The 3ia-4'zXu« of LXX, Theod., ftnd Symm. has received almost as many varying interpretations as the original word itself. 'Quidam diapsalma commutationem metn dixerunt esse ; alii pausationem spiritus ; nonnulli alterius sensus ex- ordium. Sunt qui rhythmi distinctionem, et quia psalmi tunc teraporis juncta voce ad organum canebantur, cujusdam music® varietatis existimant sUentium' (Jer. ad Marcellam). It seems not unlikely that the true meaning is * an interlude ' : Hesycliius explains the similarly formed word iietiiktct of the fiute-playing in the inten*al between two choruses.
B. Jacob's * Beitriige zu einer Einleitung in die Psalmen ' (ZATW, 1896, pp. 129-182) is a very full discussion of the word. Denying the possibility of an etymological explanation, he reaches two main conclusions : (1) * '"^^ ? signifies a pause, whether in the temple song or for the temple song* ; (2) ' the meaning of 'D was purposely concealed to prevent the syna- gogues and perhaps also the churches from obtaining one of the privileges of the temple.' Briggs' article, quoted above, is marlied by great freshness in its discussion of the problem : see also under the word nVo in the Os^f. Beb. Lexicon.
J. Tayxor, SELA-HAMMAHLEKOTH (n\p\ntin y^p ; rirpaL i, liepiaBetaa ; Petra dividens ; ' the rock of di^^sion8 or escape,' RVm). — A rock or cliff in the wilder- ness of Maon, at which Saul ' returned from pur- suing after David ' (1 S 2S^). The ' rock of divisions' is the interpretation of the Jewish commentators {Midrash, Rashi), and is pronounced probable by Driver (Text of Sam. ad. loc); the 'rock of escapes' that of Gesenius (Thes. 485). The great gorge of W&dy MalAki, which runs eastward be- tween Carmel and Maon, would be a suitable position, and the name may be a corruption of the Hebrew by the loss of a guttural (Conder, PEF Mem. iu. 314). C. W. Wilson.
SELED (-1^;).— A Jerahmeelite, 1 Ch 2*>. The name occurs twice in this verse: B has, the first time, 'WaaXai ; the second time, SdXaS, which last is the reading of A both times.
SELEMIA. — One of the swift scribes who wrote to the dictation of Ezra (2 Es 14").
SELEUIAS CZfKtidoit), 1 E8 9»=Shelemiah, Ezr 10".
SELEUCIA (StXeiJrao, WH SeXet^xk), the great maritime fortress of Syria, was built by Seleucus Nikator. It ivas the seaport of his new capitjil Antioch, and in it he was buried. The town was situated on the southern slopes of Mt. Pieria, and on the level ground at its foot. On three sides it was protected by nature as well as by art ; and on the side of the sea, where the ground is level, it was strongly fortified. Seleucia was taken by Ptolemy Euergetes (1 Mac 11*), and afterwards (c. B.C. 220) recovered by Antiochus the Great. It was one of the most important mUitai-y stations of the Seleucidoe, and was greatly improved by the Romans. In St. Paul's time it was a ' free city ' — a privilege granted to it after its capture by Pompey. It was afterwards greatly favoured by the emperors, who enlarged the harbour, con- structed moles, etc. The geographical position of Seleucia, at the mouth of tlie Orontes valley, gave it great commercial importance. Thence ships sailed soutliward along the Syrian and Phoenician coasts to Egypt, and w^estward to Cyprus, the coast of Asia Blinor, and the Roman world. And it was in one of these trading ships that Paul and Barnabas, after coming down from Antioch, sailed for Cyprus on their first missionary journey (Ac IS'').
There are many remains of the old walls, temples, tlieatres, and other buildings of Seleucia. The walls of the inner harbour, now a morass, can be followed throughout ; the canal through which ships passed from the outer to the inner harbour can be traced ; and the piers of the outer harbour can still be seen beneath the sea. The most re- markable relic of Seleucia, however, is the great rock-hewn channel, partly a tunnel, which was apparently made to convey to the sea the waters of a stream that might, in times of flood, have endangered the city, and at the same time to store water for the use of the people (Chesney, Euphrates Expedition ; Conybeare and Howsou, Life and Epp. of St. Paul ; Baedeker, Guide to Svria and Palestine). C. W. WILSON.
SELEUCID^, the members of a Syrian dynasty founded by Seleucus, one of the generals of Alexander. They ruled over Syria from B.C. 312 to B.C. 65, their empire extending, when they were at the height of their prosperity, from Mesopotamia in the east to the borders of Greece in the west. The Seleucid era begins with Olym. 117, 1, A.tJ. 442, B.C. 312, and was very largely used, especially in the districts round the Euphrates and Tigris. The Seleucid year was usually regarded as beginning in autumn, out Schiirer (I. i. 30-44) argues in favour of spring. None of the Seleucidse are expressly named in any of the books of canonical Scripture, but in Daniel allusions are made to several of them, including the four kings bearing the name Seleucus. In the Books of Maccabees Seleucus IV. is mentioned by name. From certain references in Josephus' Antiquities, it has been commonly sup- posed that the Jewish historian had written a special History of the Seleucidse. Destinon, who in his Qudlen des Fl. Josephus, pp. 21-29, has investigated the subject carefully, decides against the existence of such a work.