Essential to vegetable life, water is equally essential to animals and man. It is enumerated among the necessaries of life in Is 33", Sir 29^' 39". Among its uses may be noticed —
(a) Drinking. Here particular references are un- necessary, except to the water which flowed from the rock in Iloreb (Ex 17°'*) and Kadesh (Nu 20"). Next to the absence of water, the greatest of evils was water which for any reason had become un- drinkable. This was one of the Plaouks op Egypt (vol. iii. p. 889), and similar calamities appear in the Apocalypse (8" 11°). Israel had an experience of bitter water at Marah (Ex 15'^).
The explanation of the remedy used by Moses on this occasion is uncertain. Ttie tree may have had tlio natural propertv of purifying the water (see Sir 3a^). Various plants are used in liifferent parts of the world for a similar puqiose. Roscninuller {A. u. n. Morgenl. ii. 28 If.) nu'iiUons Nellnnaran in Coronianclel, Sassafras in Florida, and Yerva Caniani in Peru. It seems doubt- ful, however, whether any plant now growing in the Siimitic desert has such an effect, though Le88et>8 (L'uth)iv de i^xuz, p. 10) says he \\Vk» been told i)y Arab chiefs that a certain bitter thorn, growing In the desert, Is used by them in this way. Hurckhardt (TravfU in Stfria, 474) suggests that the berries of the plant called Oharkad {Pegantim rtttuutn) might have been employed, but other travellers have not found them
898
WATEE
VVATEE
eflectua! (Robinson, BRP i. 98 f. ; Ebere, Durch Gosen rum Sinai, 116t.).
The waters of Jericho were bad in Elisha's day (2 K 219- 2-), but no explanation save a miraculous one can be given of the remedy used in this case.
Drinking water nii^lit be fouled bj- the feet of animals (Ezk 32-- ^^ 34"). Certain bitter potions receive special mention, such as ' water of gall ' (Jer 8" 9" 23"), and the water mi.ved with the ashes of the golden calf (Ex 32-°). Water mi.xed with dust from the floor of the tabernacle was used in the ordeal of chastity described in Nu 5.
Water was not only dnink alone, but also mixed with wine (Ps 75«, Pr 9-, 2 Mac 152"). The incident of the making of water into wine at Cana is given as the earliest of the miracles of Jesus (Jn 2''"- 4''"'). Water for domestic purposes was usually drawn by women (Gn 24'^ Ex 2>«, 1 S 9", Jn 4') or by servants (Dt 29"). The Gibeonites were reduced to this menial ottice (Jos 9-'*). In Mk 14" || the unusual circumstance of a man bearing a pitcher of water enables the two disciples to recognize their guide. Supplies of drinking water were carried in skins, larger or smaller (see Bottle), and we hear also of vessels of earthenware and stone.
(6) Washing of clothes (Jer 13'), of the hands (Job O-™, Mt 27"), the feet (Gn 24^2 43-^ Lk 7", Jn 13'), and the whole person (Jtli 10' 12'). To ' pour water upon the hands ' is synonymous with being a servant (2 K 3"). In the ceremonial system of the OT, washings occupied a prominent place. The priests were washed at their consecra- tion (Ex 29^), and the Levites were sprinkled when they were set apart to their special duties (Nu 8'). There was a laver before the tabernacle, in which the priests washed their hands and feet before offering sacrifices (Ex 30"-=' 40'- ^>-^^). Special ablu- tions were required on particular occasions, such as the Day of Atonement (Lv 16^- "• ^). The sacri- •icial flesh was washed before it was burnt (Lv ^9. 13 §21) W'ashing was a frequent process for removing ceremonial defilement (Lv IP- 15°*- 17", Dt 23"). A specially interesting case is that of recoveiy from leprosy (Lv 14*-°). In connexion with leprosy and certain other forms of unclean- ness running water required to be used (Lv 14B.6.iio.6j. M i5i3_ j,-^ 1917) The 'water of separa- tion' used for sprinkling the unclean (Nu 19, He 9") consisted of running water mixed with the ashes of a heifer that had been burnt along with cedar wood and hyssop.
(c) Cooking, as in F.ik 24'.
(d) Medicinal Bathing (Jn 5'- *).
In E:tstern lands, where so much depends on the presence of water, the distress caused b3' drought is very great, and is often vividlv described in Scripture (Is 19', Jer 14', Jl l'-»). The same result follows when a water-sujiply is cut off, which was a common operation of warfare and siege. Jehosh- aphat and his allies stopped the wells of Moab (2 K 3"- =»). Holofernes did the same for Hethulia (Jth V- 8« 11'-). liezekiah, when besieged by Sennacherib, succeeded in reversing this proceed- ing, and in securing water for the besieged while the besiegers were deprived of it (2 Cli 32'-'', Sir 48"). When water is scarce from such causes, it has to be doled out carefully (La 5*, Ezk 4"- "). ' Water of affliction ' seems to mean a supply that is limited either from scarcity (Is 30*') or as a puMisliment (1 K 22=', 2 Ch 18»).
Water, though so necessary, is also a source of danger. It may cause death by suflbcation (2 K 8") or by ordinary drowning. Of the latter the Flood and the overthrow of the Egyptians at the Red Sea are the most notable Scripture instances. In the miracle of Christ's walking on the water (Mt H^W) we see this natural property for once overcome. Water may be destnictive from its force when agitav^l by storms (Ezk 27**-*', Wis