iv. Probable Conclu.sions. — The scantiness and ambiguity of the only really trustworthy evidence, the Scriptural, obliges us to be content with merely probable conclusions. The only con- clusion that seems to be certain is that Jerome's theory is false. The claims of the two other theories are nearly evenly balanced ; nevertheless, it appears to us, after weighing the opposing argu'- ments to the best of our power, that there is a slight but perceptible preponderance of Scriptural, and a much more decided preponderance of his- torical, evidence in favour of the Epiphanian theory.
Literature. — Jerome, adversus Helvidium-; Epiphanius, adversns Aittidicomarianitas (adversus Ucereset, iii. 2) (both important) ; Pearson, On the Creed ; Mill, Accounts of our Lord's Brethren vindicated ; Schegg, Jakobus, der Bruder des Herm ; Schanz, Comment, iiber Mt., Mc, Lc; Meyrick, art. 'James' in Smith's DB; Sieffert, art. 'Jakobus,' and Zockler, art. 'Maria' in PRE^; Lightfoot, Galatians, pp. 25'2-291 ; Mayor, Epistle of St. James (v. ff.) and art. 'Brethren of the Lorti' in Hastings' DB; art. 'Clopas' in Encyc. Bibl.; Farrar, Earli/ Daps of Christianity, ch. xix. ; Patrick, Jamxs the Lord's Brother, 1906,
p-^«- C. Harris.
BRIDE, BRIDE - CHAMBEB, BRIDEGROOM, BRIDEGROOM'S FRIEND.— See Marriage.
BRIMSTONE (burning stone or sulphur [Seiov, commonly derived from deZos, 'divine,' either be- cause sulphur was used for religious purification, or because lightning— the bolt of the gods— emits a sulphurous odour: others connect it with eiw, 'agitate,' ci.fiimus, 'smoke']). — Its use in Scrip- ture in the imagery of Divine judgment is founded on the story of the destruction of .Sodom and the
cities of the Plain (Gn 19"-28),
which the Gosp
Mk 6", Mt 10'*
of Divine judgment
tastrophe to pels frequently refer (Lk 17-"-' 10'-, 5 1123. 24) i'i)g story of this tragedy judgment casts its lurid li^ht all down Sori|iture history, and has coloured Christian be- lief in its presentation of the Divine wrath. The imagery of 'tire and brimstone' appears in the prophets and the Psalms as an impressive metaphor of heaven's most pitiless judgment, wliile the story itself is often recalled both in the OT and in the NT. In the Book of Revelation it is a notable feature in the description of the Apocalyptic ridel's (9"- '^), that their breastplates are of tire and brim- stone, and from the mouths of their horses proceed the same dread emblems of wrath ; while no more impressive figure can be found to describe the final doom of the wicked in the end of the ages than that they shall be cast into the ' lake of fire and brimstone,' there to be ' tormented day and night for ever and ever' (Rev W 20'" 218).
J. Dick Fleming. BROOK (Jn 18'; RVm 'ravine, Gr. winter tor- rent,' xf'/"«Ws) is the usual LXX equivalent of '^nj, and seems to correspond in meaning \vith the Arab. «'af/y = ' valley,' but, more particularly, the watercourse in the bottom of the valley. The winter rains, rushing down from the mountain range, have hollowed out great channels westward, towards the Mediterranean. Much deeper are the gullias eastward, where the descent ls steeper, towards the Jordan. Most of these are quite dry during the greater part of the year. Although some are called 'rivers,' e.g. Nahr el-'Avjeh, in the Plain of Sharon, and the ^ishon, while others, such as el-'Amud, which crosses the Plain of Genne- saret, and el-Yarmuk, which comes down from the eastern uplands, draw abundant supplies from perennial springs, yet ' brook ' more accurately de- scribes them.
The Kidron contains water only after heavy rains. It is the one ' brook ' mentioned in the Gospels. Over it Jesus passed from the upjier room to Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal.
The name jilip, from mp> is usually referred to the dark colour of the stream or ravine. The various forms of the name in Gr. are toD xilpou, rotj xilpuv, and tuv xApuv. WH in 'Notes on Select Readings,' after reviewing the evidence, conclude in favour of tuv xi^pm. ' It probably preserves the true etymology of pilp, which seems to be an archaic (? Canaanite) plural of "n^ " the Dark [trees] " ; for, though no name from this root is applied to any tree in Bib. Heb., some tree resembling a cedar was called by a similar name in at least the later lan- guage (see exx. in Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. 1976); and the Gr. xthpiK is probably of Phcenician origin.' They suggest that isolated {latches of cedar forests may have survived from pre- historic times. Lightfoot quotes (Chorag. Cent. 40) a Talmudic reference to two gigantic cedars standing on the Mt. of Olivea even in the latest days of the Temple (Jerus. Taanith, fol. 69. 1), which may be taken as supporting this view.
The valley begins in the wide hollow between the city and Mt. Scopus on the north. Turning southward, and passing under the eastern battle- ments, by a deep ravine it cuts off Jerusalem from Olivet. It is joined by the Valley of Hinnom, and thence, as Wacly en-Ndr, ' Valley of Fire,' it -Nvinds Aowa an ever deepening gorge, through the Wilder- ness of Judsea, to the edge of the Dead Sea. The name Wady er-Bdhib, 'Valley of the Monks,' attaching to part of it, oomes from the convent of M.ar Saba, built on the right-hand face of the gor"e, a sort of reformatory for refractory monks, in tlie midst of the wilderness.