500
SHILOH
SHILOH
tines ; a pilgrimage is matle to it ' from year to year' (n:-?; d-C'D V2^' [of. P'] : so Ex 13", Jg 11** 21'*), for purposes of sacrilice, at the ' coming round of the days' (1» cf. Ex 34-=), i.e. at the arrival of the new year, when the pilgiimage of Ingathering (TCsjri in Ex. I.e.) was held ; Elkanali ami his household go up to it regularly (1-' 2''-"') from tlieir home — probably (see Ramaii, 6) either at Rfim-iillah, 12 miles to the S.W., or at Beit Rima, 12 miles to the W". ; and the youthful Samuel is presented there to Jahweh, to ministir before Him ( l^--^ 2" etc. ). Tlie sanctuary in which the ark is, is however no lon^'er, as in the Pent., a ' tabernacle ' or ' tent ' ('?"n) ; it is a fixed structure, a 'temple' (Sj-n P 3») or 'house' (I'-''"), with a 'door-post' (ni!>D 1') and 'doors' (mnSi 3"): see, further, Tabkrnacle. The representation in 1 S 1-4, taken as a whole, points to the existence of a luore considerable religious centre, and a more fully organized system of religious observ- ances, thau appear to be implied by the terms of Jg 21'"-'. The sanctuary of Shiloh is not, however, after 1 S 1-4, again referred to in the history ; and it seems in fact that, shortly after the events narrated in these cliaplers, it was de- stroj'ed, probably by the Philistines; inch.22(v."cf. with 14^), itmaj'be observed, the priesthood settled formerly at Shiloh appeals at Nob. The recollec- tion of this disaster was so vividly impressed upon the people's memory that long afterwards Jeremiah could refer to it as a token of what J " might do then to His temple in Jerusalem (Jer 1" ' But go ye now to my place [i.e. my sacred place], which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wicked- ness of my people Israel,' v.'*; 26' 'I will make this house like Shiloli,' v.') ; and it is alluded to also by a late psalmist {Ps 78'" ' He forsook the dwelling-place of Shiloh, the tent he liad caused to dwell among men'). It is indeed very possible that the narrative of this disaster formed the original sequel of 1 S 4"'-7', and that when the Book of Samuel assumed its present form it was omitted to make room for 7--S. Shiloh itself, however, continued to be inhal>ited ; for the pro- phet Ahijah, who promised Jeroboam the kingdom of the ten tribes, was a native of it (1 K ll-"^ 12" [ = 2 Ch 10"] 15^ ; cf. 2Ch 9=*) ; and Jeroboam's wife went there to consult him when her husband was ill (1 K W-*) : see also Jer 41».
_ Though a few mediBBval writers were acquainted with the site of Shiloh (Moore, Jiui'je«, p. 461 n.), it w;w i)nicticaliy un- known from the time of Jerome till it w:is rediscovered by Robinson, BRP ii. t!iiS-270. Ct. Sunley, A/> 231-3. Jerome spealts of the remains of an altar aa just visible there : Epi- taph. Pauice (iv. 2, p. 676, ed. Bened.), 'Quid iiarrem Silo, in qua altare dirutum hodieque nionstraturV ; Vimitiu ou Zeph l'*(iii. 1655), * vix oltarid fuudamenta monstrtiiitur.'
S. II. Driver.
SHILOH (!^^, Sam. .iSpi), Gn 49'". —i. In ex- amining the various interpretjitions that have been given of this passjvge, it will be convenient to take first those adopted by AV and RV, or admitted into RVm. There are four of tliem.
(1) ' Until Shiloli come.' — This rendering did not appear in any translation of the Bible before the 16th cent., though some authority for it might have been found in a fanciful Talm. passage, "f he Wyclif VSS followed the Vulg. {qui mittcnrliis est, reading apparently nh^) : ' till he come that sliall be (oris to be) sent.' Coverdale's Bible of 1535 has 'till the worthye come.' Seb. Munster's version (1534) was the first to treat the word as a name : quuusque vcniat Silo. John Rogers (1537) has 'until Sylo come.' Matthew, Tavemer, the Great Bible, and the Bishops' Bible all adopt it : ' till Shiloh come.'
The dithculty in the waj' of this rendering is to find a meaning for Shiloh as a designation of the Messiah. The only indication of a desire to make
it a proper name appears in the Talm. passags alluded to above. Sank. 986 : ' Rab said, The world was created only for the sake of David ; Samuel said. It was for the sake of Moses ; R. Yochanan said, It was only for the sake of the Messiah. What is his name? Those of the school of R. Shila say, Shiloh is his name, as it is said " Until Shiloh come." Those of the school of R. Yannaisay, Yinnon is his name, as it is .said (Ps 72'), Before the sun let his name be propagated (mnnon). Those of the school of R. Chaninah say, Chaninah is hia name, as it is said (.Jer 16"), tor I will give you no favour (Jianlna).' This attempt to connect the Messiah's name with that of some favourite teacher, of course renders the passage worthless as an authority.