3. n«Dj nekijth. This w.as a substance or sub- stances carried by the Ishmaelite traders from GU^ad't^ Egyptian 37-). -^ a1"rM'is':^^' sent some as a present to Joseph 43"). It is asso- ciated ^n both^^^ages with balm and ladanum (see artt. on tbese words), and, in the latter, with honey, pistachio nuts, and almonds, which were products of Gilead proper. Some have sup- posed «.^-<5'M to be the same as the Arab 7UT^a a A
posed neKum w uc ui.<= =»."--. — 'iVJ-V .,;„,ilQr tn or vakdath. This is defaned as a plant similar to the turthith. The latter is defined by Avicenna as-' Pieces of rotten wood, with an astringent ta.te it is said that they are brought from
the desert. Its medicinal properties are astringent iisl) The plant is defined in the dictionaries as 'a slender, oblong plant, inclining to redness, servingtrastomachfc'included among medicines a plant of the sands, similar to a fun-us . . . iiavin.' no leaves.' ThU corresponds, with con- sSde accuracy, to the characteristics of Cyno- ZTum coccineuni, L., a parasitic, leathery plant. oT the order Balanophoracea:, with a crinison. club-shaped spadix, 3-4 in. long, and i in. to 1 in. ?l,Ud<! borne on a cylindrical stalk. It grows xn
SPIDER
SllKlT
611
»and on the coast, and in tlie salt marshes of the inferior. We have been unable to lind in the Arab, dictionaries sulliiient authority for the tr. ' f;uiu tragacanth ' (UVni On 37-^) for nnkd'nih and nakdnth. Moreover, the tragacanth bears no resemblance to the ahove description of tlie turthith. It has also a special name kcthtrd, ■which is defined as 'a liquid exuding from a tree in the mountains of BeirQt and Lebanon.' This is undoubtedly the qum tragacanth, which exudes from a number of the mountain species of Astra- jalus in Syria and other parts of the Orient as A. gummifi'r, Lab., A. echinus, DC, etc. The genus Astragalus is represented by over 120 species in Palestine and Syria. We are inclined to reject the idea of any connexion between naka'ath, naka'ath, and nik6'th. If by the former two were meant the Cynomorium coccineum, it would not have been an article of commerce important in the Egyptian trade. Could it be proved, wliich we believe impossible, that they meant tragacanth, the same remark would apply. The quantity exuded from all the Astragali of Lebanon and Hernion would not load a dozen camels. We have no reason to lielieve that it was ever more abundant. We incline, on the authority of the LXX in both the aliove passages (Sc^uiti.ua), to render the word nckoth ' (jerfumcs ' or ' aromatics,' which better expresses the Gr. than ' spices,' and corresponds to the grouping of articles enumer- ated. See, further, Ox/. Heb, Lex. s.v., and Literature there cited.
As to ni) nek6th (2 K 20" = Is 39'), the meaning is uncertain, although the context dcnianil.s some- thing like 'treasure.' Possibly the word is of Assyr. origin (see Oxf. Heb. Lex. s.v.): read then
Spices (apiiiaTo.) are mentioned in NT in con- nexion with the burial of our Lord (' Mk' 16^ Lk 23'« 24', Jn IQ"). In Rev 18" AV tr. d/iuMO" by 'odours,' RV ' spice,' m. ' Gr. atnomum.'
G. E. Post.
SPIDER.— Two words are tr" ' spider ' in A V. 1. r';;y 'akkdhUh (Arab, 'ankabut), dpdx"'?, aranai. In both the passagesin which this word occur.s (Job 8", Is 59°-') the allusion is to the gossamer web of the spider, as an emblem of frailty and speedy destruction, Bildad declaring that the hope of the wicked is as the spider's web (m. ' house ; cf. beit'ankabiH in Arab.), and Isaiah saj'ing that the tenuous web cannot be wrought into a garment. The number of species of spiders in Palestine and Syria is very large.
2. n'tc^ simamith (Pr 30-'). This word, from an obsolete root c;;' sdmam, 'to poison,' refers to some noxious, reputedly poisonous creature, which is probably some species of lizard (so RV ; see, furliier. Toy, Proverbs, ad loc.). The L.\X /ta\a- fiuirT)! signilies a newt, gecko, or spotted lizard. The latter may he the abu hurcis of tlie Aralis. Stcllio in the Vulg. signihes tlie newt or gecko. Several species of lizards frequent houses, as the gecko, wall lizard, green lizard, etc. See Chamkl- EON, Gecko, Lizaud. G. E. Post.
SPIKENARD (1-1} ncrrf, vipSn, narrlus). — A fragrant, essenti;i( oil, from Nrirdostachi/s Jata- mansi, DC, a plant of the order Valerianacem, growing in India. The shaggy stems, branching from their base, resemble the tail of an ermine. The perfume is procured from this part of the plant. It is called by the Arabs Sunhiil Hindi, the Indian Spike. It is mentioned 3 times in the OT (Ca 1" 4"- [pi. nUradim]^*), and once in the NT (Mk 14« II Jn l'«), where it is called i-dpSoj ri<rTi/[i). The root meaning of ^i.v<tr is fluid. AVm gives ' pure' or ' liquid nard,'and RVm 'genuine' or ' liquid nard,' or considers that pistic may be
a 'local name.' As the perfume is an oil, the etymological signilication is eminently appropriate, and shiiuld be retained. The Romans used it in this state for anointing the head. It was exceed- ingly valuable (Jn I.e.), that used to anoint Jesus' feet being worth about £12. Pliny gives 100 denarii as the value of a pound of it. That used for our Saviour must have been of a very superior grade. The tests of genuineness given by Pliny are lightness, red colour, sweet smell, taste which leaves a dry sensation but pleasant flavour in the mouth (HN xii. 26). G. K. Post.