MINNITH (n3p).—1. Jephthah smote the Am- monites ‘from Aroer until thou come to Min- nith,’ Jg 118 (B ἄχρις ᾿Αρνών, A els Σεμωείθ, Luc. Σεμενείθ)Π. According to the Onomasticon (s.v. ‘Mennith’) it was shown 4 Roman miles from Heshbon on the road to Philadelphia, but the name has not been recovered in this direction, which, as Moore points out, does not suit the requirement of the text that Minnith should be in Ammonite territory beyond Aroer, not in the immediate vicinity of Heshbon. A site called Minyeh is found south of Nebo, but this may be derived from another root, and in any case is much too far south. Tristram (Land of Moab, p. 140) could find no trace of Buckingham’s Menjah,
argon’s conten ΡΟΣ These anseriphons imply wit!
age in which they are
which was alleged to exist 7 miles east of Hesh- bon. 2. In Ezk 2717 ‘wheat of Minnith’ is speci- fied amongst the merchandise of Tyre which she traded in with Israeland Judah. Davidson (Comm. ad loc.) thinks there is something unnatural in the latter bringing an Ammonitish product to Tyre (but see Bertholet, ad loc., who appositely refers to 2 Ch 275). Cornill emends 3? ἘΠ to O83) OND ‘wheat, tragacanth’ (cf. Gn 37% 431). This corre- sponds with the LXX σίτου... . καὶ μύρων. C. R. CONDER.
MINT (ἡδύοσμον, mentha).—Mint is not mentioned in the OT, and only once in NT (Mt 25? || Lk 1142) along with dill, rue, and cummin, as a tithable product. ‘The ancient Greeks employed in medicine a plant called μένθος or μίνθη, which likewise bore the name ἡδύοσμον Ξε " the sweet-smelling,’ on account of its pleasant odour. It is believed by some to have been the peppermint, Mentha piperita, L. It is more probable that it was generic, and in- cluded M. sativa, L., the garden mint; M. viridis, L., the spear mint; M. sylvestris, L., the horse mint; and M. aquatica, L., the water mint; and perhaps M. Pulegium, L., the pennyroyal. <A patch of garden mint is cultivated near almost every house in Bible lands, and the fragrant leaves enter into many of their salads and cooked dishes. It is known in Arab. as na'na’. It is the only species now cultivated and eaten. MM. sylvestris grows wild everywhere by ditches and banks. 17. aquatica grows in water. It is less common than the other. JM. Pulegium is not uncommon in wet places. For illustrations from Rabbinical sources of the tithing of mint, see Wiinsche, Neue Beitrige, 291, 443. G. E. Post.
MIPHKAD, THE GATE (72927 πρὸ, RV Ham- miphkad ; πύλη τοῦ Μαφεκάδ ; porta judicialis).—A
gate near the east wall of Jerusalem during the rebuilding of the city walls on the return from the Captivity (Neh 381), Its position was somewhere between the northern portion of the Ophel wall and the Sheep Gate, i.e. somewhere east of the temple buildings and adjoining palaces. It can be deduced as follows : —
On the dedication of the city walls on their completion (Neh 12%), two great companies issued from the temple to the centre of the western wall of the city, and, separating near the Valley Gate, proceeded along the walls to the temple—one by the northern defences, and the other by the southern defences. The principal gates and towers they passed during their progress are enumerated. By the north they traversed the whole way along the wall, and, passing the towers of Hananel and Meah, and the sheep-gate, stood still in the prison- gate, 1.6. to the north of the temple. The other company traversed the southern wall, and, passing the dung-gate and the fountain-gate (near Siloam), came down from the wall, and went up by the stairs of the city of David, even unto the water- gate eastward, i.e. to the south of the temple.
In the account of the rebuilding of the walls (Neh 8) the same gates and towers are enumerated, and, in addition, all that portion of the wall to the east of Jerusalem, from the fountain-gate, the pool of Siloam, the armoury, to the court of the prison ; and another portion along the Ophel wall to the place over against the water-gate (of the temple) towards the east, and thence by the horse- gate and the east to the place over against the gate Miphkad, to the going up of the corner, unto the sheep-gate. This apparently indicates that the gate Miphkad, if not actually in the eastern city wall, was very near it, to the north-east of the temple.
The following passage seems to indicate that it was the place where the sin-offering was burnt
MIRACLE
outside the sanctuary, but inside the city walls: Ezk 4321 «Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin- offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place (miphkad) of the house, without the sanctuary.’
Miphkad has three meanings (Ges. Lex.): (1) A number, or numbers ; (2) a commandment or man- date ; (3) an appointed place. It is used in con- nexion with the chambers of the house of the Lord, and the oblations and tithes: e.g. by the command- ment (miphkad) of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of God’s house, certain men are appointed overseers (2 Ch 313%). It is used in connexion with David’s numbering of the people of Israel (2 S 24°, 1 Ch 215),