BADGER, BADGERS' SKINS (d-n tnhn^h, my cxm '6rOth trMshim). — LXX. tr. ti'luUhim by vaKlvBiiia. and vivdiva, and Vulg. by ianthinm, whicli signifies sky-blue. Some ancient VSS translate the word black. There is, however, no etymo- logical rea-son for tliis.
Tlie badger, Melcs tnxus, L., is found in moderate numbers throughout Syria ami I'al., and p()ssil>ly in the Sin. desert. But it is not found in KuHicient numbers to make it probable that it could furnish material enough for the ujiper covering of the tabernacle (Ex 25' 20'^ 3."i'- " etc.). Such skins would be too light for the purpose, still more so for sandals (ICzk ItJ'". In tliis passage the Heb. has inJUlth alone, without 'Crolh. The AV has added
' skins' without italics. The RV has ' sealskins ' [m. ' porpoise-skins '] in all the passages). There is, moreover, no philological warrant in Heb. or cog- nate languages for the translation of theAVfiarfi/ers' skins. The Arab, for badger is ghureir, an&lcel- ard, and fanjal. None of these names has any connexion with tlh/ishim,. Tlie Arab, word tuhas signifies the dolphin. The Arabs of the Sin. desert use the skin of the Halicore Hemprichii, Ehr., a cetacean found in the Red Sea, for making sandals. This is called tiin, and the flesh of it is eaten. It is quite likely that the skin of the dolphin would be similarly used. It is no objection to the use of this hide for making ladies' sandals that it was coarse. Its firm texture would fit it for the use intended, and the currier's art would adorn it suit- ably for the high-bom wearers. Such durable and waterproof skins as those of the dolphin and halicore would be eminently appropriate for cover- ings of the tabernacle. Another species of the same genus, Halicore Tabemaculi, Russ., is also met with in the Red Sea, and could have furnished its quota of skins.
It is clear that the '6r6th tlh&shim, whatever their colour, were procurable in Sinai in quantities sufficient for making coverings to the tjibernacle, and were at the same time suitable for sandals. It is unlikely that seal skins (so the RV) were found in sufficient quantities, if indeed the word tih&shhn means that animal. It may be, how- ever, that it covers not only the dolphin, but tlie halicore, porpoise, seal, and other marine animals having a generaj resemblance to the dolphin type. In any case we may safely reject the badr/er. (See Davidson on Ezk 16'" and Dillm. on Ex 25°.)
G. E. Post.
B.SAN {viol Baidi-).— The name of a tribe other- wise unknown, which on account of its hostility to the Jews was utterly destroyed by Judas Mac- cabajus (1 Mac 5*).
BAG. — 1. B'p^;, D'y'irr 'V? ; ir-fipa ; bag for food, shep- herd's wallet, or scrip for a journey, made of a kid's skin with a strap fastened to each end so as to ban" from the shoulder, and holding one or two day? allowance of bread, raisins, olives, cheese, etc. ; one of tlie emblems of the pastoral and pilgrim life ; parent of the hunting-bag and portfolios of higher oHice. Into it David put the pebbles wlien going to meet Goliath (1 S 17"). Tlie command to dispense with it (Mt 1U'», Mk 6', Lk 9") meant for the disciples complete trust in those visited, in their message, and in their Master.
2. 0'3 (Arab, kij/), bag for merchant's weights, made of stout cotton, leather, or in the form of a flexible rush-basket. This bag is still a necessity with the Syrian jieasant or trader when selling from house to house his olive-oil, figs, graiie-sj^iip, cheese, etc. The special warning against false weights (Dt 25'», Pr 20'") was due to the fact that pebbles and odd pieces of metal were doubtless, then as now, used thus as weights, putting the purchaser at the mercy of the seller. Hence the Arab, proverb, ' The hand of an honourable man is a balance.'
3. B. for money, purse. In this connexion we have —
(a) D'j kff. Pr 1", Is 46", where the use of the commonest word for bag seems suggestive of waste.
(4) t5-in /utrit (Arab. Itaritut), 2 K 5-^, into which Naaman's gift was put. The occurrence of the same word in Is 3''' (AV 'crisping pins,' RV ' satchels ') would suggest that some kind of ornamentally-woven pouch or satchel was used.
(c) -iiif zerOr (Arab, ptrrat), something tied, either round about like a parcel, or at the neck like a pouch. The purse of the mod. Syrian peaxant is a little bag, sometimes of woven silk
232
BAGGAGE
BALAAM
tliread, but usually of yellow cotton. The open tiiouth is not drawn close by a string, but is gathered up by one hand, and then by the other the neck of the bag is carefully whipped round.
B<i, PCS*!, -A^,
The ceremony of tying and untying is still a quaintly arresting feature in its use. It was such a purse that was found in the sacks of Joseph's brothers, Gn 42*>. Job compares the irrevocable past to the purse with a seal on its string. Job 14". Unblessed prosperity is money in a bag \vith holes, Hag 1«. Similar to this zirGr or tied-bag was the ^aXXd;'T<o;' in Lk Xl^l'!?^, and in Jn 12" the 7\uo-cr6/coMoi', a term derived from the pouch for the mouth-piece of a musical instrument.