• But lhl» la vcrj- uncertain (c(. Frd. Delitzscti, PnUq. ISO t. ; Nildeke, XDIIO, iseo, p. 737). W. R. Smilti (Kinthip, 292) makea kalUih = ■ one closed in.*
riage (Dt 2u'), and for a year after marriage (Dt 24°, comp. Lk 14*). This points to the conclusion that in the case of adults the time of betrothal did not usually exceed a year.
For the relation of bridcCTOom to bride as typical of the spiritual relationship between j"" and Israel, and between Christ and the Church, see the article Bride. A. Plummer.
BRIDEGROOM'S FRIEND The Jewi.sh custom
of having a special ' friend of the bridegroom ' (6 <pi\os ToO vvfj.<piov) is alluded to only once in Scripture (Jn 3^), where John the Baptist is contrasting his own po.sition with that of Christ. His disciples must not be jealous of the success of Christ, for Christ is the Bridegroom who is the possessor of the bride, while John is onlj' the Bridegroom's friend, who prepares for the marriage, and has his reward in the joyous expression of tlie Bridegroom's satisfaction. The importance of the friend of the Bridegroom comes to an end when the marriage is over, but that of the Bridegroom con- tinues 1x) increase.
This ' friend of the bridegroom ' must not be confounded with ' the sons of the bride-chamber ' (ol i/Ioi ToC n'/i^iivos), who were very numerous (Mt 9'°, Mk 2'", Lk 5"). Indeed any wedding guest might be included in the expression, or even any one who took part in the bridal procession. The ' friend ' was somewhat analogous to our ' best man,' but he had far more onerous and delicate duties. Sometimes he took the place of a parent in negotiating the marriage at the outset. He was the chief agency of communication between the betrothed parties in the interval between espousals and marriage. He made the preparations for the wedding, and in some cases presided at the mar- riage feast. He conducted the married pair to the bridal chamber.
The custom of having groomsmen of this kind seems to have prevailed in Juda'a, but not in Galilee. In this, as in other things, the customs of Galilee were more moilest and simple. And it is worth noting that at the marriage in Cana of Galilee there is no mention of any Shoshcbhei/mi or groomsman, a point which conlirnis the accuracy of the narrative. Tlie ' ruler of the feast ' is evidently not the 'friend of the bridegroom,' for he compliments the bridegroom upon tlie pleasing surprise of excellent wine towards the end of the feast. Had he been the 'friend of the bridegroom,' the arrangements would have been his own, and his remark would have been different. When the Bapti.st speaks of the ' friend of the Bridegroom,' be is not in Galilee, and being a .Iud:ean his language is in accordance with Juda-an customs (see Ederslieim, Life and TiTnes of the Messiah, i. pp. 354, 355, and notes 603, 064).
Tlie Taliiuul frees the 'friends of the bride- groom' and all the 'sons of the bride-chamber' from the duty of dwelling in booths at the Feast of Tabernacles. Almost everj'thing is to give way to the duty of making glad the bridal pair. They are not to be made to fast or mourn ; and if in the wedding procession they meet a funeral, it is the funeral that must turn aside.
John the Bajitist came to make overtures from the Bridegroom to His ])cople (ol Mioi), to prepare tliem for espousal with Ilim, to present tliein to Him when any were ready, to point Him out to them (Jn l™'-). St. Paul claims to hold a similar othce in reference to his converts. ' 1 am jealous over you with a go<lly jealousy : for I es|)ousod you to one Husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ' (2 Co 11^). The time until the .SLMond Advent is the interval between betrothal and marriage ; and, until the marriage of the Lamb takes place, the apostle feels that he is in a
328
BRIDGE
BRING
larf'e measure responsible for the conduct of the bride. A. PluMMER.
BRIDGE.— The word is not found in OT or NT (although LXX of Is 37" has ica! eer,Ka ti<t>vpa.v), occurring only in 2 Mac 12" AV, in connexion with the siege of Caspis by Judas. The rarity of the bridge was due to the foU. circumstances: (1) Rivers often served as tribal boundaries and military barriers. (2) Most of the streams were torrents in winter that were apt to sweep away bridges, and in summer were easUy forded. (3) The roads on each side were not usually meant for vehicles, but were bridle-paths for such baggage- animals as camels, mules, and donkeys. Recent excavations have proved that at Nippur, in Baby- lonia, the arch of burnt brick was in use as early as 4000 B.C. (See BABYLONIA, p. 219".)
G. M. Mackie. BRIDLE.— See Bit. BRIERS. — See Thorns AND Thistles.
BRIGANDINE {fV> firySn, Jer 46* 51» AV).— A mail-shirt worn by a brigand, i.e. in its original sense, a light-armed soldier. RV has 'coat of mail.' See Breastplate. W. E. Barnes.
BRIMSTONE (nnca, e«o>').— Sulphur is one of the most widely distributed of mineral substances. It occurs in combination with various metals, forming «iulphurets and sulphates, and in combination with lime, producing gypsum ; it is also found in all volcanic countries, often in a pure state and in large masses ; as, for example, in Sicily, Italy, Volcano (one of the Lipari Islands), TeneriflFe, Ice- land, etc. The exhalations of volcanoes include, generally, sulphurous acid and sulphurated hydro- gen, two gases which, if moist, readily decompose each other into water and sulphur. In Palestine sulphur is present in most, if not all, of the hot springs which break out along the valley of the Jordan and Dead Sea, while gypseous bands are abundant amongst the deposits which form the terraces of the valley, and were portions of the bed of the Jordan valley lake at a time when the waters of the Dead Sea stood at a level of several hundred feet above its present surface.* On the east side of the present lake there are several hot sulphur springs, the most important of which are the Zerka Ma in (Callirrhoe) and Wady Ghuweir.t The former, described by Josephu8,J has a maxi- mum temperature of 143° F. according to Canon Tristram. § On the western side of the Dead Sea there are several sulphur springs, sometimes rising at the margin of the waters, such as those of Shukif , near 'Ain Jidi, and S. of Wady Khuderah, and at Wady Maharat ; all these have a high temperature.il The Hammamat near Tiberias are well known, and are still largely used for the cure of rheumatism and other disorders. The temperature as determined by Anderson reaches 143° F.; the waters are highly sulphurous. 11 Next to the above the most import- ant sulphur springs near the Jordan valley are those of the Yarmuk, N. of Uram ^^eis (Gadara), described by Robinson ;** the temperature reaches 109° F., and the remains of the Roman baths are still standing. There can be no doubt that the high temperature of the springs in the valleys of