Mecca balsnm, the product of Balsamodendron (Hlenden.ie, Kth., and B. Opobalsnmum, Kth., has the weight of tradition in its favour. Jos. {A7it. viii. vi. ti) says that the Jews believe that the queen of Sheba, who doubtless had botanical gardens in many places, gave Solomon a root of it ; and we have evidence that it was cultivated in the lower Jordan Valley. Tristram says, ' From Jericho Cleopatra obtained plants for her gardens at Heliopolis ; an imperial guard was placed ovei the gardens, and twice was the balm tree exhibited in triumph in the streets of Rome.' It has, however, now disappeared. The product of these trees is known in Arabic by the name of balasAn, from which BaKatxnov, bnlsnmum, balsnm, and balm are probably derived. The balasAn tree is defined by the Arab, lexicographers as ' a certain kind of tree or shrub, resembling the camphire (f^cnnn), haWng many leaves, inclining to white, in odour resem- bling the rue, the berry of which has an oil wliich is more potent than the berry, as the berry is than the wood.' Avicenna speaks of its properties and virtues at length, and quotes Dioscorides to the etlect that the tree 'grows only in the country of the Jews, which is Palestine, in the Ghor.' He probably alludes to the plantations in the neighbourhood of Jericho, but is mistaken in supposing that this was the only or the principal station for the tree. That Avicenna does not confound it with the ma.stich is clear from the fact that he presently says that ' some prefer to mix this unguent (gum) with other unguents (gums), as unguent of the green berry, and unguent of camjihire (henra), and unguent (gum) of the mastich tree.' IJalm of Gileaa was formerly much used even in Europe, but it has now passed out of the pharmacopoeias.
The monks of Jericho have adopted the zaklcvm, Balanites ACgyptiaca, Del., as the Balm of Gilead. They prepare an oily gum from the frtiit of this species, which is sold in tin cases to travellers as the Balm of Gilead. It is said also to be beneficial in the treatment of wounds and sores.
G. E. Post.
BALNUUS (A ^aXvovoi, B BoXvoCs), 1 Es 9»».— BlNNUl in Ezr ICF', which see.
BALSAM.— See Balm.
BALTASAR (BaXracrip), the Greek form of Bel- shazzar in Dn 5 etc., Bar 1"", and alsn of Belte- shazzar, Un 4, etc. Clearly, the names are confused in ignorance ; for while Vulg. renders both names promiscuously by Baltassar, Syr. renders both by Blitshatsar. Codex A in Dn presents Kapraaap.
J. T. Marshall.
BAMAH (Ezk 20-'>') is the Heb. name for 'High Place ' (wh. see), and is retained by the EV in the second half of this verse on account of tlie etymology given in the first half. It is obviously a contemptuous derivation that the prophet means to suggest ; but the precise point of it cannot be clearly ascertained. The word is resolved into its syllables, and these appear to be identified re- spectively with two words meaning ' come ' and ' what ' ; thus : ' What (Mah) is the Ba-mah where- unto ye come (Ba) ? ' Ewald and others hav^ supposed that the verb ' come ' (or ' enter ') is used in an obscene sense, with an allusion to the immoral practices associated with the worship at these sanctuaries (cf. Am 2', Hos 4'") ; but this view, even if adopted, does not remove the obscurity of the verse. A parallel may be found in the derivation of the word for ' manna' in Ex 16'^ (see KV). J. Skinner.
BAMOTH (n'C3), Nu 21'»» a station in the journey from the Arnon to the.jordan, probably the same as Bamoth-haal, Nu 22" RVm ('the high places of Baal ' AV, RV), to which Balak brought Balaam. Bamoth-baal is mentioned in the list of cities belonging to Reuben (Jos 13") along with Beth-baal-meon, and both being seats of Baal- worship they may be included in ' the high places ' of Is 15- ; but the reference here is doubtful (cf. Dillmann's note on the verse in his Isaiah). rD3 ni, mentioned on the Moabite Stone, 1. 27, as restored by Mesha, may be the same as Bamoth. For its position see ExoDUs, Route of.
A. T. Chapman.
BAN (A mv, B TAatviv), 1 Es S^".— The head of a family which could not trace their descent from Israel at the return under Zerub. The passage is corrupt. The corresp. name in the lists of Ezr 2"" Nell 7°^ is Tobiah ; but in both of the can. books some MSS of the LXX insert a name viol Boid, of w hich Ban may be the equivalent.
H. St. J. Thackeray.
BANAIAS (Boralas) 1 Es 9» = Benaiah Ezr 10«.
BAND. — Three words of difTerent ori^n and meaning but the same spelling are all found in AV. 1. Band = anything ths.t binds, whether for confinement or for strengthening. The Heb. words are (a) nijj^ 'Sbhvth, something twisted or twined. Job 39'" ' Canst thou bind the unicorn (RV ' wild-ox ') with his band ? ' Hos \\*'l drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love ' ; so Ezk 3=»48; but tr'' 'cords' Jg 15"- ", Ps 2» 118»' 129''. It is the word tr'' 'voreathen (work)' in Ex 28"- 22- "• =» 39">- "■ '». (6) ni=x 'rsur (-h=k '(sur, Dn 4'»- », Ec 7»«), anything that will bind' whether a flaxen rope or an iron fetter. Jg 15" ' his (Samson's flaxen) bands dropped from off his hands ' ; Dn 4'' ' a band of iron and brass,' so Dn 4-'', Ec 7^. (c) S;;n liebhel, a rope or cord, not for binding (though Ezk 27", Job 41', Est 1*) so much as for use on board ship (Is 33^), for fasten- ing tents (Is 33^), and especially for measuring, a measuring-line (2 S 8"^, Ps 78" etc.). In AV liehhel is tr^ ' bands' only in Ps 119'" ' the bands of the wicked have robbed me' (wliere 'bands' no doubt = ' troops,' by mistrans" ; RV 'The cords of the wicked have wrapped me round ') ; and Zee 11'- ", the name of one of the two st^aves, ' Bands,' representing the brotherhood between Judah and Israel, the other, 'Beauty,' representing the covenant made with all the i)eople. (d) npio mOt/ih, the pole or chief part of the yoke that binds the oxen together. In AV only Lv 26", Ezk 34=' (RV 'bars'), (e) '^'^'pj} harzvbbnh only in iihi.= blinds. Is 58' 'to loose the bands (RV 'l)onds')of wickedness' ; or pains, Ps 73'' 'there are no hands in their death.' (f) "ipto mo^cr, properly some