That a large Jewish population existed in C. is evident from Ac 6* ; and it is rather strange that Cilician Jews are not mentioned in Ac 2'"". The existence of Jewish colonists in the Seleucid cities of C. would be in itself highly probable, for they were always the most faithful and trusted adher- ents of the Seleucid kings in their foreign settle- ments ; and the Cilician Jews are alhided to by Philo, Leg. ad Gaium, § 36 (ii. p. 587, Mang.). St. Paul had the rights of a citizen of Tarsus (which see), as he mentions in Ac 21^ ; these rights must have been inherited, and they imply, beyond doubt, that there was a colony of Jews forrainfi part of the Tarsian State. An interesting memorial of the religious influence exerted by the Jews in C. is attested by the society of Sabbatistai, men- tioned in an inscription, probably dating aliout the time of Christ, which was found near Elaioussa and Korykos (see Canon Hicks in Joum. of Hellenic Studies, 1891, pp. 234-236) ; this society was evidently an association of non-Jews in the
Sractice of rites modelled, in part at least, on udaistic ceremonial.
Literature. — Cilioia is very sli":htly described in MoiLmsen, Provinces 0/ Rom. Emp. (Uoyni^me Geschichte, vol. v.) ch. viii. See Marquardt, limninche Stautxverwattung, \. pp. 379-392; Kanisay, Uui. Gcog. Asia Minor, pp. Stil-Syf ; Bent and Uickl in Joiim. of Hellenic Studies, 1S90, op. 231-254, 1891, pp. 209- 273 ; Sterrett, \Vol.fe Exped. in .4 na Minor, pp. l-12ft ; Lan^lois, Explor. A rchiol. de la Cilicie (1857), and I oyaae daru la (^icit (IbbO) ; Davis, Lije in Asiatic Turkey (1879) ; Kotschy, Reitt in den cilici^chen Taurus iiber Tarsus (1858) ; Barker, Vilicia and its Governors (1863) ; Ritter, KUinasien (1859), ii. pp. 66-236 ; Heberdey and Wilhelm in Denkschri/ten der Akadjnnie, Wien, 1898. W. M. RAMSAV.
CINNAMON (I'lDjp kinTi&mdn, Ktvviiuoiwv, cin- namomum). — The identity of name makes it impossible to mistake the substance intended. It was early kno\vn to the Hebrews, as it entered into the composition of the holy anointing oil (Ex 30'^). It is represented as being used to perfume a bed (Pr 7"). The Oriental women use musk for a similar purpose. Like other tropical plants, it seems to nave been cultivated in the botanical gardens of Solomon (Ca 4"). It is the product of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Nees, a plant of the Laurel family, indigenous in Ceylon and other E. India islands, and in China. The tree attains a height of 30 ft., and has panicled clusters of white blossoms, and ovate, acute leaves. The cinnamon is the inner bark, separated from the outer, and dried in the sun, in the shape of cylindrical rolls. The best oil is obtained by boil- ing the ripe fruit. In Rev 18" it is enumerated among the merchandise of the Great Babylon.
G. E. Post.
CIRCLE. — In AV c. means the vault of heaven. It occurs Is 40^ ' It is he that sitteth upon the c. of the earth,' i.e. the c. overarching the earth {im, also in Job 22", AV and RV 'circuit,' RVm 'vault'; Pr 8" AV 'compass,' RV 'circle'); and Wis 13^ 'the c. of the stars' {kvkXos darpuv, BV ' circling stars,' RVm ' c. of stars ').
J. Hastinqs.
CIRCUIT occurs 4 times in AV, 1 S 7>« (a late and doubtful passage ace. to which Samuel went on circuit [335] to various high-places). Job 22" (jm RVm and Amer. RV 'vault,' i.e. the vault of heaven), Ps 19' (ncip?, of the sun's course in the heavens), Ec 1* (3';p, of the circuits of the wind). Besides retaining these instances, RV substitutes ' made [make] a circuit ' for AV ' fetch a compass ' in 2 S 5^ (where for MT Dcn read with Driver and Budde DD), 2 K 3», Ac 28" (jrepteXSii-res, RVm ' cast loose,' following WH irep«X4>Tes). See COMPASS.
J. A. Selbie.
CIRCUMCISION (n^iD Ex 4^, «p.To/i7) Jn 7*" etc.). — The cutting oB' of the foreskin, an initiation rite or religious ceremony among many races, such aa the Jews, Arabians, and Colchians in Asia, the Egyptians, Mandingos, Gallas, P'alashas, Abys- sinians, and some Bantu tribes in Africa, the Otaheitans, Tonga Islanders, and some Melanesiana in Polj-nesia, certain New South Wales tribes in Australia, and the Athabascans, Nahuatl, Aztecs, and certain Amazonian tribes in America.
In Egypt its practice dates back at least to the 14th cent. B.C., and probably much farther. The circumcising of two cnildren is represented on the wall of the temple of Klionsu at Karnak. The re(^ord of the invasion of Egypt by Mediterranean tribes in the time of Merenptah states that as the Aquashua (supposed to be Achaians) were circum- cised, their dead were not mutilated by the Egyptians, except by cutting off a hand (Lepsius, Den km. iii. 19).
Like other mutilations, such as tattooing, catting off a linger-joint, filing or chiselling out of teeth, the operation may be a tribal mark. In all these there is the twofold idea of a sacrifice to the tribal god, and the marking of his followers so that they may be known by him and by each other. The sacrifice is a representative one, a part given for the re-
CIRCUMCISIOX
CIRCUMCISION
443
demption of the rest. Stade {ZA W, 18S6) has col- lected a number of notices from many peoples, from which he infers that circumcision is not so much a mark of membership in atribeas initiatiunintumnn- 4oo(/andacquircmeutof thefull rightsof citizenship. However originated, the rite is said to have been ap|)ointed by God as the token of the covenant between Him andAbraham.shortlyafter Abraham's sojourn in Egypt. It was ordained to be performed on himself, on his descendants and slaves, as well as on strangers joining themselves to the Ileb. nation (Un 17'- etc. Ex 12" both P), to signify their par- ticipation in the benefits of the covenant and their acceptance of its obligations. It was practised by the Jews during their captivity in Egypt (Jos 5° D-), but discontinued in the wilderness. Even Moses neglected to circumcise his son (Ex 4** JE). On this occasion Zipporah recognized the cause of God's displeasure, and removed the reproach by operating (Ex 4^). She thus showed her acquaint- ance witJo the ceremony ; and as she called Moses on this account a hatknn of blood, which may mean one brought into a family by a blood-rite, it has been conjectured that the Jews received the rite from the Midianites. There is, however, no evidence that this was so, and it is contrary to the whole weight of tradition. As women were not permitted by the Rabbins to circumcise, the case of Zipporah is explained away in the Tosephta on Ex 4 as meaning that she caused Moses to operate.