 40), and swathed in linen (Mat. 27. 59; Mark 15. 46). There is no mention of the Egyptian custom of embalming (Gen. 50. 2, 26) as having ever been followed by Israelites. In Old Testament times the dead appear to have been buried in the clothes worn in life. The dead body was carried to the grave on an open bier (2 Sam. 3. 31), followed by the mourners and professional wailing-women (Eccl. 12. 5; Jer. 9. 17-20; Amos 5. 16). Burning of the dead was resorted to only in the case of criminals guilty of the most hateful crimes (Lev. 20. 14; 21. 9; Josh. 7. 25), and was regarded with horror (Amos 2. 1). It was the greatest calamity to be deprived of burial (2 Kings 9. 10; Jer. 8. 2; 9. 22; 22. 19; Ezek. 29.5; Ps. 79. 2, 3). Many passages of the Old Testament prove the desire of Israelites to be buried in the family burying-place (" with their fathers"), an evidence of their belief that the communion of kindred subsisted after death (Gen. 15. 15; 1 Kings 13. 22, etc.). The burial places were graves dug in the earth, caves, or chambers hewn out in the rock (Isa. 22. 16), and closed with large stones to secure them from wild beasts. Such rock sepulchres abound in the neighborhood of Jerusalem. In later times the custom arose of white-washing every year after the rainy season the stones enclosing the sepulchres, to prevent passers-by from being accidentally defiled by touching them (cf. Mat. 23. 27). BURNT-OFFERINGS [burnt'-of'fer-ings], or sacrifices, in which the victim was wholly burnt with fire, to express the entire surrender of the offerer to God, are mentioned in Genesis as offered by Abel (4.3,4), Noah (8. 20), and Abraham (22. 2, 7, 8, 13). The law prescribed them every Sabbath (Num. 28. 9, 10), every month (28. 11-15), at the Passover (28. 19-23), on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), at Pentecost (23. 16), and at the Feast of Trumpets (23. 23-25). Freewill burntofferings were sanctioned by Lev. 1.13. Such were offered at Solomon's accession (1 Chr. 29. 21), and in connection with Hezekiah's reformation (2 Chr. 29. 31-35). C CÆSAREA [çæs'a-re'å] (Acts 10. 1, 24; 21. 8; 25. 1), the seaport in Sharon, built by Herod the Great in 13 B.C., was the residence of the Roman procurators. CÆSAREA PHILIPPI [çæs'a-re'à phl-lip'pi], (Mat. 16. 13; Mark 8. 27), the name given by Philip the Tetrarch to Paneas, at the main Jordan source, and at the foot of Hermon; now the village Banias. CALAMUS [cal'à-mus], or sweet flag, was imported from a far country (Jer. 6. 20), and sold in the markets of Tyre (Ezek. 27. 19), and is still brought to the Damascus market from Arabia. Its root-stock is aromatic. It was a chief ingredient of the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30. 23). CAIAPHAS [ca'ia-phas] (Mat. 26. 3. 57; John 11. 49; 18. 13-28; Luke 3. 2; Acts 4. 6), Jewish high-priest in the time of Jesus. His proper name was Joseph, Caiaphas being his surname. He was a son-in-law of Annas, high-priest 7-14 A.D. Under the Roman dominion the highpriests were frequently changed; but Caiaphas held the office long. He was appointed by Pilate's predecessor, Valerius Gratus (15-26 A.D.), probably about 18 A.D., and not removed till after the deposition of Pilate by Vitellius, governor of Syria, in 36 A.D. The statement (John 11.49; 18. 13) that Caiaphas was "high priest that year" has led some to suppose wrongly that the high-priests were at that time changed every year. The usage of Josephus in extending the title "high-priest" to all those still living who had held the office explains how Annas is so styled in Acts 4. 6 and probably John 18. 19, 22. CALENDAR [eǎl'en-dar]. [For Table of Months and Seasons, see p. 15.] The Hebrews employed a lunar year of twelve months (1 Kings 4. 7; 1 Chr. 27. 1-15). A strictly lunar year would cause the annual festivals, as fixed by the calen dar, constantly to recede from their appropriate agricultural seasons. The year was doubtless brought into correspondence with the sun by the intercalation of a thirteenth month every three or four years. The year began in the spring, with the month Abib or Nisan; but there was apparently a civil or rather agricultural year also from the earliest times, which began in the autumn (cf. Ex. 23. 16; 34. 22; Lev. 25. 4, 9 ff.). Some time after the Exile the custom arose of keeping the new moon of the seventh month as new year's day. Day was reckoned from evening to evening (Lev. 23. 32). The exact designation of the civil day was evening to morning (Dan. 8. 14; 2 Cor. 11. 25). The day was divided into morning, noon, and evening (Ps. 55. 17); or more precisely into dawn, sunrise, heat of the day, cool of the day, time when the women are wont to go forth to draw water, time of the evening sacrifice. The phrase, "between the two evenings," probably meant the twilight. After the Exile the use of hours became common, and the day from sunrise to sunset was divided into twelve hours (Mat. 20. 1-12; John 11.9). The night was divided into three watches: from sunset to midnight, midnight to cockcrow, cock-crow to sunrise; but in the Grecian and Roman period into four watches. A division of the night into twelve hours was also in use. A seven-day period is mentioned in the Hebrew and Babylonian accounts of the Flood.. The Hebrews numbered the days of the week. The seventh day only was named, being often called Sabbath. [See TIME.] CALVARY [eal'va-ry]. [See JERUSALEM.] CAMEL [cam'el], probably the first beast of burden reclaimed by man, has its home in Arabia, to whose natives it is indispensable. It is used chiefly for riding and for bearing burdens. The ordinary pace of this "ship of the desert" is miles an hour, and this it will keep up for 30 hours without stopping; but a dromedary not carrying weight will accomplish 10 miles an hour. Camels' furniture (Gen. 31. 34) consists of a carpeted framework of wood placed on the hump, with paniers suspended on each side. The flesh of the camel was forbidden to the Jews. Its milk is excellent. The hair is woven into a coarse black cloth, used for tents (cf. Song of Sol. 1. 5). With this material John the Bap tist was clad. The two-humped Bactrian camel, the only one represented on the Assyrian monuments, is unknown in Western Asia. CAMPHIRE [eam'phire], old spelling of Cam phor (Song of Sol. 4. 13; see R. V.), is now known to be the henna-plant, prized for its fragrant white flowers (Song of Sol. 1. 14; see R.V.), and |