International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Shapher — Sheshai
Shapher
Shapher - sha'-fer.
See SHEPHER.
Shaphir
Shaphir - sha'-fer (shaphir, "glittering"; kalos; the King James Version Saphir): One of a group of towns mentioned in Micah 1:10-15. From the association with Gath, Achzib (of Judah) and Mareshah, it would seem that the places mentioned were in Southwestern Palestine. According to Eusebius, in Onomasticon, there was a Sapheir, "in the hill country" (from a confusion with Shamir (Joshua 15:48), where Septuagint A has Sapheir) between Eleutheropolis and Ascalon. The name probably survives in that of three villages called es-Suafir, in the plain, some 3 1/2 miles Southeast of Ashdod (PEF, II, 413, Sh XV). Cheyne (EB, col. 4282) suggests the white "glittering" hill Tell ec-Cafi, at the entrance to the Wady ec-Sunt, which was known to the Crusaders as Blanchegarde, but this site seems a more probable one for GATH (which see).
E. W. G. Masterman
Sharai
Sharai - sha-ra'-i, sha'-ri (sharay): One of the sons of Bani who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:40).
Sharaim
Sharaim - sha-ra'-im.
See SHAARAIM.
Sharar
Sharar - sha'-rar.
See SACAR.
Share
Share - shar.
See PLOW.
Sharezer
Sharezer - sha-re'zer (sar'etser, shar'etser): Corresponds to the Assyrian Shar-ucur, "protect the king"; found otherwise, not as a complete name, but as elements in personal names, e.g. Bel-shar-ucur, "may Bel protect the king," which is the equivalent of Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1). The name is borne by two persons in the Old Testament:
(1) The son of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who with ADRAMMELECH (which see) murdered his father (2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38). The Babylonian Chronicle says concerning Sennacherib's death: "On the 20th day of Tebet Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was slain by his son in a revolt." This differs from the Old Testament account in that it speaks of only one murderer, and does not give his name. How the two accounts can be harmonized is still uncertain. Hitzig, (Kritik, 194 ff), following Abydenus, as quoted by Eusebius, completed the name of Sennacherib's son, so as to read Nergal-sharezer = Nergal-shar-ucur (Jeremiah 39:3, 13), and this is accepted by many modern scholars. Johns thinks that Sharezer (shar'etser or sar'etser) may be a corruption from Shar-etir-Ashur, the name of a son of Sennacherib (1-vol HDB, under the word). The question cannot be definitely settled.
(2) A contemporary of the prophet Zechariah, mentioned in connection with the sending of a delegation to the spiritual heads of the community to inquire concerning the propriety of continuing the fasts: "They of Beth-el had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech" (Zechariah 7:2). This translation creates a difficulty in connection with the succeeding words, literally, "and his men." The Revisers place in the margin as an alternative rendering, "They of Beth-el, even Sharezer .... had sent." Sharezer sounds peculiar in apposition to "they of Beth-el"; hence, some have thought, especially since Sharezer seems incomplete, that in the two words Beth-el and Sharezer we have a corruption of what was originally a single proper name, perhaps Bel-sharezer = Bel-shar-ucur = Bel-shazzar. The present text, no matter how translated, presents difficulties.
See REGEM-MELECH.
F. C. Eiselen
Sharon
Sharon - shar'-un (ha-sharon, with the definite article possibly meaning "the plain"; to pedion, ho drumos, ho Saron):
(1) This name is attached to the strip of fairly level land which runs between the mountains and the shore of the Mediterranean, stretching from Nahr Ruben in the South to Mt. Carmel in the North. There are considerable rolling hills; but, compared with the mountains to the East, it is quite properly described as a plain. The soil is a deep rich loam, which is favorable to the growth of cereals. The orange, the vine and the olive grow to great perfection. When the many-colored flowers are in bloom it is a scene of rare beauty.
Of the streams in the plain four carry the bulk of the water from the western slopes of the mountains to the sea. They are also perennial, being fed by fountains. Nahr el-`Aujeh enters the sea to the North of Jaffa; Nahr Iskanderuneh 7 miles, and Nahr el-Mefjir fully 2 miles South of Caesarea; and Nahr ez-Zerqa, the "Crocodile River," 2 1/2 miles North of Caesarea. Nahr el-Falik runs its short course about 12 miles North of Nahr el-`Aujeh. Water is plentiful, and at almost any point it may be obtained by digging. Deep, finely built wells near some of the villages are among the most precious legacies left by the Crusaders. The breadth of the plain varies from 8 to 12 miles, being broadest in the Sharon. There are traces of a great forest in the northern part, which accounts for the use of the term drumos. Josephus (Ant., XIV, xiii, 3) speaks of "the woods" (hoi drumoi) and Strabo (xvi) of "a great wood." There is still a considerable oak wood in this district. The "excellency" of Carmel and Sharon (Isaiah 35:2) is probably an allusion to the luxuriant oak forests. As in ancient times, great breadths are given up to the pasturing of cattle. Over David's herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite (1 Chronicles 27:29). In the day of Israel's restoration "Sharon shall be a fold of flocks" (Isaiah 65:10). Jerome speaks of the fine cattle fed in the pastures of Sharon, and also sings the praises of its wine (Comm. on Isaiah 33:1-24 and Isaiah 65:1-25). Toward the Sharon no doubt there was more cultivation then than there is at the present day. The German colony to the North of Jaffa, preserving in its name, Sarona, the old Greek name of the plain, and several Jewish colonies are proving the wonderful productiveness of the soil. The orange groves of Jaffa are far-famed.
"The rose of Sharon" (Song of Solomon 2:1) is a mistranslation: chabhatstseleth is not a "rose," but the white narcissus, which in season abounds in the plain.
Sharon is mentioned in the New Testament only in Acts 9:35.
(2) A district East of the Jordan, occupied by the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:16; here the name is without the article). Kittel ("Ch," SBOT) suggests that this is a corruption from "Sirion," which again is synonymous with Hermon. He would therefore identify Sharon with the pasture lands of Hermon. Others think that the mishor or table-land of Gilead is intended.
(3) In Joshua 12:18 we should perhaps read "the king of Aphek in Sharon." See LASSHARON. The order seems to point to some place Northeast of Tabor. Perhaps this is to be identified with the Sarona of Eusebius, Onomasticon, in the district between Tabor and Tiberias. If so, the name may be preserved in that of Sarona on the plateau to the Southwest of Tiberias.
W. Ewing
Sharonite
Sharonite - shar'-un-it (ha-sharoni; ho Saroneites): Applied in Scripture only to Shitrai (1 Chronicles 27:29).
See SHARON.
Sharuhen
Sharuhen - sha-roo'-hen (sharuchen; hoi agroi auton): One of the cities in the territory of Judah assigned to Simeon (Joshua 19:6). In Joshua 15:32 it is called "Shilhim," and in 1 Chronicles 4:31, "Shaaraim" (which see).
Shashai
Shashai - sha'-shi (shashay; Sesei): One of the sons of Bani who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:40) = "Sesis" in 1 Esdras 9:34.
Shashak
Shashak - sha'-shak (shashak): Eponym of a Benjamite family (1 Chronicles 8:14, 25).
Shaul; Shaulites
Shaul; Shaulites - sha'-ul, sha'-ul-its (sha'ul; Saoul):
(1) A king of Edom (Genesis 36:37 ff = 1 Chronicles 1:48 ff).
(2) A son of Simeon (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15; Numbers 26:13; 1 Chronicles 4:24). The clan was of notoriously impure stock, and, therefore, Shaul is called "the son of a Canaanitish woman" (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15); the clan was of mixed Israelite and Canaanitish descent. The patronymic Shaulites is found in Numbers 26:13.
(3) An ancestor of Samuel (1 Chronicles 6:24 (Hebrews 9:1-28)); in 1 Chronicles 6:36 he is called "Joel."
Shaveh, Vale of
Shaveh, Vale of - sha'-ve (`emeq shaweh).
See KING'S VALE.
Shaveh-kiriathaim
Shaveh-kiriathaim - sha'-ve-kir-ya-tha'-im (shaweh qiryathayim; en Saue te polei): Here Chedorlaomer is said to have defeated the Emim (Genesis 14:5). the Revised Version margin reads "the plain of Kiriathaim." If this rendering is right, we must look for the place in the neighborhood of Kiriathaim of Moab (Jeremiah 48:1, etc.), which is probably represented today by el-Qareiyat, about 7 miles to the North of Dibon.
Shaving
Shaving - shav'-ing (in Job 1:20, gazaz, usually galach; in Acts 21:24, xurao): Customs as to shaving differ in different countries, and in ancient and modern times. Among the Egyptians it was customary to shave the whole body (compare Genesis 41:14). With the Israelites, shaving the head was a sign of mourning (Deuteronomy 21:12; Job 1:20); ordinarily the hair was allowed to grow long, and was only cut at intervals (compare Absalom, 2 Samuel 14:26). Nazirites were forbidden to use a razor, but when their vow was expired, or if they were defiled, they were to shave the whole head (Numbers 6:5, 9, 18 ff; compare Acts 21:24). The shaving of the beard was not permitted to the Israelites; they were prohibited from shaving off even "the corner of their beard" (Leviticus 21:5). It was an unpardonable insult when Hanun, king of the Ammonites, cut off the half of the beards of the Israelites whom David had sent to him (2 Samuel 10:4; 1 Chronicles 19:4).
Shaving "with a razor that is hired" is Isaiah's graphic figure to denote the complete devastation of Judah by the Assyrian army (Isaiah 7:20).
James Orr
Shavsha
Shavsha - shav'-sha (shawsha'; in 2 Samuel 20:25, Kethibh, sheya', Kere, shewa', English Versions of the Bible "Sheva," are refuted by the Septuagint; in 2 Samuel 8:15-18, in other respects identical with Chronicles, "Seraiah" is found; the Septuagint varies greatly in all passages; it is the general consensus that Shavsha is correct): State secretary or scribe during the reign of David (1 Chronicles 18:16; 2 Samuel 20:25). He was the first occupant of this office, which was created by David. It is significant that his father's name is omitted in the very exact list of David's officers of state (1 Chronicles 18:14-17 parallel 2 Samuel 8:15-18); this fact, coupled with the foreign sound of his name, points to his being an "alien"; the assumption that the state secretary handled correspondence with other countries may explain David's choice of a foreigner for this post. Shavsha's two sons, Elihoreph and Ahijah, were secretaries of state under Solomon; they are called "sons of Shisha" (1 Kings 4:3), "Shisha" probably being a variant of "Shavsha."
Horace J. Wolf
Shawl
Shawl - shol: the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "shawls" for the King James Version "wimples" in Isaiah 3:22.
See DRESS.
Sheaf; Sheaves
Sheaf; Sheaves - shef, shevz ('alummah, `omer, `amir): When the grain is reaped, it is laid in handfuls back of the reaper to be gathered by children or those who cannot stand the harder work of reaping (Psalms 129:7). The handfuls are bound into large sheaves, two of which are laden at a time on a donkey (compare Nehemiah 13:15). In some districts carts are used (compare Amos 2:13). The sheaves are piled about the threshing-floors until threshing time, which may be several weeks after harvest. It is an impressive sight to see the huge stacks of sheaves piled about the threshing-floors, the piles often covering an area greater than the nearby villages (see AGRICULTURE). The ancient Egyptians bound their grain into small sheaves, forming the bundles with care so that the heads were equally distributed between the two ends (see Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians, 1878,II , 424; compare Joseph's dream, Genesis 37:5-8). The sheaves mentioned in Genesis 37:10-12, 15 must have been handfuls. It is a custom in parts of Syria for the gatherers of the sheaves to run toward a passing horseman and wave a handful of grain, shouting kemshi, kemshi (literally, "handful"). They want the horseman to feed the grain to his horse. In Old Testament times forgotten sheaves had to be left for the sojourner (Deuteronomy 24:19); compare the kindness shown to Ruth by the reapers of Boaz (Ruth 2:7, 15).
Figurative: "Being hungry they carry the sheaves" is a picture of torment similar to that of the hungry horse urged to go by the bundle of hay tied before him (Job 24:10). The joyful sight of the sheaves of an abundant harvest was used by the Psalmist to typify the joy of the returning captives (Psalms 126:6).
James A. Patch
Sheal
Sheal - she'-al (she'al, "request"): One of the Israelites of the sons of Bani who had taken foreign wives (Ezra 10:29, Septuagint: Salouia; Septuagint, Lucian, Assael; 1 Esdras 9:30, "Jasaelus").
Shealtiel
Shealtiel - she-ol'-ti-el (she'alti'el, but in Haggai 1:12, 14; 2:2, shalti'el; Septuagint and the New Testament always Salathiel, hence, "Salathiel" of 1 Esdras 5:5, 48, 56; 6:2; the King James Version of Matthew 1:12; Luke 3:27): Father of Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2; Nehemiah 12:1; Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; 2, 23). But, according to 1 Chronicles 3:17, Shealtiel was the oldest son of King Jeconiah; in 1 Chronicles 3:19 the Massoretic Text makes Pedaiah, a brother of Shealtiel, the father of Zerubbabel (compare Curtis,ICC ).
Shear
Shear - sher.
See SHEEP; SHEEP TENDING.
Sheariah
Sheariah - she-a-ri-a, she-ar'-ya (she`aryah; Saraia): A descendant of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:38; 9:44).
Shearing House
Shearing House - sher'-ing (beth `eqedh ha-ro`im, "house of binding of the shepherds"; Codex Vaticanus Baithakath (Codex Alexandrinus Baithakad) ton poimenon): Here in the course of his extinction of the house of Ahab, Jehu met and destroyed 42 men, "the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah" (2 Kings 10:12-14). Eusebius (in Onomasticon) takes the phrase as a proper name, Bethacath, and locates the village 15 miles from Legio in the plain. This seems to point to identification with Beit Kad, about 3 miles East of Jenin.
Shear-jashub
Shear-jashub - she-ar-ja'-shub or jash'-ub (she'ar yashubh, "a remnant shall return"; Septuagint ho kataleiphtheis Iasoub): The son of Isaiah, who accompanied him when he set out to meet Ahaz (Isaiah 7:3). The name like that of other children of prophets (compare "Immanuel," "Mahershalal-hash-baz," "Lo-ruhamah," etc.) is symbolic of a message which the prophet wishes to emphasize. Thus Isaiah uses the very words she'ar yashubh to express his oft-repeated statement that a remnant of Israel will return to Yahweh (Isaiah 10:21).
Sheath
Sheath - sheth.
See SWORD.
Sheba (1)
Sheba (1) - she'-ba (shebha'; Saba): (1) Sheba and Dedan are the two sons of Raamah son of Cush (Genesis 10:7). (2) Sheba and Dedan are the two sons of Jokshan the son of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:3). (3) Sheba is a son of Joktan son of Eber who was a descendant of Shem (Genesis 10:28).
From the above statements it would appear that Sheba was the name of an Arab tribe, and consequently of Semitic descent. The fact that Sheba and Dedan are represented as Cushite (Genesis 10:7) would point to a migration of part of these tribes to Ethiopia, and similarly their derivation from Abraham (Genesis 25:3) would indicate that some families were located in Syria. In point of fact Sheba was a South-Arabian or Joktanite tribe (Genesis 10:28), and his own name and that of some of his brothers (e.g. Hazarmaveth = Hadhramaut) are place-names in Southern Arabia.
The Sabeans or people of Saba or Sheba, are referred to as traders in gold and spices, and as inhabiting a country remote from Palestine (1 Kings 10:1 f; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20; Ezekiel 27:22; Psalms 72:15; Matthew 12:42), also as slave-traders (Joel 3:8), or even desert-rangers (Job 1:15; 6:19; compare CIS 84 3).
By the Arab genealogists Saba is represented as great-grandson of Qachtan (= Joktan) and ancestor of all the South-Arabian tribes. He is the father of Chimyar and Kahlan. He is said to have been named Saba because he was the first to take prisoners (shabhah) in war. He founded the capital of Saba and built its citadel Marib (Mariaba), famous for its mighty barrage.
1. History: The authentic history of the Sabeans, so far as known, and the topography of their country are derived from South-Arabian inscriptions, which began to be discovered about the middle of the last century, and from coins dating from about 150 BC to 150 AD, the first collection of which was published in 1880, and from the South-Arabian geographer Hamdani, who was later made known to European scholars. One of the Sabean kings is mentioned on Assyrian inscriptions of the year 715 BC; and he is apparently not the earliest. The native monuments are scattered over the period extending from before that time until the 6th century AD, when the
Sabean state came to an end, being most numerous about the commencement of our era. Saba was the name of the nation of which Marib was the usual capital. The Sabeans at first shared the sovereignty of South Arabia with Himyar and one or two other nations, but gradually absorbed the territories of these some time after the Christian era. The form of government seems to have been that of a republic or oligarchy, the chief magistracy going by a kind of rotation, and more than one "king" holding office simultaneously (similarly Deuteronomy 4:47 and often in the Old Testament). The people seem to have been divided into patricians and plebeians, the former of whom had the right to build castles and to share in the government.
2. Religion: A number of deities are mentioned on the inscriptions, two chief being Il-Maqqih and Ta`lab. Others are Athtar (masculine form of the Biblical `ashtaroth), Rammon (the Biblical Rimmon), the Sun, and others. The Sun and Athtar were further defined by the addition of the name of a place or tribe, just as Baal in the Old Testament. Worship took the form of gifts to the temples, of sacrifices, especially incense, of pilgrimages and prayers. Ceremonial ablution, and abstinence from certain things, as well as formal dedication of the worshipper and his household and goods to the deity, were also religious acts. In return the deity took charge of his worshipper's castle, wells, and belongings, and supplied him with cereals, vegetables and fruits, as well as granted him male issue.
3. Civilization: (1) The chief occupations of the Sabeans were raiding and trade. The chief products of their country are enumerated in Isaiah 60:6, which agrees with the Assyrian inscriptions. The most important of all commodities was incense, and it is significant that the same word which in the other Semitic languages means "gold," in Sabean means "perfume" (and also "gold"). To judge, however, from the number of times they are mentioned upon the inscriptions, agriculture bulked much more largely in the thoughts of the Sabean than commerce, and was of equal importance with religion.
(2) The high position occupied by women among the Sabeans is reflected in the story of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In almost all respects women appear to have been considered the equal of men, and to have discharged the same civil, religious and even military functions. Polygamy does not seem to have been practiced. The Sabean inscriptions do not go back far enough to throw any light upon the queen who was contemporary with Solomon, and the Arabic identification of her with Bilqis is merely due to the latter being the only Sabean queen known to them. Bilqis must have lived several centuries later than the Hebrew monarch.
(3) The alphabet used in the Sabean inscriptions is considered by Professor Margoliouth to be the original Semitic alphabet, from which the others are derived. In other respects Sabean art seems to be dependent on that of Assyria, Persia and Greece. The coins are Greek and Roman in style, while the system of weights employed is Persian.
See further SABAEANS.
LITERATURE.
Rodiger and Osidander in ZDMG, volumes XX and XXI; Halevy in Journal Asiatique, Serie 6, volume IX; Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum, pt. IV, edition by J. and H. Derenbourg; Hamdani, edition by D. H. Muller, 1891; Mordtmann, Himyarische Inschriften, 1893; Hommel, Sudarabische Chresthomathie, 1893; Glaser, Abyssinien in Arabien, 1895; D. H. Muller, Sudarabische Alterthumer, 1899; Derenbourg, Les monuments sabeens, 1899. On the coins, Schlumberger, Le tresor de San'a, 1880; Mordtmann in Wiener numismatische Zeitschrift, 1880.
Thomas Hunter Weir
Sheba (2)
Sheba (2) - she'-ba (shebha`; Sabee, or Samaa): The name of one of the towns allotted to Simeon (Joshua 19:2). the King James Version mentions it as an independent town, but as it is not mentioned at all in the parallel list (1 Chronicles 4:28), and is omitted in Joshua 19:2 in some manuscripts, it is probable that the Revised Version (British and American) is correct in its translation "Beer-sheba or Sheba." Only in this way can the total of towns in this group be made 13 (Joshua 19:6). If it is a separate name, it is probably the same as SHEMA (which see).
E. W. G. Masterman
Sheba, Queen of
Sheba, Queen of - See QUEEN OF SHEBA.
Shebah
Shebah - she'-ba.
See SHIBAH.
Shebam
Shebam - she'-bam.
See SEBAM.
Shebaniah
Shebaniah - sheb-a-ni'-a, she-ban'-ya (shebhanyah, in 1 Chronicles 15:24, shebhanyahu):
(1) Name of a Levite or a Levitical family that participated in the religious rites that followed the reading of the Law (Nehemiah 9:4). The name is given in Nehemiah 10:10 among those that sealed the covenant.
(2) A priest or Levite who took part in the sealing of the covenant (Nehemiah 10:4; 12:14).
See SHECANIAH.
(3) Another Levite who sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 10:12).
(4) A priest in the time of David (1 Chronicles 15:24).
Shebarim
Shebarim - sheb'-a-rim, she-ba'-rim (ha-shebharim; sunetripsan): After the repulse of the first attack on their city the men of Ai chased the Israelites "even unto Shebarim" (Joshua 7:5). the Revised Version margin reads "the quarries"; so Keil, Steuernagel, etc. Septuagint reads "until they were broken," i.e. until the rout was complete. The direction of the flight was of course from Ai toward Gilgal in the Jordan valley. No trace of such name has yet been found.
Shebat
Shebat - she-bat' (shebhat): The 11th month of the Jewish year (Zechariah 1:7), corresponding to February.
See CALENDAR.
Sheber
Sheber - she'-ber (shebher; Codex Vaticanus Saber, Codex Alexandrinus Seber): A son of Caleb by his concubine Maacah (1 Chronicles 2:48).
Shebna
Shebna - sheb'-na (shebhna'; Somnas; but shebhnah, in 2 Kings 18:18, 26; meaning uncertain (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37 and 2 Kings 19:2 = Isaiah 36:3, 11, 22 and Isaiah 37:2; lsa Isaiah 22:15)):
1. Position in Isaiah 22: In Isaiah 22:15 Shebna is referred to as he "who is over the house," or household, apparently that of the king. The phrase is translated "steward of the house" in the Revised Version (British and American) of Genesis 43:16, 19; 44:1, and occurs also in Genesis 39:4, "overseer"; Genesis 44:4. It is used of an officer of the Northern Kingdom in 1 Kings 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kings 10:5. This officer is distinguished from him "that was over the city" in 2 Kings 10:5, and it is said in 2 Kings 15:5 that after his father Azariah was stricken with leprosy, "Jotham, the king's son, was over the household, judging all the people of the land." Again Isaiah 22:15 speaks of "this cokhen," a phrase that must apply to Shebna if the prophecy refers to him. This word is the participle of a verb meaning "to be of use or service," so "to benefit" in Job 15:3; 22:2; 34:9. The feminine participle is employed of Abishag in 1 Kings 1:2, 4, where King James Version, margin translates "cherisher"; BDB renders it "servitor" or "steward" in Isaiah 22:15. It occurs also as a Canaanite gloss in the Tell el-Amarna Letters (Winckler, number 237,9). The cokhen was evidently a high officer: Shebna had splendid chariots (22:18), but what the office exactly was is not certain. The other reference to Shebna in the title of the prophecy would lead one to conclude that it denoted him "who was over the household," i.e. governor of the palace, probably, or major-domo. The word cokhen is thus a general title; others deny this, maintaining that it would then occur more frequently.
2. Shebna in 2 Kings 18 f: In 2 Kings 18 f = Isaiah 36:1-22 f we find too a Shebna mentioned among the officers of Hezekiah. There he is called the copher, "scribe" or "secretary," i.e. a minister of state of some kind, whereas Eliakim is he "who is over the household." Is then the Shebna of Isaiah 22:1-25 the same as this officer? It is of course possible that two men of the same name should hold high office about the same time. We find a Joshua (ben Asaph) "recorder" under Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18) and a Joshua (ben Joahaz) having the very same position under Josiah a century later (2 Chronicles 34:8). But such a coincidence is rare. Had there been two high officers of state bearing this name, it is most probable that they would somehow have been distinguished one from the other. Shebna's name is thought to be Aramaic, thus pointing to a foreign descent, but G. B. Gray, "Isa," ICC, 373 ff, denies this. We can perhaps safely infer that he was a parvenu from the fact that he was hewing himself a sepulcher in Jerusalem, apparently among those of the nobility, whereas a native would have an ancestral burial-place in the land.
However, in 2 Kings, Shebna is the scribe and not the governor of the palace. How is this to be explained? The answer is in Isaiah's prophecy.
3. Isaiah 22:15 ff: The prophecy of Isaiah 22:1-25 divides itself into 3 sections. The words "against (not as the Revised Version (British and American) "unto") Shebna who is over the house," or palace, are properly the title of the prophecy, and should come therefore at the very beginning of verse 15.
(1) Isaiah 22:15-18 form one whole. In 22:16 the words "hewing him out a sepulchre," etc., should be placed immediately before the rest of the verse as 22:16a with the rest of the section is in the second person. We thus read (22:15-17): `Against Shebna who was over the house. Thus saith the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, Go unto this steward (Revised Version margin) that is hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graying a habitation for himself in the rock, (and say) What doest thou here and whom hast thou here that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? Behold, Yahweh of hosts, ....' etc. G.H. Box (Isaiah) would further transpose some parts of 22:17 f. Shebna is to be tossed like a ball into "a land wide of sides," i.e. a broad extensive land. He is addressed as a disgrace to the house of his royal master. The prophet's language is that of personal invective, and one asks what had made him so indignant. Some (e.g. Dillmann, Delitzsch) suggest that Shebna was the leader of a pro-Egyptian party, while others (e.g. Cheyne) believe that the party was pro-Assyrian (compare Isaiah 8:5-Isaiah 8:11-22a). The actual date of the prophecy can only be inferred.
(2) Isaiah 22:19-23 contains a prophecy which states that Eliakim is to be given someone's post, apparently that of Shebna, if this section be by Isaiah; Isaiah 22:23, however, is held by many to be a gloss. These verses are not so vehement in tone as the previous ones. Some maintain that the section is not by Isaiah (Duhm, Marti). It can, however, be Isaianic, only later in date than Isaiah 22:15 ff, being possibly meant to modify the former utterance. The palace governor is to lose his office and to be succeeded by Eliakim, who is seen to hold that post in 2 Kings 18:1-37 f.
See ELIAKIM.
(3) Isaiah 22:24 f are additions to the two utterances by a later hand; they predict the ruin of some such official as Eliakim owing to his own family.
4. Date of the Prophecy: There is nothing a priori against believing that these three sections are entirely independent one of another, but there seems to be some connection between (1) and (2), and again between (2) and (3). Now the question that has to be solved is that of the relation of Isaiah 22:15 ff with 2 Kings 18:1-37 f = Isaiah 36:1-22 f, where are given the events of 701 BC. We have the following facts: (a) Shebna is scribe in 701, and Eliakim is governor of the palace; (b) Shebna is governor of the palace in Isaiah 22:15, and is to be deposed; (c) if Isaiah 22:18-22 be by Isaiah, Eliakim was to succeed Shebna in that post. Omitting for the moment everything but (a) and (b), the only solution that is to any extent satisfactory is that Isaiah 22:15-18 is to be dated previous to 701 BC. This is the view preferred by G.B. Gray, in the work quoted And this is the most satisfactory theory if we take (2) above into consideration. The prophecy then contained in (1) had not been as yet fulfilled in 701, but (2) had come to pass; Shebna was no longer governor of the palace, but held the position of scribe. Exile might still be in store for him.
Another explanation is put forward by K. Fullerton in AJT, IX, 621-42 (1905) and criticized by E. Konig in X, 675-86 (1906). Fullerton rejects verses 24 f as not due to Isaiah, and maintains that Isaiah 22:15-18 was spoken by the prophet early in the reign of Manasseh, i.e. later than 2 Kings 18:1-37 f, "not so much as a prophecy, a simple prediction, as an attempt to drive Shebna from office. .... It must be admitted that Isaiah probably did not succeed. The reactionary party seems to have remained in control during the reign of Manasseh. .... Fortunately, the moral significance of Isaiah does not depend on the fulfillment of this or that specific prediction. We are dealing not with a walking oracle, but with a great character and a noble life" (p. 639). He then infers from the massacres of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:16) "that a conspiracy had been formed against him by the prophetic party which proposed to place Eliakim on the throne" (p. 640). Isaiah he thinks would not "resort to such violent measures," and so the character of Isaiah makes it questionable whether he was the author of 22:20-23. This part would then be due to the prophetic party "who went a step farther than their great leader would approve." This view assumes too much, (a) that the terms in 22:20-23 refer to kingly power; (b) that Eliakim was of Davidic descent, unless we have a man of non-Davidic origin aiming at the throne, which is again a thing unheard of in Judah; and (c) that there was such a plot in the reign of Manasseh, of which we have no proof.
David Francis Roberts
Shebuel
Shebuel - she-bu'-el, sheb'-u-el (shebhu'el; Soubael):
(1) A son of Gershom and grandson of Moses (1 Chronicles 23:16). He was "ruler over the treasures" (1 Chronicles 26:24). In 1 Chronicles 24:20 he is called "Shubael," which is probably the original form of the name (see Gray,HPN , 310).
(2) A son of Heman (1 Chronicles 25:4), called in 1 Chronicles 25:20 "Shubael" (Septuagint as in 1 Chronicles 25:4).
Shecaniah; Shechaniah
Shecaniah; Shechaniah - shek-a-ni'-a, shekan'-ya (shekhanyah (in 1 Chronicles 24:11; 2 Chronicles 31:15, shekhanyahu); Codex Vaticanus Ischania, Sekenia):
(1) A descendant of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:21-22). This is the same Shecaniah mentioned in Ezra 8:3.
(2) "The sons of Shecaniah," so the Massoretic Text of Ezra 8:5 reads, were among those who returned with Ezra, but a name appears to have been lost from the text, and we should probably read "of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel" (compare 1 Esdras 8:32, "of the sons of Zathoes, Sechenias the son of Jezelus").
(3) Chief of the tenth course of priests (1 Chronicles 24:11).
(4) A priest in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:15).
(5) A contemporary of Ezra who supported him in his opposition to foreign marriages (Ezra 10:2).
(6) The father of Shemaiah, "the keeper of the east gate" (Nehemiah 3:29).
(7) The father-in-law of Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 6:18).
(8) The eponym of a family which returned with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:3). It is the same name which, by an interchange of "bh" and "kh", appears as Shebaniah (see SHEBANIAH, (2)) in Nehemiah 10:4, 12, 14.
Horace J. Wolf
Shechem
Shechem - she'-kem (shekhem, "shoulder"; Suchem, he Sikima, ta Sikima, etc.; the King James Version gives "Sichem" in Genesis 12:6; and "Sychem" in Acts 7:16):
1. Historical: This place is first mentioned in connection with Abraham's journey from Haran. At the oak of Moreh in the vicinity he reared his first altar to the Lord in Palestine (Genesis 12:6 f). It was doubtless by this oak that Jacob, on his return from Paddan-aram, buried "the strange (the American Standard Revised Version "foreign") gods" (Genesis 35:4). Hither he had come after his meeting with Esau (Genesis 33:18). Eusebius, in Onomasticon, here identifies Shechem with Shalem; but see SHALEM. To the East of the city Jacob pitched his tent in a "parcel of ground" which he had bought from Hamor, Shechem's father (Genesis 33:19). Here also he raised an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel, "God, the God of Israel" (Genesis 33:20). Then follows the story of Dinah's defilement by Shechem, son of the city's chief; and of the treacherous and terrible vengeance exacted by Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34:1-31). To the rich pasture land near Shechem Joseph came to seek his brethren (Genesis 37:12 ff). It is mentioned as lying to the West of Michmethath (el-Makhneh) on the boundary of Manasseh (Joshua 17:7). It was in the territory of Ephraim; it was made a city of refuge, and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (Joshua 20:7; 21:21). Near the city the Law was promulgated (Deuteronomy 27:11; Joshua 8:33). When his end was approaching Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel here and addressed to them his final words of counsel and exhortation (chapter 24). Under the oak in the neighboring sanctuary he set up the stone of witness (24:26). The war of conquest being done, Joseph's bones were buried in the parcel of ground which Jacob had bought, and which fell to the lot of Joseph's descendants (24:33). Abimelech, whose mother was a native of the city, persuaded the men of Shechem to make him king (Judges 9:1-6), evidently seeking a certain consecration from association with "the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem." Jotham's parable was spoken from the cliff of Gerizim overhanging the town (Judges 9:7 ff). After a reign of three years Abimelech was rejected by the people. He captured the city, razed it to the foundations, and sowed it with salt. It was then the seat of Canaanite idolatry, the temple of Baal-berith being here (Judges 9:4, 46). In the time of the kings we find that the city was once more a gathering-place of the nation. It was evidently the center, especially for the northern tribes; and hither Rehoboam came in the hope of getting his succession to the throne confirmed (1 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 10:1). At the disruption Jeroboam fortified the city and made it his residence (2 Chronicles 10:19; Ant, VIII, viii, 2 Chronicles 4:1-22). The capital of the Northern Kingdom was moved, however, first to Tirzah and then to Samaria, and Shechem declined in political importance. Indeed it is not named again in the history of the monarchy. Apparently there were Israelites in it after the captivity, some of whom on their way to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem met a tragic fate at the hands of Ishmael ben Nethaniah (Jeremiah 41:5 ff). It became the central city of the Samaritans, whose shrine was built on Mt. Gerizim (Sirach 50:26; Ant, XI, viii, 6; XII, i, 1; XIII, iii, 4). Shechem was captured by John Hyrcanus in 132 BC (Ant., XIII, ix, 1; BJ, I, ii, 6). It appears in the New Testament only in the speech of Stephen (Acts 7:16, King James Version "Sychem"). Some (e.g. Smith, DB, under the word) would identify it with Sychar of John 4:5; but see SYCHAR. Under the Romans it became Flavia Neapolis. In later times it was the seat of a bishopric; the names of five occupants of the see are known.
2. Location and Physical Features: There is no doubt as to the situation of ancient Shechem. It lay in the pass which cuts through Mts. Ephraim, Ebal and Gerizim, guarding it on the North and South respectively. Along this line runs the great road which from time immemorial has formed the easiest and the quickest means of communication between the East of the Jordan and the sea. It must have been a place of strength from antiquity. The name seems to occur in Travels of a Mohar (Max Muller, Asien u. Europa, 394), "Mountain of Sahama" probably referring to Ebal or Gerizim. The ancient city may have lain somewhat farther East than the modern Nablus, in which the Roman name Neapolis survives. The situation is one of great beauty. The city lies close to the foot of Gerizim. The terraced slopes of the mountain rise steeply on the South. Across the valley, musical with the sound of running water, the great bulk of Ebal rises on the North, its sides, shaggy with prickly pear, sliding down into grain fields and orchards. The copious springs which supply abundance of water rise at the base of Gerizim. The fruitful and well-wooded valley winds westward among the hills. It is traversed by the carriage road leading to Jaffa and the sea. Eastward the valley opens upon the plain of Makhneh. To the East of the city, in a recess at the base of Gerizim, is the sanctuary known as Rijal el-`Amud, literally, "men of the column" or "pillar," where some would locate the ancient "oak of Moreh" or "of the pillar." Others would find it in a little village farther East with a fine spring, called BalaTa, a name which may be connected with balluT, "oak." Still farther to the East and near the base of Ebal is the traditional tomb of Joseph, a little white-domed building beside a luxuriant orchard. On the slope of the mountain beyond is the village of `Askar; see SYCHAR. To the South of the vale is the traditional Well of Jacob; see JACOB'S WELL. To the Southwest of the city is a small mosque on the spot where Jacob is said to have mourned over the blood-stained coat of Joseph. In the neighboring minaret is a stone whereon the Ten Commandments are engraved in Samaritan characters. The main center of interest in the town is the synagogue of the Samaritans, with their ancient manuscript of the Pentateuch.
3. Modern Shechem: The modern town contains about 20,000 inhabitants, the great body of them being Moslems. There are some 700 or 800 Christians, chiefly belonging to the Greek Orthodox church. The Samaritans do not total more than 200. The place is still the market for a wide district, both East and West of Jordan. A considerable trade is done in cotton and wool. Soap is manufactured in large quantities, oil for this purpose being plentifully supplied by the olive groves. Tanning and the manufacture of leather goods are also carried on. In old times the slopes of Ebal were covered with vineyards; but these formed a source of temptation to the "faithful." They were therefore removed by authority, and their place taken by the prickly pears mentioned above.
W. Ewing
Shechemites
Shechemites - she'-kem-its (hashikhmi; Suchemei): The descendants of Shechem the son of Gilead, a clan of Eastern Manasseh (Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2).
Shed, Shedding
Shed, Shedding - The three Hebrew words, naghar, sim or sum and shaphakh, translated "shed" in many Old Testament passages, always mean a "pouring out," and in nearly every case point to the effusion of blood (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:33; Deuteronomy 21:7; 2 Samuel 20:10; 1 Chronicles 22:8; Proverbs 1:16, etc.). The Greek words ekcheo, and ekchuno, have precisely the same specific meaning (Matthew 23:35; 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 11:50; Hebrews 9:22; Revelation 16:6). Sometimes they are tropically used in reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33 the King James Version; Titus 3:6), and to the outpouring of the love of God in the believer's heart (Romans 5:5).
Henry E. Dosker
Shedeur
Shedeur - shed'-e-ur, she-de'-ur (shedhe'ur, "daybreak"; Codex Vaticanus Sediour, Ediour): The father of Elizur, the chief of Reuben (Numbers 1:5; 2:10; 7:30). French Delitzsch correctly conceives the name as an Assyrian compound, sad uri, "daybreak." Cf, however, Gray, HPN, 169, 197, who emends the text to read Shaddai 'Ur, "Shaddai is flame."
Sheep
Sheep - shep:
1. Names: The usual Hebrew word is tso'n, which is often translated "flock," e.g. "Abel .... brought of the firstlings of his flock" (Genesis 4:4); "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock" (Deuteronomy 32:14). The King James Version and the English Revised Version have "milk of sheep." Compare Arabic da'n. The Greek word is probaton. For other names, see notes under CATTLE; EWE; LAMB; RAM.
2. Zoology: The origin of domestic sheep is unknown. There are 11 wild species, the majority of which are found in Asia, and it is conceivable that they may have spread from the highlands of Central Asia to the other portions of their habitat. In North America is found the "bighorn," which is very closely related to a Kamschatkan species. One species, the urial or sha, is found in India. The Barbary sheep, Ovis tragelaphus, also known as the aoudad or arui, inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northwest Africa. It is thought by Tristram to be zemer, English Versions of the Bible "chamois" of Deuteronomy 14:5, but there is no good evidence that this animal ranges eastward into Bible lands. Geographically nearest is the Armenian wild sheep, Ovis gmelini, of Asia Minor and Persia. The Cyprian wild sheep may be only a variety of the last, and the mouflon of Corsica and Sardinia is an allied species. It is not easy to draw the line between wild sheep and wild goats. Among the more obvious distinctions are the chin beard and strong odor of male goats. The pelage of all wild sheep consists of hair, not wool, and this indeed is true of some domestic sheep as the fat-rumped short-tailed sheep of Abyssinia and Central Asia. The young lambs of this breed have short curly wool which is the astrachan of commerce. Sheep are geologically recent, their bones and teeth not being found in earlier deposits than the pleiocene or pleistocene. They were, however, among the first of domesticated animals.
3. Sheep of Palestine: The sheep of Syria and Palestine are characterized by the possession of an enormous fat tail which weighs many pounds and is known in Arabic as 'alyat, or commonly, liyat. This is the 'alyah, "fat tail" (the King James Version "rump") (Exodus 29:22; Leviticus 3:9; 7:3; 8:25; 9:19), which was burned in sacrifice. This is at the present day esteemed a great delicacy. Sheep are kept in large numbers by the Bedouin, but a large portion of the supply of mutton for the cities is from the sheep of Armenia and Kurdistan, of which great droves are brought down to the coast in easy stages. Among the Moslems every well-to-do family sacrifices a sheep at the feast of al-'adcha', the 10th day of the month dhu-l-chijjat, 40 days after the end of ramadan, the month of fasting. In Lebanon every peasant family during the summer fattens a young ram, which is literally crammed by one of the women of the household, who keeps the creature's jaw moving with one hand while with the other she stuffs its mouth with vine or mulberry leaves. Every afternoon she washes it at the village fountain. When slaughtered in the fall it is called ma`luf, "fed," and is very fat and the flesh very tender. Some of the meat and fat are eaten at once, but the greater part, fat and lean, is cut up fine, cooked together in a large vessel with pepper and salt, and stored in an earthen jar. This, the so-called qauramat, is used as needed through the winter.
In the mountains the sheep are gathered at night into folds, which may be caves or enclosures of rough stones. Fierce dogs assist the shepherd in warding off the attacks of wolves, and remain at the fold through the day to guard the slight bedding and simple utensils. In going to pasture the sheep are not driven but are led, following the shepherd as he walks before them and calls to them. "When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice" (John 10:4).
4. Old Testament References: The sheepfolds of Reuben on the plain of Gilead are referred to in Numbers 32:16 and Judges 5:16. A cave is mentioned in 1 Samuel 24:3 in connection with the pursuit of David by Saul. The shepherd origin of David is referred to in Psalms 78:70:
"He chose David also his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds."
Compare also 2 Samuel 7:8 and 1 Chronicles 17:7.
The shearing of the sheep was a large operation and evidently became a sort of festival. Absalom invited the king's sons to his sheep-shearing in Baal-hazor in order that he might find an opportunity to put Amnon to death while his heart was "merry with wine" (2 Samuel 13:23-29). The character of the occasion is evident also from the indignation of David at Nabal when the latter refused to provide entertainment at his sheep-shearing for David's young men who had previously protected the flocks of Nabal (1 Samuel 25:2-13). There is also mention of the sheep-shearing of Judah (Genesis 38:12) and of Laban (Genesis 31:19), on which occasion Jacob stole away with his wives and children and his flocks.
Sheep were the most important sacrificial animals, a ram or a young male being often specified. Ewes are mentioned in Leviticus 3:6; 4:32; 5:6; 14:10; 22:28; Numbers 6:14.
In the Books of Chronicles we find statements of enormous numbers of animals consumed in sacrifice: "And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 7:5); "And they sacrificed unto Yahweh in that day (in the reign of Asa) .... seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 15:11); at the cleansing of the temple by Hezekiah "the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them" (2 Chronicles 29:33 f); and "Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep" (2 Chronicles 30:24). In the account of the war of the sons of Reuben and their allies with the Hagrites, we read: "And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand" (1 Chronicles 5:21). Mesha king of Moab is called a "sheep-master," and we read that "he rendered unto the king of Israel the wool of a hundred thousand lambs, and of a hundred thousand rams" (2 Kings 3:4).
5. Figurative: Christ is represented as the Lamb of God (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; Revelation 5:6). Some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible represent God as a shepherd: "From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel" (Genesis 49:24); "Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalms 23:1; compare Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:12-16). Jesus said "I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me .... and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14 f). The people without leaders are likened to sheep without a shepherd (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Ezekiel 34:5). Jesus at the Last Supper applies to Himself the words of Zechariah 13:7; "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad" (Matthew 26:31; Mark 14:27). The enemies of Yahweh are compared to the fat of the sacrifice that is consumed away in smoke (Psalms 37:20). God's people are "the sheep of his pasture" (Psalms 79:13; 95:7; 100:3). In sinning they become like lost sheep (Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 50:6; Ezekiel 34:6; Luke 15:3 ff). In the mouth of Nathan the poor man's one little ewe lamb is a vivid image of the treasure of which the king David has robbed Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 12:3). In Song of Solomon 6:6, the teeth of the bride are likened to a flock of ewes. It is prophesied that "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb" (Isaiah 11:6) and that "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together" (Isaiah 65:25). Jesus says to His disciples, "I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matthew 10:16; compare Luke 10:3). In the parable of the Good Shepherd we read: "He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth" (John 10:12).
Alfred Ely Day
Sheep Gate
Sheep Gate - (sha`ar ha-tso'-n (Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39)): One of the gates of Jerusalem, probably near the northeast corner. See JERUSALEM. For the "sheep gate" of John 5:2, see BETHESDA; SHEEP MARKET.
Sheep Market
Sheep Market - (John 5:2, the Revised Version (British and American) "sheep gate"): The Greek (he probatike) means simply something that pertains to sheep.
See BETHESDA; SHEEP GATE.
Sheep Tending
Sheep Tending - ten'-ding: The Scriptural allusions to pastoral life and the similes drawn from that life are the most familiar and revered in the Bible. Among the first verses that a child learns is "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not wants" (Psalms 23:1 the King James Version, the English Revised Version). What follower of the Master does not love to dwell on the words of the "Good Shepherd" chapter in the Gospel of John (John 10:1-42)? Jesus must have drawn a sympathetic response when He referred to the relationship of sheep to shepherd, a relationship familiar to all His hearers and doubtless shared by some of them with their flocks. As a rule the modern traveler in the Holy Land meets with disappointment if he comes expecting to see things as they were depicted in the Bible. An exception to this is the pastoral life, which has not changed one what since Abraham and his descendants fed their flocks on the rich plateaus East of the Jordan or on the mountains of Palestine and Syria. One may count among his most prized experiences the days and nights spent under the spell of Syrian shepherd life.
James A. Patch
Sheepcote; Sheepfold
Sheepcote; Sheepfold - shep'-kot, shep'-kot, shep'-fold (gedherah, mikhlah, mishpethayim, naweh; aule): At night the sheep are driven into a sheepfold if they are in a district where there is danger from robbers or wild beasts. These folds are simple walled enclosures (Numbers 32:16; Judges 5:16; 2 Chronicles 32:28; Psalms 78:70; Zephaniah 2:6; John 10:1). On the top of the wall is heaped thorny brushwood as a further safeguard. Sometimes there is a covered hut in the corner for the shepherd. Where there is no danger the sheep huddle together in the open until daylight, while the shepherd watches over them (Genesis 31:39; Luke 2:8). In the winter time caves are sought after (1 Samuel 24:3; Zephaniah 2:6). The antiquity of the use of some of the caves for this purpose is indicated by the thick deposit of potassium nitrate formed from the decomposition of the sheep dung.
James A. Patch
Sheep-master
Sheep-master - (noqedh, "herdsman," 2 Kings 3:4).
See SHEEP-SHEARING.
Sheep-shearing
Sheep-shearing - shep'-sher-ing: The sheep-shearing is done in the springtime, either by the owners (Genesis 31:19; 38:13; Deuteronomy 15:19; 1 Samuel 25:2, 4) or by regular "shearers" (gazaz) (1 Samuel 25:7, 11; Isaiah 53:7). There were special houses for this work in Old Testament times (2 Kings 10:12, 14). The shearing was carefully done so as to keep the fleece whole (Judges 6:37). The sheep of a flock are not branded but spotted. Lime or some dyestuff is painted in one or more spots on the wool of the back as a distinguishing mark. In 2 Kings 3:4, Mesha, the chief or sheikh of Moab, was a sheep-master, literally, "a sheep spotter."
James A. Patch
Sheepskin
Sheepskin - shep'-skin.
See BOTTLE; DRESS; RAMS' SKINS, etc.
Sheerah
Sheerah - she'-e-ra (she'erah; Codex Alexandrinus Saara, Codex Vaticanus omits): A daughter of Ephraim, who, according to the Massoretic Text of 1 Chronicles 7:24 (the King James Version "Sherah"), built the two Beth-horons and Uzzen-sheerah. The verse has been suspected because elsewhere in the Old Testament the founders of cities are men. Uzzen-sheerah as a place is unidentified; Conder suggests as the site Bet Sira, a village 2 miles Southwest of the Lower Beth-horon (Mem 3 16).
Sheet
Sheet - shet. See DRESS; compare Acts 10:11, "as it were a great sheet" (othone).
Shehariah
Shehariah - she-ha-ri'-a (sheharyah): A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:26).
Shekel
Shekel - shek'-'-l, shek'-el, she'-kel, she'-kul (sheqel): A weight and a coin. The Hebrew shekel was the 50th part of a mina, and as a weight about 224 grains, and as money (silver) was worth about 2 shillings 9d., or 66 cents (in 1915). No gold shekel has been found, and hence, it is inferred that such a coin was not used; but as a certain amount of gold, by weight, it is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 3:9 and is probably intended to be supplied in 2 Kings 5:5. The gold shekel was 1/60 of the heavy Babylonian mina and weighed about 252 grains. In value it was about equal to 2 British pounds and 1 shilling, or about $10.00 (in 1915). See MONEY; WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. In the Revised Version (British and American) of Matthew 17:27 "shekel" replaces "piece of money" of the King James Version, the translation of stater.
See STATER.
H. Porter
Shekel of the King's Weight, Royal Shekel
Shekel of the King's Weight, Royal Shekel - ('ebhen ha-melekh, "stone (i.e. weight) of the king"): The shekel by which Absalom's hair was weighed (2 Samuel 14:26), probably the light shekel of 130 grains.
See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Shekel of the Sanctuary; Sacred Shekel
Shekel of the Sanctuary; Sacred Shekel - (sheqel ha-qodhesh (Numbers 7:1-89 passim)): The same as the silver shekel mentioned under SHEKEL (which see), except in Exodus 38:24, where it is used in measuring gold. The term is used for offerings made for sacred purposes.
Shekinah
Shekinah - she-ki'-na (shekhinah, "that which dwells," from the verb shakhen, or shakhan, "to dwell," "reside"): This word is not found in the Bible, but there are allusions to it in Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 17:5; Luke 2:9; Romans 9:4. It is first found in the Targums.
See GLORY.
Shelah
Shelah - she'-la (shelah; Sala):
(1) The youngest son of Judah and the daughter of Shua the Canaanite (Genesis 38:5, 11, 14, 26; 46:12; Numbers 26:20 (16); 1 Chronicles 2:3; 4:21). He gave his name to the family of the Shelanites (Numbers 26:20 (16)). Probably "the Shelanite" should be substituted for "the Shilonite" of Nehemiah 11:5; 1 Chronicles 9:5.
(2) (shelach): The son or (Septuagint) grandson of Arpachshad and father of Eber (Genesis 10:24; 11:13 (12),14,15; 1 Chronicles 1:18, 24; Luke 3:35).
(3) Nehemiah 3:15 = "Shiloah" of Isaiah 8:6.
See SILOAM.
Shelanites
Shelanites - she'-lan-its, she-la'-nits.
See SHELAH.
Shelemiah
Shelemiah - shel-e-mi'-a, she-lem'-ya (shelemyah; Codex Vaticanus Selemia, Codex Alexandrinus (Selemias):
(1) One of the sons of Bani who married foreign wives in the time of Ezra (Ezra 10:39), called "Selemias" in 1 Esdras 9:34.
(2) Father of Hananiah who restored part of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:30) (Codex Vaticanus Telemia, ..., Telemias).
(3) A priest who was appointed one of the treasurers to distribute the Levitical tithes by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:13).
(4) The father of Jehucal (or Jucal) in the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 37:3; 38:1; in the second passage the name is Shelemyahu).
(5) The father of Irijah, the captain of the ward, who arrested Jeremiah as a deserter to the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 37:13).
(6) 1 Chronicles 26:14.
See MESHELEMIAH.
(7) Another of the sons of Bani who married foreign wives in the time of Ezra (Ezra 10:41). It is of interest to note that the order of names in this passage--Sharai, Azarel, and Shelemiah--is almost identical with the names in Jeremiah 36:26, namely, Seraiah, Azriel, Shelemiah.
(8) Ancestor of Jehudi (Jeremiah 36:14).
(9) Septuagint omits.) Son of Abdeel, one of the men sent by Jehoiakim to seize Baruch and Jeremiah after Baruch had read the "roll" in the king's presence (Jeremiah 36:26).
Horace J. Wolf
Sheleph
Sheleph - she'-lef (shaleph, in pause; Septuagint Saleph): Son of Joktan (Genesis 10:26; 1 Chronicles 1:20). Sheleph is the name of a Yemenite tribe or district, named on Sabean inscriptions and also by Arabian geographers, located in Southern Arabia.
Shelesh
Shelesh - she'-lesh (shelesh; Codex Vaticanus Seme; Codex Alexandrinus Selles, Lucian, Selem): An Asherite, son of Helem (1 Chronicles 7:35).
Shelomi
Shelomi - she-lo'-mi, shel'-o-mi (shelomi): An Asherite (Numbers 34:27).
Shelomith
Shelomith - she-lo'-mith, shel'-o-mith (shelomith; in Ezra 8:10, shelomith):
(1) The mother of the man who was stoned for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:11) (BAF, Salomeith, Lucian, Salmith).
(2) Daughter of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:19) (Codex Vaticanus Salomethei; Codex Alexandrinus Salomethi, Lucian, Salomith).
(3) One of the "sons of Izhar" (1 Chronicles 23:18) (Codex Vaticanus Salomoth; Codex Alexandrinus Saloumoth, Lucian, Salomith), called "Shelomoth" in 1 Chronicles 24:22.
(4) The name of a family whose representatives returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:10) (Codex Vaticanus Saleimouth; Lucian, Salimoth). The Massoretic Text here should read, "and the sons of Bani; Shelomith, son of Josiphiah"; and in 1 Esdras 8:36, "of the sons of Banias, Salimoth, son of Josaphias."
Horace J. Wolf
Shelomoth
Shelomoth - she-lo'-moth, shel'-o-moth, -moth (shelomoth):
(1) An Izharite (1 Chronicles 24:22, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Salomoth; Lucian, Salomith = "Shelomith" of 1 Chronicles 23:18).
(2) A Levite descended from Eliezer ben Moses (1 Chronicles 26:25, Qere shelomith; 1 Chronicles 26:28).
(3) A Gershonite (1 Chronicles 23:9, Qere Shelomith; Codex Vaticanus Alotheim, Codex Alexandrinus Salomeith).
Shelumiel
Shelumiel - she-lu'-mi-el (shelumi'el; both the punctuation and interpretation are in doubt. Massoretic Text punctuates the first element as a passive participle; the use of the participle in compounds is common in Assyrian but rare in Heb (compare Gray,HPN , 200). The meaning of the present form, if it be correct, is "at peace with God" (Hommel, Ancient Hebrew Tradition, 200, "my friend is God"). Septuagint reads Salamiel: Prince of the tribe of Simeon (Numbers 1:6; 2:12; 36, 41; 10:19). The genealogy of Judith (Numbers 8:1) is carried back to this Shelumiel or Shelamiel, called there "Salamiel."
Horace J. Wolf
Shem
Shem - shem (shem; Sem):
1. Position in Noah's Family: His Name: The eldest son of Noah, from whom the Jews, as well as the Semitic ("Shemitic") nations in general have descended. When giving the names of Noah's three sons, Shem is always mentioned first (Genesis 9:18; 10:1, etc.); and though "the elder" in "Shem the brother of Japheth the elder" (Genesis 10:21 margin) is explained as referring to Shem, this is not the rendering of Onkelos. His five sons peopled the greater part of West Asia's finest tracts, from Elam on the East to the Mediterranean on the West. Though generally regarded as meaning "dusky" (compare the Assyr-Babylonian samu--also Ham--possibly = "black," Japheth, "fair"), it is considered possible that Shem may be the usual Hebrew word for "name" (shem), given him because he was the firstborn--a parallel to the Assyr-Babylonian usage, in which "son," "name" (sumu) are synonyms (W. A. Inscriptions, V, plural 23, 11,29-32abc).
2. History, and the Nations Descended from Him: Shem, who is called "the father of all the children of Eber," was born when Noah had attained the age of 500 years (Genesis 5:32). Though married at the time of the Flood, Shem was then childless. Aided by Japheth, he covered the nakedness of their father, which Ham, the youngest brother, had revealed to them; but unlike the last, Shem and Japheth, in their filial piety, approached their father walking backward, in order not to look upon him. Two years after the Flood, Shem being then 100 years old, his son Arpachshad was born (Genesis 11:10), and was followed by further sons and daughters during the remaining 500 years which preceded Shem's death. Noah's prophetic blessing, on awakening from his wine, may be regarded as having been fulfilled in his descendants, who occupied Syria (Aramaic), Palestine (Canaan), Chaldea (Arpachshad), Assyria (Asshur), part of Persia (Elam), and Arabia (Joktan). In the first three of these, as well as in Elam, Canaanites had settled (if not in the other districts mentioned), but Shemites ruled, at some time or other, over the Canaanites, and Canaan thus became "his servant" (Genesis 9:25-26). The tablets found in Cappadocia seem to show that Shemites (Assyrians) had settled in that district also, but this was apparently an unimportant colony. Though designated sons of Shem, some of his descendants (e.g. the Elamites) did not speak a Semitic language, while other nationalities, not his descendants (e.g. the Canaanites), did.
See HAM; JAPHETH; TABLE OF NATIONS.
T. G. Pinches
Shema (1)
Shema (1) - she'-ma (shema`; Samaa): A city of Judah in the Negeb (Joshua 15:26). If, as some think, identical with SHEBA (which see) of Joshua 19:2, then the latter must have been inserted here from Joshua 15:26. It is noticeable that the root letters (sh-m-`) were those from which Simeon is derived. Shema is probably identical with Jeshua (Nehemiah 11:26). The place was clearly far South, and it may be Kh. Sa`wah, a ruin upon a prominent hilltop between Kh. `Attir and Khirbet el-Milch. There is a wall around the ruins, of large blocks of conglomerate flint (PEF, III, 409, Sh XXV).
E. W. G. Masterman
Shema (2)
Shema (2) - (shema`):
(1) A Reubenite (1 Chronicles 5:8, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Sama, Lucian, Semeei).
See SHIMEI.
(2) One of the heads of "fathers' houses" in Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath (1 Chronicles 8:13, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Sama, Lucian, Samoa); in 1 Chronicles 8:21 he is called "Shimei." The statement is very obscure and the whole incident is probably due to some marginal note.
(3) One of those who stood at Ezra's right during the reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8:4, Samaias). He is called "Sammus" in 1 Esdras 9:43.
Horace J. Wolf
Shemaah
Shemaah - she-ma'-a, shem'-a-a (ha-shema`-ah; Codex Vaticanus Ama, Codex Alexandrinus Samaa, Lucian, Asma): A Benjamite, who was the father, according to the Massoretic Text, of Ahiezer and Joash; but according to the Septuagint huios = (ben) instead of (bene) of Joash alone (1 Chronicles 12:3). The original text may have read ben yeho-shama` (compare hoshama`, of 1 Chronicles 3:18); then a dittography of the following (h) caused the error (Curtis, ICC).
Shemaiah
Shemaiah - she-ma'-ya, she-mi'-a (shema`yah (in 2 Chronicles 11:2; 17:8; 31:15; 35:9; Jeremiah 26:20; 29:24; 36:12, shema`yahu), "Jahveh hears"): The name is most frequently borne by priests, Levites and prophets.
(1) Codex Vaticanus Sammaias; Codex Alexandrinus Samaias (2 Chronicles 12:5, 7). A prophet who, together with Ahijah, protested against Rehoboam's contemplated war against the ten revolted tribes (1 Kings 12:22-24 = 2 Chronicles 11:2-4). He declared that the rebellion had divine sanction. The second Greek account knows nothing of Ahijah in this connection and introduces Shemaiah at the gathering at Shechem where both Jeroboam and Rehoboam were present; it narrates that on this occasion Shemaiah (not Ahijah) rent his garment and gave ten parts to Jeroboam to signify the ten tribes over which he was to become king. (This version, however, is not taken very seriously, because of its numerous inconsistencies.) Shemaiah also prophesied at the invasion of Judah by Shishak (2 Chronicles 12:5-7). His message was to the effect that as the princes of Israel had humbled themselves, God's wrath against their idolatrous practices would not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak (2 Chronicles 13:7). He is mentioned as the author of a history of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12:15).
(2) Son of Shecaniah (1 Chronicles 3:22, Samaia), a descendant of Zerubbabel. This is also the name of one of the men who helped to repair the wall (Nehemiah 3:29, Semeia (...) (compare Curtis,ICC , in 1 Chronicles 3:17-24)).
(3) A Simeonite (1 Chronicles 4:37, Codex Vaticanus Sumeon; Codex Alexandrinus Samaias), identical, perhaps, with the Shimei of 1 Chronicles 4:26-27.
(4) A Reubenite (1 Chronicles 5:4, Codex Vaticanus Semeei; Codex Alexandrinus Semein), called Shema in 1 Chronicles 5:8.
(5) A Merarite Levite (1 Chronicles 9:14; Nehemiah 11:15, Samaia), one of those who dwelt in Jerusalem.
(6) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun, father of Obadiah or Abda (1 Chronicles 9:16, Sameia, Codex Alexandrinus Samias, called "Shammua" in Nehemiah 11:17).
(7) Head of the Levitical Kohathite clan of Elizaphan in the time of David (1 Chronicles 15:8, Codex Vaticanus Samaias; Codex Alexandrinus Samaia; Codex Sinaiticus Sameas; 1 Chronicles 15:11, Codex Vaticanus Samias; Codex Alexandrinus Semeias; Codex Sinaiticus Samai). He may be the same person as (8).
(8) The scribe (1 Chronicles 24:6), the son of Nethanel, who registered the names of the priestly courses.
(9) A Korahite Levite, eldest son of Obed-edom (1 Chronicles 26:4, 6, Codex Vaticanus Samaias; Codex Alexandrinus Sameias; 1 Chronicles 26:7, Codex Vaticanus Samai; Codex Alexandrinus Semeia).
(10) A Levite (2 Chronicles 17:8, Codex Vaticanus Samouas; Codex Alexandrinus Samouias). One of the commission appointed by Jehoshaphat to teach the book of the Law in Judah. The names of the commissioners as a whole belong to a period later than the 9th century. (Gray, HPN, 231).
(11) One of the men "over the free-will offerings of God" (2 Chronicles 31:15, Semeei).
(12) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:14), one of those who assisted in the purification of the Temple.
(13) A chief of the Levites (2 Chronicles 35:9), called "Samaias" in Septuagint and 1 Esdras 1:9.
(14) A "chief man" under Ezra (Ezra 8:16), called "Maasmas" and "Samaias" in 1 Esdras 8:43, 44.
(15) A member of the family of Adonikam (Ezra 8:13, Codex Vaticanus Samaia; Codex Alexandrinus Samaeia; "Samaias" in 1 Esdras 8:39).
(16) A priest of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:21), called "Sameus" in 1 Esdras 9:21.
(17) A layman of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:31), called "Sabbeus" in 1 Esdras 9:32.
(18) A prophet (Nehemiah 6:10-14, Codex Vaticanus Semeei; Codex Alexandrinus Semei), employed by Sanballat and Tobiah to frighten Nehemiah and hinder the rebuilding of the wall.
(19) One of the 24 courses of priests, 16th under Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:6, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus Semeias), 15th under Joiakim (Nehemiah 12:18; Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus Semeia), and 21st under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:8, Samaia), mentioned in connection with the dedication of the wall.
(20) A priest, descendant of Asaph (Nehemiah 12:35).
(21) A singer (or clan) participating in the dedication of the wall (Nehemiah 12:36).
(22) Father of the prophet Urijah (Jeremiah 26:20, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Samaias; Codex Sinaiticus Maseas).
(23) A false prophet who was upbraided by Jeremiah (29:24-32) for attempting to hinder his work. He is styled "the Nehelamite" and was among those carried into captivity with Jehoiachin. In opposition to Jeremiah, he predicted a speedy ending to the captivity. Jeremiah foretold the complete destruction of Shemaiah's family.
(24) Father of Delaiah, who was a prince in the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 36:12).
(25) "The great," kinsman of Tobias (Tobit 5:13).
Horace J. Wolf
Shemariah
Shemariah - shem-a-ri'-a, she-mar'-ya (shemaryah and shemaryahu, "whom Jahveh guards"):
(1) A Benjamite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:5, Codex Vaticanus Sammaraia; Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus Samaria; Lucian, Samarias).
(2) A son of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:19).
(3) One of the sons of Harim who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:32, Codex Vaticanus Samareia, Lucian, Samarias; Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus Semaria).
(4) One of the sons of Bani who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:41, Codex Alexandrinus Samareias; Codex Vaticanus Samareia; Lucian, Samarias).
Horace J. Wolf
Shemeber
Shemeber - shem-e'-ber, shem'-e-ber (shem'-ebher): The king of Zeboiim (Genesis 14:2).
See SHINAB.
Shemed
Shemed - she'-med.
See SHEMER, (4).
Shemer
Shemer - she'-mer (shemer; Semer, Lucian, Semmer):
(1) The owner of the hill which Omri bought and which became the site of Samaria (1 Kings 16:24, shomeron). Shemer may be an ancient clan name. The fact, however, that the mountain was called Shomeron when Omri bought it makes one doubt that the city of Samaria was named after Shemer; the passage is questionable. The real etymology of Samaria roots it in "watch mountain" (see Stade, Zeitschrift, 165 f).
(2) A Merarite (1 Chronicles 6:46 (31), Semmer).
(3) An Asherite (1 Chronicles 7:34, A and Lucian, Somer), called "Shomer" in 1 Chronicles 7:32.
(4) A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:12, Codex Vaticanus Semer; Codex Alexandrinus Semmer; Lucian, Samaiel); the Revised Version (British and American) "Shemed," the King James Version "Shamed."
The Hebrew manuscripts differ; some read "Shemer," others "Shemedh."
Horace J. Wolf
Shemida; Shemidah; Shemidaites
Shemida; Shemidah; Shemidaites - she-mi'-da, she-mi'-da-its (shemidha): A Gileadite clan belonging to Manasseh (Numbers 26:32; Joshua 17:2, Codex Vaticanus Sumareim; Codex Alexandrinus Semirae; Lucian, Samidae; 1 Chronicles 7:19, the King James Version "Shemidah," after whom the Shemidaites (Numbers 26:32) were called).
Sheminith
Sheminith - shem'-i-nith.
See MUSIC; PSALMS.
Shemiramoth
Shemiramoth - she-mir'-a-moth, she-mi'-ra-moth, shem-i-ra'-moth (shemiramoth; in 2 Chronicles 17:8, Kethibh shemiramoth; Semeiramoth): The name of a Levitical family. In 1 Chronicles 15:18, 20; 16:5 Shemiramoth is listed among the names of David's choirs; in 2 Chronicles 17:8 the same name is given among the Levites delegated by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law in the cities of Judah. According to Schrader (KAT (2), 366) the name is to be identified with the Assyrian Sammuramat; the latter occurs as a woman's name on the monuments, more especially on the statues of Nebo from Nimrod. Another suggestion is that Shemiramoth was originally a place-name meaning "image of Shemiram" (= name of Ram or "the Exalted One").
Horace J. Wolf
Shemites
Shemites - shem'-its.
See SEMITES.
Shemuel
Shemuel - she-mu'-el, shem'-u-el (shemu'el, "name of God" (?) (1 Chronicles 6:33 (18)); the Revised Version (British and American) Samuel, the prophet (see SAMUEL); compare Gray,HPN , 200, note 3):
(1) The Simeonite appointed to assist in the division of the land (Numbers 34:20). The Massoretic Text should be emended to shelumi'el, to correspond with the form found in Numbers 1:6; 2:12; 36, 41; 10:19. Septuagint has uniformly Salamiel.
(2) Grandson of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:2) (Codex Vaticanus Isamouel; Codex Alexandrinus and Lucian, Samouel).
Shen
Shen - shen (ha-shen, "the tooth" or "peak"; tes palaias): A place named only in 1 Samuel 7:12 to indicate the position of the stone set up by Samuel in connection with the victory over the Philistines, "between Mizpah and Shen." The Septuagint evidently reads yashan, "old." Probably we should here read yeshanah, as in 2 Chronicles 13:19 (OHL, under the word). Then it may be represented by `Ain Sinia, to the North of Beitin.
Shenazar
Shenazar - she-na'-zar: the King James Version = the Revised Version (British and American) SHENAZZAR (which see).
Shenazzar
Shenazzar - she-naz'-ar (shen'atstsar): A son of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and uncle of Zerubbabel (1 Chronicles 3:18, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Sanesar; Lucian, Sanasar; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Sennaser, Senneser). It is highly probable that Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8, 11), "the prince of Judah," and Shenazzar are identical (so Meyer, Rothstein, etc.). The name is difficult; some suggest a corruption of shushbalatstsar, and as equivalent to Sin-usur, "Sin (the moon-god) protect."
Shenir
Shenir - she'-ner (senir, shenir): Only found in Song of Solomon 4:8 (Massoretic Text).
See SENIR.
Sheol
Sheol - she'-ol (she'ol):
1. The Name
2. The Abode of the Dead
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction
(3) Relation to Immortality
3. Post-canonical Period
1. The Name: This word is often translated in the King James Version "grave" (e.g. Genesis 37:35; 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 7:9; 14:13; Psalms 6:5; 49:14; Isaiah 14:11, etc.) or "hell" (e.g. Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalms 9:17; 18:5; Isaiah 14:9; Amos 9:2, etc.); in 3 places by "pit" (Numbers 16:30, 33; Job 17:16). It means really the unseen world, the state or abode of the dead, and is the equivalent of the Greek Haides, by which word it is translated in Septuagint. The English Revisers have acted somewhat inconsistently in leaving "grave" or "pit" in the historical books and putting "Sheol" in the margin, while substituting "Sheol" in the poetical writings, and putting "grave" in the margin ("hell" is retained in Isaiah 14:1-32). Compare their "Preface." The American Revisers more properly use "Sheol" throughout. The etymology of the word is uncertain. A favorite derivation is from sha'al, "to ask" (compare Proverbs 1:12; 27:20; Proverbs 30:15-16; Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5); others prefer the sha'al, "to be hollow." The Babylonians are said to have a similar word Sualu, though this is questioned by some.
2. The Abode of the Dead: Into Sheol, when life is ended, the dead are gathered in their tribes and families. Hence, the expression frequently occurring in the Pentateuch, "to be gathered to one's people," "to go to one's fathers," etc. (Genesis 15:15; 8, 17; 49:33; Numbers 20:24, 28; 31:2; Deuteronomy 32:50; 34:5). It is figured as an under-world (Isaiah 44:23; Ezekiel 26:20, etc.), and is described by other terms, as "the pit" (Job 33:24; Psalms 28:1; 30:3; Proverbs 1:12; Isaiah 38:18, etc.), ABADDON (which see) or Destruction (Job 26:6; 28:22; Proverbs 15:11), the place of "silence" (Psalms 94:17; 115:17), "the land of darkness and the shadow of death" (Job 10:21 f). It is, as the antithesis of the living condition, the synonym for everything that is gloomy, inert, insubstantial (the abode of Rephaim, "shades," Job 26:5;, Proverbs 2:18; 21:16; Isaiah 14:9; 26:14). It is a "land of forgetfulness," where God's "wonders" are unknown (Psalms 88:10-12). There is no remembrance or praise of God (Psalms 6:5; 88:12; 115:17, etc.). In its darkness, stillness, powerlessness, lack of knowledge and inactivity, it is a true abode of death (see DEATH); hence, is regarded by the living with shrinking, horror and dismay (Psalms 39:13; Isaiah 38:17-19), though to the weary and troubled it may present the aspect of a welcome rest or sleep (Job 3:17-22; 14:12 f). The Greek idea of Hades was not dissimilar.
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness. Yet it would be a mistake to infer, because of these strong and sometimes poetically heightened contrasts to the world of the living, that Sheol was conceived of as absolutely a place without consciousness, or some dim remembrance of the world above. This is not the case. Necromancy rested on the idea that there was some communication between the world above and the world below (Deuteronomy 18:11); a Samuel could be summoned from the dead (1 Samuel 28:11-15); Sheol from beneath was stirred at the descent of the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:9 ff). The state is rather that of slumbrous semi-consciousness and enfeebled existence from which in a partial way the spirit might temporarily be aroused. Such conceptions, it need hardly be said, did not rest on revelation, but were rather the natural ideas formed of the future state, in contrast with life in the body, in the absence of revelation.
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction. It would be yet more erroneous to speak with Dr. Charles (Eschatology, 35 ff) of Sheol as a region "quite independent of Yahwe, and outside the sphere of His rule." "Sheol is naked before God," says Job, "and Abaddon hath no covering" (Job 26:6). "If I make my bed in Sheol," says the Psalmist, "behold thou art there" (Psalms 139:8). The wrath of Yahweh burns unto the lowest Sheol (Deuteronomy 32:22). As a rule there is little sense of moral distinctions in the Old Testament representations of Sheol, yet possibly these are not altogether wanting (on the above and others points in theology of Sheol).
See ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
(3) Relation to Immortality. To apprehend fully the Old Testament conception of Sheol one must view it in its relation to the idea of death as something unnatural and abnormal for man; a result of sin. The believer's hope for the future, so far as this had place, was not prolonged existence in Sheol, but deliverance from it and restoration to new life in God's presence (Job 14:13-15; Job 19:25-27; Psalms 16:10-11; 17:15; 49:15; Psalms 73:24-26; see IMMORTALITY ; ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT; RESURRECTION). Dr. Charles probably goes too far in thinking of Sheol in Psalms 49:1-20 and Psalms 73:1-28 as "the future abode of the wicked only; heaven as that of the righteous" (op. cit., 74); but different destinies are clearly indicated.
3. Post-canonical Period: There is no doubt, at all events, that in the postcanonical Jewish literature (the Apocrypha and apocalyptic writings) a very considerable development is manifest in the idea of Sheol. Distinction between good and bad in Israel is emphasized; Sheol becomes for certain classes an intermediate state between death and resurrection; for the wicked and for Gentiles it is nearly a synonym for Gehenna (hell). For the various views, with relevant literature on the whole subject, see ESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; also DEATH; HADES; HELL, etc.
James Orr
Shepham
Shepham - she'-fam (shepham; Sepphamar): A place, probably a hill town, on the ideal eastern boundary of Israel, named in Numbers 34:10, but omitted in Ezekiel 47:15-18. It lay between Hazar-enan and Harbel (Massoretic Text: "Hariblah"), which must have been in the neighborhood of Hermon. The word means a "naked" place, and doubtless indicates one of the barer midway ridges of Anti-Lebanon. It was probably the native place of Zabdi the Shiphmite, who was David's chief vine-gardener (1 Chronicles 27:27).
Shephatiah
Shephatiah - shef-a-ti'-a, she-fat'-ya (shephaTyah, "Yah has judged"):
(1) A son of David, by Abital (2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3).
(2) A Benjamite, father of Meshullam, of Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:8).
(3) A Benjamite, who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:5).
(4) A prince of the Simeonites in the time of David (1 Chronicles 27:16).
(5) A son of King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 21:2).
(6) A family, 372 of whom returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:4; Nehemiah 7:9); 80 more males of this family, with their head, returned with Ezra (Ezra 8:8).
(7) A servant of Solomon, 392 of whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:57 f; Nehemiah 7:59 f); "Saphat" in 1 Esdras 5:9 and "Saphatias" in 1 Esdras 8:34.
(8) A Perezzite (Judahite), some of whose descendants dwelt at Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 11:4).
(9) A son of Mattan, a contemporary of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:1).
James Orr
Shephelah
Shephelah - shef-e'-la (ha-shephelah; sephela, saphela):
1. Name and References: The word denotes "lowland," and is variously rendered in the King James Version. It is "vale" in Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 10:40; 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; Jeremiah 33:13; "valley" in Joshua 9:1; 2, 16; 12:8; 15:33; Judges 1:9; Jeremiah 32:44; "low plain" in 1 Chronicles 27:28; 2 Chronicles 9:27; "plain" in Jeremiah 17:26; Obadiah 1:19; Zechariah 7:7; and "low country" in 2 Chronicles 28:18. the Revised Version (British and American) renders uniformly "lowland." As the word always occurs with the definite article, indicating a distinct district, it might have been well to retain it without translation. The boundaries of the district are clearly marked and include much broken country; the hills being low compared with the mountains to the East, but much higher than the plain that runs to the shore. If a translation was to be made, perhaps "lowlands" would have been the best, as applied to the "Lowlands" of Scotland, "which likewise are not entirely plain, but have their groups and ranges of hills" (HGHL, 203). In the wide sense the Shephelah included the territory originally given to the tribe of Dan, and also a considerable part of Western and Southwestern Judea. At an early day the tribes of Dan and Simeon were practically absorbed by Judah, and hence, we find in Joshua 15:1-63 many cities in the Shephelah which belonged to that tribe (LB, I, 211).
2. Districts and Features: (1) The sites of many ancient cities named in the Shephelah have been identified. They all lie within the strip of hill country that runs along the western base of the mountains of Judah, terminating in the North at the Valley of Aijalon. Once indeed the name appears to apply to the low hills North of this (Joshua 11:16, `the mount of Israel and its Shephelah'). Every other reference applies only to the South.
Principal G. A. Smith has pointed out the difference between the district to the N. and that to the S. of Aijalon (HGHL, 203 ff). "North of Ajalon the low hills which run out on Sharon are connected with the high mountains behind them. You ascend to the latter from Sharon either by long sloping ridges, such as that which today carries the telegraph wire and the high road from Jaffa to Nablus; or else you climb up terraces, such as the succession of ranges closely built upon one another by which the country rises from Lydda to Bethel. That is, the low hills west of Samaria are (to use the Hebrew phrase) 'ashedhoth, or slopes of the central range, and not a separate group. But South of Ajalon the low hills do not so hang upon the Central Range, but are separated from the mountains of Judah by a series of valleys, both wide and narrow, which run all the way from Ajalon to near Beersheba; and it is only when the low hills are thus flung off the Central Range into an independent group, separating Judea from Philistia, that the name Shephelah seems to be applied to them."
(2) On the East of the Shephelah, then, taking the name in this more limited sense, rises the steep wall of the mountain, into which access is gained only by narrow and difficult defiles. The hills of the Shephelah are from 500 to 800 ft. high, with nothing over 1,500. The formation is soft limestone. In the valleys and upland plains there is much excellent land which supports a fairly good population still. Wheat, barley and olives are the chief products. But ancient wine presses cut in the rocks testify to the culture of the vine in old times. The district is almost entirely dependent on the rain for its water-supply. This is collected in great cisterns, partly natural. The rocks are in many places honeycombed with caves.
The western boundary is not so definite as that on the East. Some have held that it included the Philistine plain. This contention draws support from the mention of the Philistine cities immediately after those of Judah, which are said to be in the Shephelah (Joshua 15:45 ff; these verses can hardly be ruled out as of a later date). On the other hand the Philistines are said to have invaded the cities of the Shephelah (2 Chronicles 28:18), which implies that it was outside their country. In later times the Talmud (Jerusalem, Shebhi`ith 9 2) distinguishes the Mountain, the Shephelah, and the Plain. See, however, discussion in Buhl (GAP, 104, n.; and G. A. Smith, The Expositor, 1896, 404 ff).
3. The Five Valleys: The Shephelah is crossed by five wide valleys which furnish easy access from the plain. These are of importance chiefly because from each of them a way, crossing the "foss," enters one of the defiles by which alone armies could approach the uplands of Judea. The hills of Judea are much steeper on the east than on the west, where they fall toward Philistia in long-rolling hills, forming the Shephelah.
(1) Vale of Aijalon: The most noteworthy of these is the Vale of Aijalon. It winds its way first in a northeasterly direction, past the Beth-horons, then, turning to the Southeast, it reaches the plateau at el-Jib, the ancient Gibeon, fully 5 miles Northwest of Jerusalem. This is the easiest of all the avenues leading from the plain to the heights, and it is the one along which the tides of battle most frequently rolled from the days of Joshua (Joshua 10:12) to those of the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 3:16 ff, etc.). It occupies also a prominent place in the records of the Crusades.
(2) Wady ec-Surar: Wady ec-Surar, the Valley of Sorek, crosses the Shephelah South of Gezer, and pursues a tortuous course past Beth-shemesh and Kiriath-jearim to the plateau Southwest of Jerusalem. This is the line followed by the Jaffa-Jerus Railway.
(3) Wady ec-Sunt: Wady ec-Sunt runs eastward from the North of Tell ec-Safieh (Gath) up the Vale of Elah to its confluence with Wady ec-Sur which comes in from the South near Khirbet Shuweikeh (Socoh); and from that point, as Wady el-Jindy, pursues its way South of Timnah to the uplands West of Bethlehem.
(4) Wady el-`Afranj: Wady el-`Afranj crosses the plain from Ashdod (Esdud), passes Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis), and winds up through the mountains toward Hebron.
(5) Wady el-Chesy: Wady el-Chesy, from the sea about 7 miles North of Gaza, runs eastward with many windings, passes to the North of Lachish, and finds its way to the plateau some 6 miles Southwest of Hebron.
From the Shephelah thus opened the gateways by which Judea and Jerusalem might be assailed: and the course of these avenues determined the course of much of the history. It is evident that the shephelah lay open to attack from both sides, and for centuries it was the debatable land between Israel and the Philistines. The ark for a time sojourned in this region (1 Samuel 5:6 f). In this district is laid the scene of Samson's exploits (Judges 14:1-20 through Judges 16:1-31). The scene of David's memorable victory over the giant was in the Wady ec-Sunt, between Socoh and Azekah (1 Samuel 17:1). David found refuge here in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). For picturesque and vivid accounts of the Shephelah and of the part it played in history see Smith,HGHL , 201 ff; A. Henderson, Palestine, Its Historical Geography, 1894.
W. Ewing
Shepher
Shepher - she'-fer (shepher, "beauty"): A mount near which the Israelites encamped (Numbers 33:23 f).
See WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Shepherd
Shepherd - shep'-erd (ro`eh, ro`i; poimen, "a feeder"): The sheep owner frequently tends the flocks himself (Genesis 4:4; 30:40; compare Ezekiel 34:12), but more often he delegates the work to his children (Genesis 29:9; 1 Samuel 16:19; 17:15) or relatives (Genesis 31:6). In such cases the sheep have good care because the keepers have a personal interest in the well-being of the animals, but when they are attended by a hireling (1 Samuel 17:20) the flocks may be neglected or abused (Isaiah 56:10-11; Ezekiel 34:8, 10; Zechariah 11:15, 17; John 10:12). The chief care of the shepherd is to see that the sheep find plenty to eat and drink. The flocks are not fed in pens or folds, but, summer and winter, must depend upon foraging for their sustenance (Psalms 23:2). In the winter of 1910-11 an unprecedented storm ravaged Northern Syria. It was accompanied by a snowfall of more than 3 ft., which covered the ground for weeks. During that time, hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats perished, not so much from the cold as from the fact that they could get no food. Goats hunt out the best feeding-grounds, but sheep are more helpless and have to be led to their food (compare Numbers 27:16-17); nor do they possess the instinct of many other animals for finding their way home (compare Ezekiel 34:6-8). Flocks should be watered at least once a day. Where there are springs or streams this is an easy matter. Frequently the nearest water is hours away. One needs to travel in the dry places in Syria or Palestine, and then enter the watered valleys like those in Edom where the flocks are constantly being led for water, to appreciate the Psalmist's words, "He leadcth me beside still waters." Sometimes water can be obtained by digging shallow wells (Genesis 26:18-22, 25, 32). The shepherd frequently carries with him a pail from which the sheep can drink when the water is not accessible to them. On the mountain tops the melting snows supply the needed water. In other districts it is drawn from deep wells (Genesis 29:2; John 4:6). The usual time for watering is at noon, at which time the flocks are led to the watering-places (Genesis 29:2-3). After drinking, the animals lie down or huddle together in the shade of a rock while the shepherd sleeps. At the first sound of his call, which is usually a peculiar guttural sound, hard to imitate, the flock follow off to new feeding-grounds. Even should two shepherds call their flocks at the same time and the sheep be intermingled, they never mistake their own master's voice (John 10:3-5).
The shepherd's equipment is a simple one. His chief garment is a cloak woven from wool or made from sheepskins. This is sleeveless, and so made that it hangs like a cloak on his shoulders. When he sleeps he curls up under it, head and all. During the summer a lighter, short-sleeved `aba or coat is worn. He carries a staff or club (see STAFF), and a characteristic attitude is to make a rest for his arms by placing his staff on his shoulders against the back of his neck. When an especially productive spot is found, the shepherd may pass the time, while the animals are grazing, by playing on his pipe (Judges 5:16). He sometimes carries a sling (qela`) of goat's hair (1 Samuel 17:40). His chief belongings are kept in a skin pouch or bag (keli) (1 Samuel 17:40). This bag is usually a whole tawed skin turned wrong side out, with the legs tied up and the neck forming the opening. He is usually aided in the keeping and the defending of the sheep by a dog (Job 30:1). In Syria the Kurdish dogs make the best protectors of the sheep, as, unlike the cowardly city dogs, they are fearless and will drive away the wild beasts. The shepherd is often called upon to aid the dogs in defending the sheep (Genesis 31:39; 1 Samuel 17:34-35; Isaiah 31:4; Jeremiah 5:6; Amos 3:12).
Figurative:
The frequent use of the word "shepherd" to indicate a spiritual overseer is familiar to Bible readers (Psalms 23:1; 80:1; Ecclesiastes 12:11; Isaiah 40:4; 63:14; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24; John 21:15-17; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:1-4). We still use the term "pastor," literally, "a shepherd." Leaders in temporal affairs were also called shepherds (Genesis 47:17 margin; Isaiah 44:28; 63:11). "Sheep without a shepherd" typified individuals or nations who had forgotten Yahweh (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Ezekiel 34:5, 8; Zechariah 10:2; Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34).
Jesus is spoken of as the good shepherd (John 10:14); chief shepherd (1 Peter 5:4); great shepherd (Hebrews 13:20); the one shepherd (John 10:16). "He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young" (Isaiah 40:11) is a picture drawn from pastoral life of Yahweh's care over His children. A strong sympathy for helpless animals, though sometimes misdirected, is a marked characteristic of the people of Bible lands. The birth of offspring in a flock often occurs far off on the mountain side. The shepherd solicitously guards the mother during her helpless moments and picks up the lamb and carries it to the fold. For the few days, until it is able to walk, he may carry it in his arms or in the loose folds of his coat above his girdle.
See also SHEEP.
James A. Patch
Shephi, Shepho
Shephi, Shepho - she'-fi, she'-fo (shephi; Codex Vaticanus Sob, Codex Alexandrinus Sophar; Lucian, Sapphei (1 Chronicles 1:40); or Shepho, shepho; Codex Alexandrinus Soph; Lucian, Sophan (Genesis 36:23)): A Horite chief.
Shephupham, Shephuphan
Shephupham, Shephuphan - she-fu'-fam or she-fu'-fan (shephupham; Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Sophan; Lucian, Sophan (Numbers 26:39 (43)); or Shephuphan, shephuphan; Codex Vaticanus Sopharphak, Codex Alexandrinus Sophan, Lucian, Seppham (1 Chronicles 8:5), "a kind of serpent," Gray, HPN, 95): Eponym of a Benjamite family. The name occurs in Genesis 46:21 as "Muppim" and in 1 Chronicles 7:12, 15; 26:16 as "Shuppim." It is almost impossible to arrive at the original form; the gentilic "Shuphamites" appears in Numbers 26:39 (43).
Sherah
Sherah - she'-ra.
See SHEERAH.
Sherd
Sherd - shurd.
See POTSHERD.
Sherebiah
Sherebiah - sher-e-bi'-a, she-reb'-ya (sherebhyah, "God has sent burning heat"(?); the form is doubtful): A post-exilic priest and family. Sherebiah, who joined Ezra at the river Ahava (Ezra 8:18; the Septuagint omits), and had charge, along with eleven others, of the silver and gold and vessels for the Temple (Ezra 8:24, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus Saraia, Lucian, Sarabias). He aided in the exposition of the Law (Nehemiah 8:7), was among those who made public confession (Nehemiah 9:4) and sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 10:12 (13)). His name also appears in Nehemiah 12:8, 24. In every passage listed above except 10:12 (13), Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus read Sarabia, Lucian, Sarabias. In 1 Esdras 8:47 the name appears as "Asebebia," the Revised Version (British and American) "Asebebias"; in 1 Esdras 8:54, "Esebrias," the Revised Version (British and American) "Eserebias," and 1 Esdras 9:48, "Sarabias." Many of the companion-names on the lists are plainly ethnic (Cheyne).
Horace J. Wolf
Sheresh
Sheresh - she'-resh, sharesh; Codex Vaticanus Souros; Codex Alexandrinus Soros, Lucian, Phares, Phoros): A Machirite name in a genealogy of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7:16).
Sherezer
Sherezer - she-re'-zer (Zechariah 7:2 the King James Version).
See SHAREZER.
Sherghat, Asshur, Assur
Sherghat, Asshur, Assur - shur'-gat, sher'-gat: The name of the first capital city of Assyria is known by the Arabs as Qala' at Sherghat, or the Fortress of Sherghat. Its ancient name was Asshur or Assur (Genesis 10:11 margin). From it was derived the name of the country, Assyria, and of the people, Assyrians. The date of the founding of the city is not known. Apparently about 2000 BC a colony of Babylonians migrated northward along the Tigris River and settled upon the right shore about halfway between the Upper and Lower Zab, or halfway between the modern cities of Mosul and Bagdad. Assur, the local deity of the place, became the national god of Assyria. It is uncertain whether the deity gave the name to the city, or the city to the deity, but probably an early shrine of Assur stood there, and the people, building their city about it, became known as the Assyrians. At first the city was a Bah dependency, governed by priests from Babylonia. In time, as the city acquired a political significance, the power of the priesthood declined; allegiance to Babylonia ceased, and the Assyrian empire came into existence. About 1200 BC the political power had so increased that a new capital, Nimrud (Calah) was built to the North near the junction of the Upper Zab with the Tigris. In 722 BC the capital was transferred by Sargon to his new city, Dur-Sharrukin, and in 705 BC Sennacherib enlarged Nineveh, and it remained the capital city till the fall of the empire in 606 BC. Assur, however, as the seat of the national deity, never ceased to be the chief religious center.
The mounds of Assur are among the largest in Mesopotamia. They rise abruptly from the Tigris, which they follow for about half a mile, and extend a quarter of a mile inland. In the surrounding plain are other mounds, marking the sites of temples, and indicating that a part of the city was without the walls. At the northern end the mounds are surmounted by a high conical peak, which represents the tower or ziggurat of the temple of Assur.
Of the early excavators Layard and Rassam examined the ruins, but the fanaticism of the surrounding Arabs prevented extensive excavations. In 1904 Dr. W. Andrae, for the Deutsche Orientgesellschaft, began the systematic excavations which have been continued by Dr. P. Maresch for ten years. Discoveries of the greatest importance have been made. The city was found to have been surrounded on the land side by a double wall. The space between the walls, several rods in width, was occupied by houses, possibly the homes of the soldiers. The base of the outer wall was of stone; above it were mud bricks strengthened at intervals with courses of burned bricks. Along the outer upper edge was a parapet, protected by battlements. From the floor of the parapet small holes were bored vertically downward, so that the soldiers, without exposing themselves, might discharge their arrows at the enemy close to the base of the wall. Many of the holes are still visible. The wall was pierced with several gateways; the names "Gate of Assur," "Gate of the Tigris," "Gate of the Sun God" have survived. At the sides of the gateways were small chambers for the guards, and from them passageways led to the parapet above. The gates were reached by bridges which spanned the moat. Along the river side the city was protected by a high steep embankment, which was built partly of limestone, but chiefly of square bricks laid in bitumen.
The temple of Assur at the northern end of the city has been thoroughly excavated. With its outer and inner court and tower it conformed in its general plan to the older Babylonian temples. Several of the palaces of the early kings were discovered, but the best-preserved of the palaces was one which the excavators have called the residence of the mayor. It stood near the western edge of the city on the main street which ran from the western gate to the Tigris. It consisted of two courts surrounded by chambers. Grooves in the paved floor conducted fresh water to the kitchen, the baths and the chambers, and round tiles beneath the floor carried away the waste water to the arched city sewer and to the Tigris. To the rear of the mayor's house was a crowded residential quarter. The streets were very narrow and winding. The houses were exceedingly small; in some of them one could not lie at full length upon the floor. Among their ruins appeared little but stone mortars and broken pottery and other essential household implements.
Near the southern end of the city a most remarkable discovery was made. About a hundred monoliths, from 4 to 8 ft. high, were found still standing erect. On the side of each one, near the top, was an inscription of several lines, dedicating the stone to some individual who had been of great service to the state. They were not tombstones; apparently they had been erected during the lifetime of the people whom they honored. Of the greatest interest was one which bore the name of Sammuramat or Semiramis, the once supposed mythical queen of Nineveh. Its translation reads: "The column of Sa-am-mu-ra-mat, the palace wife of Samsi-Adad, king of the world, king of Assyria, the mother of Adad-Nirari, king of the world, king of Assyria, the .... of Shalmaneser, king of the four regions." The inscription not only makes Semiramis a historical character, but places her among the foremost rulers of Assyria.
The tombs of the kings and nobles were found deep in the ruins in the very center of the city. They were rectangular structures of cut stone, covered above with a rounded arch of burned bricks. In some cases the massive stone doors still turned in their sockets. The roofs of many of them had fallen in; others, which were intact, were filled with dust. From the tombs a vast amount of silver, gold and copper jewelry and stone beads and ornaments were recovered.
One of the chief temples of the city stood at short distance without the eastern wall. Nothing but its foundations remain. However, the temple was surrounded by a park, traces of which still exist. The soil of the surrounding plain is a hard clay, incapable of supporting vegetable life. Into the clay large holes, several feet in diameter, were dug and filled with loam. Long lines of the holes may still be traced, each marking the spot where a tree, probably the date palm, stood in the temple park.
A modern cemetery on the summit of the main mound is still used by the neighboring Arabs, and therefore it will likely prevent the complete excavation of this oldest of the capital cities of Assyria.
See further ASSYRIA.
E. J. Banks
Sheriff
Sheriff - sher'-if (Aramaic tiphtaye' "judicial," "a lawyer," "a sheriff" (Daniel 3:2 f]): Probably a "lawyer" or "jurist" whose business it was to decide points of law. At best, however, the translation "sheriff" is but a conjecture.
Sheshach
Sheshach - she'-shak (sheshakh, as if "humiliation"; compare shakhakh, "to crouch"): The general explanation is that this is "a cypherform of `Babel' (Babylon)" which is the word given as equivalent to "Sheshach" by the Targum (Jeremiah 25:26; 51:41; the Septuagint omits in both passages). By the device known as Atbas 'atbas, i.e. disguising a name by substituting the last letter of the alphabet for the first, the letter next to the last for the second, etc., sh-sh-k is substituted for babhel. This theory has not failed of opposition. Delitzsch holds that "Sheshach" represents Sis-ku-KI of an old Babylonian regal register, which may have stood for a part of the city of Babylon. (For a refutation of this interpretation see Schrader, KAT 2, 415; COT,II , 108 f.) Lauth, too, takes "Sheshach" to be a Hebraization of Siska, a Babylonian district. Winckler and Sayce read Uru-azagga. Finally, Cheyne and a number of critics hold that the word has crept into the text, being "a conceit of later editors."
See further JEREMIAH, 6.
Horace J. Wolf
Sheshai
Sheshai - she'-shi (sheshay): One of the sons of Anak, perhaps an old Hebronite clan name. (Sayce combines the name with Sasu, the root sh-c-h, the Egyptian name for the Syrian Bedouins.) The clan lived in Hebron at the time of the conquest and was expelled by Caleb (Numbers 13:22, Codex Vaticanus Sessei; Codex Alexandrinus Semei; Joshua 15:14, Codex Vaticanus Sousei; Codex Alexandrinus Sousai; Judges 1:10, Codex Vaticanus Sessei; Codex Alexandrinus Geththi).