could be but a superficial process. It was to be 'for a testimony.' Moreover, there is nothing in the Gospel to suggest an unconditioned equality of Jew and Gentile. The supposition is rather pro- bable that the editor assumed that such Gentiles as became Christians would do so as proselytes of the Jewish - Christian Church. They were to be ' made disciples,' that is to say, to be merged in the Jewish-Christian Church. If they had not the fitting wedding garment, they would be excluded from the Kingdom ; and the garment probably symbolizes, in the editor's mind, the ' righteous- ness ' which was to be greater than that of the Pharisees, only as being based upon a deeper insight into the spiritual intention of the Mosaic Law, which by no means permitted any relaxation of its obligations.
Here again we must, as it would seem, make some allowance for over-emphasis, due partly to artificial arrangement of Christ's sayings, partly to a limited insight into their true scope and meaning, which was due to past religious training. Some lapse of time, some clearing of spiritual vision by the actual facts of life when Christianity came into contact with pagan peoples, was needed before it could be realized that if Christianity was intended for the Jew first and also for the Greek, it never- theless was to include them both in a position of absolute equality, and to appeal to men without resi^ect to differences of race or creed. See also Gospels, Logia, Luke (Gospel), Mark (Gospel), Papias, Sermon on the Mount, etc.
Literature.— Willoughby C. Allen, Com. on 'St. Matthew' in ICC, 1907 (see List of Authorities on p. Ixxxixff.); Th. Zahn, Das Evangelmrn des Matthdus, 1903, the same author's Forschungen f. Gesch. d. NT Kanons, 1881-1903, Gesch. d. NT Kanons, 1888-1890, and his Einleit. in das NT, 1897-1899; H. J. Holczmann, Handko7n. 'Die Synoptiker,' 1901; Wellhausen, Das Evangelmrn Matlhoei, 1904, the same author's Skizzen u. Vorarbeiten, 1899, and his Einleit. in die drei ersten Evangelien, 1905 ; A. Merx, Das Enangelium Matthdus, 1902 ; Burkitt, The Gosjifil History and its Transmission, 1906 ; the Comm. of Broadus (1887), Morison (1875), Alford? (1874), Schanz (R. C, 1879), Meyer-Weiss (1898), Maclaren (1892), A. B. Bruce (in EGT, vol. i.). See also Scholten, Das Aelteste Evangelium, 18j69 • Renan, Les ^vangiles, 1877; Roehrich, La composition des Evangiles, 1897 ; Bruce, With Open Face, 1896, pp. 1-24 ; Sir J. C. Hawkins, Horoe Synopticce, 1899; Dalman, Die Worte Jesu [Eng. tr. 1902]; P. Wernle, Die Synopt. Frage, 1899 ; F. Blass, Textkritische Bem-erk- uwjen zu Matthdus, 1900 ; the Introductions of Hilgenfeld, S. Davidson, Bleek-Mangold, Westcott, Salmon, B. Weiss, H. J. Holtzmann, Jiilicher, Godet ; artt. 'Matthew' (by J. V. Bartlet) in Hastings' DB and ' Gospels ' (by Schmiedel) in EBi. Special points are dealt with in such works as Resch's ' Kindheitsevan- gelium' in TUx. 5; Hoelmann, Bibelstudien (on the Eschato- logical Discourse), 1860 ; Weifferbach, Der Wiederkunftsgedanke Je.su, 1873 ; Schwartzkopff, Die Weissagungen Jesu Christi, 1896 [Eng. tr. 1897]. WiLLOUGHBY C. AlLEN.
MEALS. — The prevalent custom amongst the Jews in the time of Jesus was to have two formal meals in the day. Both these are referred to more than once in the Gospels by the terms dpicrov and deiTTvov (cf. Lk 14^^, where both words occur in the same context), and we know from these writings that it was to either of these meals that guests were invited to partake of the festive hospitality of their friends (cf. 14^'^ IP' 14'^^-). Besides these, it was customary to have an informal meal at an early hour of the day (aKpaTLfffia. or dpLcrrov irpuiCv6v), which was a very light repast, consisting of a piece of bread, or bread with some accompanying relish, such as oil or melted butter (Robinson, BEP^ ii. 18). This meal is only once referred to in the NT (Jn 21'2-i5), and there the word used is the same as that which occurs in the Lukan narrative of Jesus ' dining ' (dpicxTdv) in the Phari- see's house (Lk 11^").
It is probably this meal which 'the virtuous woman' of Proverbs rises so early to provide (Pr 2933 [LXX] = 3115 [Heb.]), and which at the present time constitutes the breakfast of the populace in Palestine. It is, moreover, probable that it is this meal which is called in the Talmud the ' early snack ' (nnn?* ns).
MEALS
^lEALS
loi
though Edersheim refers this descriptive title to the apiarToyi of the NT (see his Life and Times of Jestis the Messiah, ii. 205 n. * ; cf. also Plummer, 'St. Luke,' in Internal. Crit. Com. on Lk
113').
The mid-day meal, corresponding somewhat to the modern luncheon, was partaken of at hours varj'ing, according to rank and occupation, from 10 a.m. till noon (Shabbath, \Q'i). It was partaken of immediately after the busmess of the forenoon was concluded, whether in the market-place (Mk T''), in the synagogue (Edersheim, vol. ii. p. 205 ; cf. 1 K 13'), or during the heat of the middle of the day, when the labourers were compelled to desist from their field work (cf. Ku 2'^). Josephus informs us that the Jews were required by their Law to make their breakfast (apiiTToiroLelcrdaL) at noon on Sabbath days ( Vita, 54, cf. also Gn 43'^- -^ and 2 S 24'^, where the LXX has ews (ipas dpia-rov, which is rendered by Pesh. ' till the sixth hour '). This, too, was genei'ally a meal of a simple character, consisting of bread with parched corn, the former being moistened with a little vinegar (Ku 2^^), or of bread broken down into a bowl of pottage, together witli some weak or diluted wine {ard/j.i'ov o'ivov K€K€pafffj.€vov, Bcl ** [LXX, Swctc's cd.]). Fish grilled by laying it upon the hot charcoal (dvdpa.Kid.) was also a common article of food accompanying the bread (see Jn 21*]|i-