of some powerful and political nations'; p. 231 ' there is little doubt tliat the ancient builders 01 the ruins in Mashonaland, the forts and towns between the Zambesi and the Limpopo, utilized the Sabi river as tlieir road to and from the coast. This, like other African rivers, was in ancient times suitable for large craft, but, through silting, is no longer fit for it (p. 231). It does not api)ear that epigraphic research lias as yet thrown any light on this name. U. S. Margoliouth.
SEBAM (Dji? ; Xepafti ; Sahan).—A town in the
Sastoral district, ' a land for cattle,' in which [eshbon, Elealeh, and Nebo were also situated (Nu 32^). It is apjiarently the same place as Sibmah, which was in the territory of Reuben, and was rebuilt by the children of Reuben (Jos 13", Nu 32^). Sebam probably soon fell into the hands of the Moabites, in whose possession it was in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah. It was then celebrated for its vines, which were destroyed by 'the lords of the nations' (Is 16*-', Jer 48'-). Jerome {Onom. s. ' Sabama ') calls it a to^vn of Moab in the land of Gilead, and says that it was barely 500 paces from Heshbon {Com, in Is. v.), and one of the stron" places of the district. It is perhaps Sumia, on tne south side of Wddif Hesb&n, and 2 English mUes from Heshbon. There are here some ruins, rock-hewn sarcophagi, and rock-cut wine-presses {PEF Mem. East Pal. p. 221).
C. W. Wilson. SEBAT C^a^ir) 1 Mac 16", or SHEBAT(o?f)Zec 1'.— The eleventh month ; see Time.
SECACAH(np3p; B Aix'ofi, A 2oxox<l ; Sachacha). — One of six cities situated in the 'wilderness' (midbdr) of Judah (Jos 15"'), that is, in the waste land west of the Dead Sea. It was unknown to Eusebius and Jerome (Onom. s. 'ZaKxi, Scacha), and there is no clue to its position. Conder (Ubk. to Bible) identifies it, doubtfully, with Khurbet ed- Dikkeh, also called Khurbet es-Sikkeh, ' ruin of the path,' 2 mUes S. of Bethany. This is too near Jerusalem. Secacah was probably between the Kidron ravine ( Wddy en-Ndr) and En-gedi.
C. W. Wilson.
SECHENIAS (A Sex^'as)-— 1- (B om.) 1 Es 8« = Shecaniah, Ezr 8', where the text needs rearrang- ing to agree with 1 Esdras. 2. (B ElexovLm), 1 Es 8*"= Shecaniah, Ezr 8».
SECOND COMING.— See Paeousia, vol. iii. p. 674.
SECT.— See Heresy, vol. ii. p. 351.
SECD (13^?, with the article ; B A> ti? St^ef, A iw SoKxw)- — A plaice mentioned only in 1 S 19^. It was not far from Ramah (Samuel's residence), and apparently on the road from Gibeah to that place. In or near it there was a large cistern (RV'the great well' [Vnsn ni2], RVm 'the well cf the threshing floor ' [pS.i '3, LXX ippiarm toO 4Xw]) which Saul passed on his journey. The place is unknown, and its site depends upon the position assigned respectively to Gibeah and Ramah. Several identifications have been proposed : for instance. Sir A'ebala, near Gibeon (Smith's DB), Khurbet Shuweikeh, a little S. of Bireh (Conder, PEF Mem. iii. 52, 126), and the ancient reservoir at Solomon's Pools (PEFSt, 1898, p. 17), but this last is dependent ujion an improbable site for Ramah (see above, p. 198"). The LXX (B) i^ t^ ^eipel implies the Heb. -tifij = ' bare height' (often in Jeremiah). This is preferred to MT by Thenius, Driver (Text 0/ Sam. ad. loc), LOhr, H. P. Smith, and recent writers in general.
C. W. Wilson.
SECUNDU8 (2«oC»Sot [TR], Z4icouy6ot [WH,
SECURE
SEIR
429
IJldi.s]). — A man of Thessalonica, who accompanied St. I'siul from i'liilippi to Europe (Ac 20''), probably one of tlie aposiks of the Lhurclies taking the Macedonian contributions to Jerusalem, Ac 24", 2 Co 8^. The name (with Sosipater) occurs in the well-known inscription of Thessalonica, CIG ii. lyUT, which gives a list of Politarchs.
A. C. Headi-am.
SECURE. — As tised in AV 'secure' means 'con- fident,' 'trustful,' 'not anticipating danger.' It is always in OT the tr. of n;; to trust, confide, or gome of its derivatives. In NT it occurs only as a verb, and only in Mt 28''' 'And if this come to the governor's ears, we will jjcrsuade him, and secure you,' where the Or. is v^ids d^epiiipovs iroii)- eofjifv, i.e. ' make you free from care,' which corre- sponds e.\actly with the derivation of the Eng. word (Lat. securiis, i.e. se 'free from,' and cura ' care '). Cf. Jg 18' ' they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure.' How greatly the word has changed its meaning may be seen from Jg 8" ' Gideon . . . smote the host: for the host was secure.' Davies (Bible Eng. p. 103) quotes from Sandys (p. 210), 'There is no where any place wherein it is safe to be secure.'
Securely (I'r 3=», Mic 2', Sir 4'") has the same meaning. And so also security in 2 Es 7°*, Sir 5' ; biit in Ac 17' ' when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go,' this word is used in its modem sense (Gr. rb Inaviv).
J. Hastings. 8EDEKIAS (Ze««(as, AV Zedechias), 1 Es !«• (LXX "), Zcdckiah king of Judah.
SEDDCTION.— See art. Ceimes AND PUNISH- MENTS, vol. i. p. 52J''.