BORDER
BOSOM
219
The Scriptures used in tlie svn fall of Jerusalem were iirobably
ynagogues up to the ly leather rolls, or at least rolls of skins tanned in some way ; but papyrus rolls were in very general use. Parch- ment was in use also, as we see from 2 Ti 4", but probably also in the roll and not the codex form. The distinction between the books (tA /Si^Xta) and the parchments (rds tif/jL^pdi/as) in the passage just referred to was, in all probability, simply one relating to the material used and not to the form of the manuscript, althougli it is not absolutely certain at what date parchments began to be folded instead of rolled.
The word ' book' i.s not always used in a strictly technical sense. In Mt 1' ' The book of the genera- tion of Je.sus Christ ' means simply the record of, or writing about, the genealogy of Jesus. There is no reason to think that St. Matthew meant it to be understood that the genealogy formed a little roll by itself. Again in such expressions as ' the book of life ' (altliough that expression does not occur in the Gospels), it is evident that the writer is speaking figuratively. Our Lord said to His Apostles (Lk 10™), ' Rejoice because your names are written in heaven ' ; and in the OT (Ex 32^-) there is express mention of a book which God had written : 'If not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.' The connexion of the expression 'book of life' with the words of our Lord to His Apostles, and with the daring yet splendid utterance of Moses, is obvious enough. To say that names are in ' the book of life ' and ' the Lamb's book of life,' is to say that those bear- ing these names are accepted and accounted as members of the heavenly kingdom here and here- after.
The word ' book ' is used in its technical sense of an actual roll or volume in Mk 12-«, Lk 3^ 4"- "« 20''2, and Jn 20*. It is noteworthy that in Mk 1226 the writings of Moses are called not ' the books,' but simply ' the book.'
The books mentioned in Ac 19" as having been brought by their possessors and burned, were probably, many of them at least, simply amulets, spells, grammata Ephesia, little strips of parch- ment with words professedly of magical value written on them.
Literature.— Coram, on the NT ; art. ' Writinij' in Hastings' DB and in the Enoyo. Biblica ; Scliurer, HJp, Index, s.m. ' Books," ' Scriptures ' ; Sanday, Inspiratim, 157, 297 ; Kenyon, Handbook to TexlvM Criticism of NT, ch. ii.
Geo. C. Watt.
BORDER (Gr. KpdaweSoi' for Heb. n's-s).— This word plays a signihcant part in the Gospels (Mt yaj 1436 235, Mk e"*, Lk 8"). When Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus' little daughter, a certain woman who had an issue of blood twelve years came behind Him and touched the ' border ' (' hem ') of His garment (t-oO KpaaiviSov toC Ifiarlov) and was healed (Mt 9-"-", Lk 8", Mk V,^). In Mt 143» we read of many sick ones who sought liealing in the same way. Again, in that reiii;irkable denuncia- tion of the scribes and Pharisees which constitutes the climax of one of uur Lord's most striking discourses. He makes this charge among otliers : 'All their works they do to be seen of men : they make broad their phylac-tiTies, and they enlarge the borders of thetr ;f„'niir„/.s ' (Mt 23^).
What is this ' liorder of (lie garment ' that plays such a role? Clearly in our Lord's time the Jews had come to attach great importance to it. To them it was the chief of three 'sensible signs,' or material reminders, of their obligations under the Law, the other two being the Phylacteries (tephiUin) and mi'zilzuth, oblong boxes fixed above the door-posts, on which Dt 6*-" and llia-21 were written, accordinn to the directions there given. The Law lir.st required (iJt 22'-) that 'twisted
cords' (Heb. ,7w/A?fiMi, incorrectly ren<lered 'fringes' by AV and RV) be formed upon the four corners ('four borders,' RV) of the mantle or 'outer gar- ment.' This thing termed jrerf/»7«)i acquired later the special name zizith, — it is so rendered by the Targum in Dt 22'". The same law is found in the Priestly Code in expanded form : ' And the Lord spake unto Moses saying. Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (zhith, KpasTveSa) in the borders' (more correctly ' tas.sels in the corners,' RVm) 'of their garments throughout their generations, and that tliey put upon the fringe of each border (i.e. 'the tassel of each corner') a cord of blue' (Nu
15^7. 38)_
The 'twisted cords' of Dt 22'= were clearly intended to be fastened to the four corners of the outer garment (usually called simldh). The Priestly Code, however, further called for a ' tassel ' to be attached to each corner by a cord of blue. Now, it is to these 'tassels' that the Gr. trans- lators give the name KpiaireSa — the term exclusively used in the NT. The simlCth was worn like the Gr. liia.Ti.ov (the NT equivalent), the loose end being thrown over the left shoukler. The ' tassel ' attached to this corner, then, could be reached with ease from behind, as in the case of the woman with the issue of blood (Mt 9'-").