and fishing did not afford employment, they en- gaged in trades, as in dyeing at Magdala, weaving at Arbela, and pottery manufacture at Kefr Han- anyah. Though despised by the people of Jerusalem, Naphtali was itself becoming a centre of learning, and, even before the Christian era, had given birth to one in the direct line of succession as transmitters of the oral law or traditions of the elders (Mt 15^) — Nitai or Mattai of Arbela — who has left us this saying, which is almost characteristic of the people : ' Remove from a bad neighbour, have no partner- ship in evil, and despair not of reward' {Pirke Aboth i. 7).
3. Christ's sojourn. — Our Lord's settlement in the lands of Naphtali began probaVjly about Janu- ary of the year A.D. 27 (Mt 4^^), a short visit of ' not many days ' having been made before the previous Passover (Jn 2'^). The time of sojourn would then extend till Sept. A.D. 28— a period of about 20 months ; but this was broken in upon by circuits in Galilee (Mk 1**, Lk 8l-^ Mt 9='^ Mk 6«), to Tyre and Sidon (Mt 15^M, to Decapolis (Mk 7^^), to Ciesarea Philippi (Mt 16"), and a visit to Jeru- salem to the Passover ( Jn 5^). In virtue of Christ's being asked for and paying tribute in Capernaum (Mt i7^), we niay conclude that He was recognized as a citizen there ; and the light thrown on this transaction by the Talmud enables us to infer that He had Vjeen domiciled in Najjhtali one year before the 15th Adar fjreceding the request for payment (cf. M. Shekalim i. 3 ; Baba Bathra i. 6 ; Sanhedrin 112«). As the circuits through Galilee took place for the most jjart during the hot .season, when the inhabitants are in the mountains, we can see, when Ave consider the smaller Galilee of those days, that the gi-eater part of one year at least would be .spent among the people of Najjlitali. It was from among them that the Lord chose most of His friends and disciples. It was in Naphtali, too, that He made the selection. It was there that He did most of His mighty Avorks (Mt 11-"). Its toAvns Avere the best knoAvn in Gospel history — Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin, Magdala, and Til>erias — and it Avas oA^er three of these that He uttered the sen- tence of Avoe because they believed not (Mt IP^"^). It Avas in Naphtali that mo.st of His teaching, as recorded in the Synoptics, AA'as giA'en. Its floAvers, its fruits, its crops, its birds and beasts, its moun- tain torrents, its manners and customs, Avere all u.sed to illumine the Gospel message, and to bring light first to its people, and then, through them, along the Avorld's higliAvays to all that sit in dark- ness. In this, Matthew (4^^), and Avith him the Avhole Christian Avorld, sees the fulfilment of Isaiah's old prophecy, and, apart from individual opinions that it might be understood of the glory to Avhich Rabbinism attained here in the 2nd and 3rd cents., the older Synagogue teaching is so far at one Avith them that all the midrdshim declare that the Messiah ben Joseph should appear in Galilee. So also Avrites Sa'adiah ha-Gaon in his Avork on Faith and Knowledge, § v. ; Avhile the Book of Zohar on Ex 1^ clearly states tliat the ' Messiah shall arise and be revealed in the land of Galilee.'
Literature. — See the authorities cited under artt. Palkstixe, Galilee, Capernaum, etc. For homil. use, 0. H. Waller, The Names on the Gates of Pearl ^ (1903), p. 129.
W. M. Christie. NAPKIN.— The Gr. aovdapiov, tr. ' napkin ' in the Gospels (cf. Ac 19^^ 'handkerchief'), is Lat. suda- rium, and became current in the East through the extension of the Roman Empire. The piece of cloth, a yard or so square, of Avhich the uovMpiov consisted, Avas turned to various purpo.ses. It usually served as a head-dress to protect the head of the living from the sun, and to give a finish to their costume, but it serv^ed other purpo.ses as A\'ell. Tavo of these are mentioned in the Gospels. In Lk
XARD
:satha:sael
19^ the unfaithful servant confesses that he had Avrapped up his masters pound in a napkin. In Jn 11^ antl 2u" we are told that the head of the dead had been bound about witli a napkin.
With regard to Lk liF^' the words put into the lips of tlie unfaithful servant are an example of Christ's ironj', and help to show us the true character of the servant. The fact that he admits having put the pound in a, siceat-cloth is significant. It stamps him not only as a man who^was discon- tented with his pound, but also as a man of in- dolent character, unwilling to use the opportunities of service which were given hini. The misuse of the napkin, revealing as it does the lazy habit of the man, is of importance for the right understand- ing of the parable.
The reference to the napkin in Jn 20'' is worth}' of special attention in connexion with the Resur- rection of Christ. Unfortunately neither the AV nor the RV gives the exact translation of the Greek text. The literal rendering of the passage makes it clear that the napkin which had been placed about Christ's head before burial was dis- covered bj- the two disciples Ij'ing where His head had been, in the undisturbed form of a coiled or twisted head-wrapper. The verb evTervXiyfxevov should be rendered 'coiled' or 'twisted up." and not ' wrapj.>ed together ' as in AV, or ' rolled up ' as in RV, and implies that the napkin was found coiled or twisted together in turban-like fashion, just as if His head had somehow slipped out of it, while the words x^P'-^ ■ ■ • «'* '^""^ tottov, translated in both AV and RV ' in a place by itself,' would lie better translated ' separate!}' (not touching the linen clothes which had been swathing the body) into one place,' els eva tottov being the equivalent of et's TavT6 in classical Greek. This rendering of the passage is continued by the impression made iipon the two disciples by what they witnessed on entering the tomb. It is said that they ' saw and believed ' — saw something, that is. which pei*suaded them so completely that their Master was risen from the dead that their doubts were immediately resolved, and they pi'oceeded at once to their own home (Jn 20^") to await the development of events. For a full discussion of the passage and its bearing on the Resunection, see H. Latham, The Risen Master, p. 40 ff.