The Philistine marauders made Lehi their head- pte for attacks upon the Hebrews of the
istriet ; the name of the place was suggestive ; and tradition attached to it the story of Samson’s exploit with the ‘fresh jawbone’ (/éhi) of an ass. Popular etymology explained Ramath-lehi, Jg 15", ‘the height (from rm) of Lehi,’ as the place where Samson threw away (ramah) the jawbone; a hollow basin in the hill-side, shaped like a ‘ mortar’ (maktésh v.¥, ef. Zeph 14, Pr 27), which held the water of the ‘Partridge Spring’ (‘én hakkdre’, ef. 1S 26%, Jer 17"), became the spring which God
| eranted when Samson called (kara) for help in
his exhaustion (see EN-HAKKORE). Thus the legend was founded upon the popular explana- tion of these names; indeed the word wba v, 16 might mean either ‘in Lehi’ or ‘with a jaw- bone’ (Moore, Judges 347). It is noteworthy that the exploit of Shammah, one of David's mighty men, also took place at Lehi, 2S 234 (see above), and bears considerable resemblance to the story of Samson. Cf. also the story of Shamgar, Jg 3°. G. A. COOKE.
LEMUEL (5x05 or Sxizb).—The name of a king otherwise unknown, to whom his mother addressed the words recorded in Pr 3155. Most moderns understand Pr 30! (see RVm) to imply that Lemuel was ‘king of Massa’ in Arabia; where lived the descendants of Massa, the son of Ishmae: men- tioned in Gn 25, 1 Ch 1% See Acur. The name Lemuel may be compared with Jemuel in Gn 46°, or Nemuel 1 Ch 4%; and in meaning with Lael, a man consecrated ‘to God,’ in Nu 8: (see Gray, Heb. Prop. Names, 207).
W. T. DAVISON. LENDING.—See Dest.
LENTILS
LEPROSY 95
LENTILS (oxy ‘dddshim, φακός, lens). —The authority of the LXX and Vulg., and the identity of the Arab. ‘adas, make it certain that the grain intended in the four passages where ‘dddshim occurs (Gn 25%, 2S 1738 234, Ezk 4%) is the lentil, Ervum Lens, L. Itisan annual, of the order Leguminose, with pinnate, tendril-bearing leaves, of 5-6 pairs of oblong-linear leaflets, 1-4-flowered peduncles, white corolla, and ovate-rhombie, 1-2-seeded pods half an inch long. The seeds are lenticular, with a reddish outer coat. They are cultivated everywhere in the East. They are usually stewed with onions, rice, and oil, or small bits of meat and fat, and seasoned to the taste. This dish, which is known as mujed- derah, is universal among the poor. It is by no means unpalatable, and is common enough on the tables of the rich also. The colour of it is a darkish-brown. It would seem that it was red in Esau’s day (Gn 25). The term red, however, is a somewhat indefinite one in the East, and applies to a number of shades of red and brown. It was ‘ Ῥο Βεο of lentils, similar to if not identical with mujedderah, for which Esau sold his birthright (v.*). Lentil flour is still made into bread in Egypt by the very poor, as in ancient times (Ezk 4°). G. E. Post.
LEOPARD (123 ndmér, πάρδαλις, pardus).—A well- known animal, Felis pardus, L., still called nimr in Arab., a name which, however, it shares with the tiger. It is a fierce carnivorous creature, often attaining a length of 4 ft. from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail. It is a type of ferocity (Is 11°). It is exceedingly agile, ante swift in its attacks (Hab 18). A four-winged leopard is used as a type of the Macedonian, or, according to another interpretation, of the Persian Empire(Dn7°). Itis specially noted for the patience with which it waits, extended on the aig of a tree, or a rock near a watering-place, erpenie its prey, on which it springs with a deadly precision. Hence ‘a leopard shall watch over their cities’ (Jer 5°), and ‘as a leopard by the way will I observe them’ (Hos 137). The black spots on the yellow ground of its fur (Jer 13) make it one of the most beautiful of animals. The skins sometimes sell in Syria and Palestine for as much as £10. They are used as rugs and saddle covers. Some dervishes wear a leopard’s skin over their back. Leopards are still found in Lebanon (cf. Ca 48), thongh rare. One was shot near Kefr Matta, within 15 miles of Beirft, in the winter of 1866-7, after it had killed 60 goats. A young one was taken at Bano, about 15 miles north of Tripoli, the same winter. One was seen at Jisr el-IxAdi, about 10 miles from Beirfit, a year or two before. They are not rare along the Lit&any (Leontes), and in the Antilebanon, and the ravines which open into the Jordan Valley. Another species of leopard, Felis jubata, Schreb., the eal or hunting leopard, the fehd of the Arabs, is found in Galilee and Gilead. It is occasionally domesticated, and used by the Arabs for hunting. Both Nimr and Fehd. are names commonly given to boys, as emblems or presages of strength and valour.
The word ndmér, in its feminine form nimrah, and its plural form nimrim, is several times used in the names of places, as ‘ Nimrah’ and ‘ Beth- nimrah (Nu 32***), now Nahr Nimrin, and the “waters of Nimrim’ (Is 158, Jer 48%), and ‘the mountains of the leopards’ (nimrim, Ca 48). The leopard is also alluded to in Sir 28% and Rev 13%.