¢ The lot, presumably, would be taken in the usual way, the names of the two men being written on tablets, and shaken in a vessel, and he whose tablet first leapt ont being regarded as divinely designated (Ly 168, Nu 2655, Pr 1685), So late as 1781 the Moravians decided by lot the question whether they should retain their own organization, or be incorporated with the Lutherans (Gloag, én /oe.). Wesley also had a predilection for sortilege (Southey, Life of Wesley, 1. 136, 187). Mosh.(Comm. Sac. i, 14) and others (Gagneius, doubtfully, Salmeron) maintain, chietly on the ground of ἔδωκαν instead of ἔβαλον in ν.36, that the election was by ballot. But this view harmonizes neither with Jewish usage nor with the context (‘show of these two the one whom Thou hast chosen *); and while αὐτοῖς in v.29 is the correct reading, the rendering ‘for them’ is legitimate.
§ The objection of Stier, that St. Luke here avoids the ex- pression ‘ Twelve Apostles,’ is hypercrit
| It is noteworthy that the ancient Syriac translation of Eus, substitutes Zolmai and the ancient Armenian version Bar tolmai (Bartholomew) for Matthias (when referring to him as one of the Seventy), embodying probably a very early local tradition that Matthias bore this atditional name, Seo Nestle in Expos, Times, ix, 568 (Sept. 1898). This Tolmai or Bartholo- mew may have been a brother or other relative of Bartholomew the Apostle, to avoid confusion with whom the other name Matthias would commonly be used. Or perhaps this Syriao
306 MATTITHIAH
MAUZZIM
nael, owing to the two names having nearly the same meaning.* A tradition preserved by Niceph. Call. (AZ ii. 40) represents Matthias as labouring in Ethiopia ; and in the apocryphal Acts of Andrew and Matthias + (assigned to the 2nd cent.), Matthias evangelizes the Ethiopian man-eaters, from whom he is delivered by St. Andrew. See ANDREW. Another ancient tradition assigns to Matthias Jerusalem as scene of ministry and place of burial (Pseudo-Hipp. in Combesis, Auct. Nov.).
The Gnosticism of Basilides, or of his followers, was professedly based on the παραδόσεις of Matthias, wigak the Basilidians held to embody instruction secretly received by Matthias from our Lord (PAilo- sophowmena, vii. 20). This work is probably iden- tical with a Gospel of Matthias referred to by Origen (Hom. in Lue. i.) and by Eus. (HE iii. 25), who includes it among spurious works cited by heretics under names of the apostles.
LiTrRATURE.—The commentaries on Acts quoted above; Lipsius, Apver. Apos.; Seufert, Zwolfapost.; Bp. Beveridge, Works, vol. i.; Theolog. Repos. i.; Congreg Mag. xxvi.; J. Cochrane, Dificult Texts, 1851 (regards Matthias el-ction as unwarranted).
H. CowAn.
MATTITHIAH (7:nn>).—1. One of the sons of Nebo who had married a foreign wife, Ezr 109 (B Θαμαϑιά, A Μαθθαθίας, called in 1 Es 95 Mazi- tias). 2. A Korahite Levite who had ‘the set office over the things that were baked in pans,’ 1Ch 9% (LXX Ματταθίας). 3. A Levite of the guild of Jeduthun, who ministered before the ark with harps, ete., 1 Ch 158-2! 25%-2! (in all these the Heb. form is wap; B has in the first two respectively Ἰμματαθιά, Merra@las, and in the last two Marraéias; A has in the first three Ματταθίας, and in the last Mar@las). 4. An Asaphite Levite, 1 Ch 16° (Marra@las), 5, One of those who stood at Ezra’s right hand at the reading of the law, Neh 8* (Marraéias), called in 1 Es 9* Mattathias).
J. A. SELBIE.
MATTOGK (πϑππρ, δρέπανον, 1 S 13-21, say, ἄροτρον, Is 735; Arab. ma'wil, a pickaxe).—The pickaxe used
Ma' WIL OR PICKAXE.
in Syria is of different shapes, but the most common has a long arm for breaking up the ground, and a
tradition originated in a confusion occasioned by a possible early anticipation of the double later identification (1) of Bartholomew with Nathanael, and (2) of Nathanael with Matthias—a confusion which might lead to Matthias being identified with a Bartholomew.
* John Lightfoot had previously (Com. on Ac, in loc.) regarded this identification as tenable, but preferred on the whole to identify Nathanael with the Apostle Bartholomew.
1 So the oldest MS, which Tisch. follows; some later MSS substitute Matthew for Matthias. Lipsius, however (Apocr. Apos. iii. 258), regards these Ethiopian traditions as really re- ferring to Matthew.
1 Some fragments of the wapaderus are preserved by Clem. Alex., and indicate a high moral tone ; ‘ When the neighbour of an elect person falls into sin, the elect one sins himself ' (Strom. vii. 18). ‘We must contend with the flesh, and in our treat- ment of it yield nothing in the way of wantonness to its crav- ing’ (ἐδ. iii. 4). The reference in the Philos., however, indicates that the work countenanced Gnostic speculations.
short broad one, like a small axe, for cutting roots. In ploughing, the plough is always fol- lowed by one or two men with pickaxes, breaking the large clods of earth turned up by the plough- share, or digging up the ground which cannot be
miririt OR HOR.
reached by the plough. The hoe (Arab. mijrdfat) is also used both for digging and for filling baskets with earth for removal. The shovel (rufsh or mir- fashét) is sometimes used. The RVm of 15 137 is the same as the Arab. Version. W. CARSLAW. MAUL. —In Pr 25% the Arab. Version gives mikma at for maul (79). It is a stick for striking a person on the head as a mark of disgrace, but it may also mean a club. Clubs are always carried by the shepherds of Lebanon, slung from the wrist by a thong or cord. The head of the club is round and heavy, and is sometimes studded with iron spikes. The common name for it in Lebanon is bis; in E Pt nabit. In Jer 51” the Heb. yep is tr. in ‘battle-axe,’ and in the marg. ‘maul.’ In the Arab. VS it is fa’s, an axe, not very unlike 72> in sound. W. CARSLAW.