BATHSHOA (1 Ch 2» 3»).— See Bathshkba, Shua.
BATTERING-RAM.— This instrument is first clearly mentioned in Ezk (4' 21^ 'rams'=Dn| kdrim). The Hebrews probably adopted it from the Assyrians, the great takers of cities. In its essence it was a stout pole, probably with a metal ferule or head, worked with a motion which was half a fall half a thrust against the wall. Protection for the
(From
BATTERINO-RAM.
k relief in tbe Britieb Mufieum.)
workers was supplied by placing it under a roofed shed or in a tower. The whole machine was often brought fonvard on wheels.
Perhaps, however, some rough machine was known in earlier times, and its use may be referred to in 1 K 20'* (' place [the engines],' RVm) and in 2 S 20^» ('all the people battered [D-n-nr'O] the wall to throw it down'). \V. E. BARNES.
BATTLE.— See "War ; and for the various batt !ea, consult their place-names, and the art. Israel.
BATTLE-AXE (fsp mappez, Jer 61"). —Perhaps the same weapon as the [battle]-hammer (tf-ES) of Jer 50^. The head of such a weapon made of copper has been found at Tell el-Hesy, the ancient Lachish, among the ruins of the ' First' city. (It is figured in art. AXE, second fig. on p. 206»). On the Assyrian relief in the British Museum, repre- senting the battle against the Elamites in which their King, Te-umraan, was killed, an Assjrr. soldier is shown using a weapon which might be a double hammer or a double axe, or a combination of hammer and axe, no doubt a m/ivpez.
The word lip sigor, in Ps 35', which is tr. RVm ' battle-axe,' is ratlier to be taken after AV and RV (text) as a verb. The marg. reading supposes a point- ing ■'J9. and an identification with the Hers, weapon adyapii mentioned by Herodotus and Xenophon. Che3'ne, however (tn/oco), gives "iJp=<ro->apu= 'dirk.'
W. E. Barnes.
BATTLE-BOW (Zee Q'" 10*).— See Bow.
BATTLEMENT.— See Fortress, House.
BAYYAI (-IS, AV Bavai, Neh 3").— In the days of Nehcniiali, Bavvai, the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, rebuilt a portion of the wall of Jerusalem, on the south-east of the city. He was of a Levitical family {their brethren, cf. v."). In v." he appears as Binnui the son of Henadad, and this is probably the correct form (Smend, Listen, p. 12). In LXX Be«i A, B(dtl B.
H. A. White.
BAY
BAY, the colour, occurs Zee 6»- '. See COLOURS. 'Bay' of the »ea, Jos 15»-* 18" {Ids/ujn, lit. ' tongue ') ; and RV turns ' creek ' irto ' bay ' Ac 27"' («4Xto«, ' bosom," ' lap '). J. Hastings.
BAT TREE (rn'f 'e^rdA). — The proper trans- lation »{ the only passage where this word oocurs (Ps 37") would seem to be that of HY, 'like a green tree in its native soil.' The rendering of the LXX, tiSpos Tou Aifidyov, assumes that "11 n is a clerical mistake for nx, a wholly unnecessary assumption. The guess, bay tree, of AV is still wider of the mark. G. £. Post.
BATITH (n:;).— The Heb. and cognate word in Sem. for the general term 'house.' Its etymology is doubtful, though referred (by Ges. Thes.) to a root ni3. Cf. Assyr. bitu, house ; Sab. n-D, na, a foTtrai, temple ; Palmyr. Kmapo da, is sepulchre (de Vogiid, Syrie centntle, 32, 64). In Aram, no is rendered spend tlie nii/ht. This word is found with construct relation (Beth) in freq. combination in proper names of places : Beth-el, Beth-barah, etc (see sep. artt.) It is also used as inclusive of a country or condition ; e.g. house of bondage (Dt 6*), hoxise of meeting (in Sheol, Job 30^) ; also in fig. expressions which do not appear in the Eng. version, for example Is 3", Ex 36'". It also desig- nates 'family 'in such passages bs house of Pharaoh (Gn 50*), fujuse of Lem (Ex 2'), house of Israel (Ru 4"). A few times it refers to the land of Israel as house of J' (Hos 8'). Its principal meanings seem to be (1) a place for halting, resting, or living ; (2) a family or tribe not nece.s.sarUy con- nected with any spot or place ; (3) a place and a family as closely related under the one term.
Bayith (AV Bajlth) occurs as a proper name in Is 15" ' He is cone up to B.' or (marg.) ' B. is gone up to the high places.' LXX gives us no help, reading \wfuj6e i^ iauroiij diroXelra* yb.p *cai Ari^utv. It is not improbable that n:z here is to be taken in it« common sense, and not as a projicr name. In that case we should render, with Delitzsch, ' They go up to the temple house.' Iba M. Price.
BAZLITH (n:Ss3 Neh 7**), Bazluth (reSsj Ezr 2" 'stripping ' = Basaloth, 1 Es 5"). — Founder of a family of Kethinim who returned with Zerubbabel.
BDELLIUM (nVn? bldClah, Gn 2", Nu 11').— BidClah is a word of exceedingly doubtful si;,'nili- cation: by some being interpreted a gum;* by others, a precious stone. t A\e are not, however, concerned with the translation, but with the original Heb. word. It seems improbable that a vegetable product should bo associated in the account of Eden with ' gold ' and the ' onyx ' (or 'beryl' in margin). The reference to the word in Na 11' helps to throw some light upon the nature of biddlah ; the ' eye ' of the manna is said to be like the 'eye' of oiMlah; and, as suggested by Sir J. W. Dawson, the substance must have been known to the Hebrews of tlie Exodus as having a peculiar lustre, and occurring in rounded grains of a greyinli colour 'like coriander seed' (Ex 10^')* These illustrations at once suggest the pearl, wliicli, though not a mineral, is a hard, stony substance, round in form, and with special lustre, much prized by the ancients as an ornament, abundant in the waters of the Persian Gulf,§ and in all probability