Hugh Duncan.
THREE.— See Number.
THRESHING - FLOOR. — See Agriculture in vol. i. p. 40-\
THRONE (dp6vos) is a term applied, first of all, to the royal seat of a king ; and, secondly, to the official seat of a judge or subordinate ruler. In the former sense it is employed of heaven as the throne of God (Mt 5^4 23^2). The Messianic reign of Jesus is foretold by Zacharias in the words, ' The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David ' (Lk p2)_ Jesus speaks of His own exalta- tion as the time ' when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory' (Mt 19^8 25=''). The uni- versal dominion which He is to share with His Father is suggested by ' the Lamb in the midst of the throne' (Rev 5^ 7^''), and by ' the throne of God and of the Lamb' (22"). So in He 8^ 12^ Christ is seated ' on the right hand of the throne ' of God. The promise given to the Twelve, of sitting on thrones of judgment (Mt 19^8 1| Lk 22^"), is practi- cally given to all who overcome in the battle with evil (Rev 3^^). In Col P® 'thrones' are among the subordinate powers of the universe which owe their creation to Christ. James Patrick.
THUNDER (^povrii) is but twice mentioned in the Gospels (Mk 3", Jn 1229). j^ inountainous Palestine, with the long deep gorge of the Jordan, it is perhaps the most awe-inspiring of natural phenomena. It seldom occurs save in the winter half of the year, and is almost invariably accom- panied by rain. For the old Israelites thunder was the voice of God, with a meaning Avhich persons specially gifted might understand. ' It seems probal)le that the " voice out of heaven " (Jn 2228- 29) ^yfj^g a thunder-peal, as indeed most of those present thought, and that; its significance was re- cognized and interpreted by Jesus alone ' (Hastings' DB iv. 757''). The surname 'sons of thunder' given to James and John (Mk 3'') disappears at once and finally from the records. On the avail- able data no sure opinion can be formed as to why it was applied to them. As men in the East are called ' .sons ' of that which is most characteristic of them, there was doubtless something 'thundery' about them, — a tendency, e.g., to wrathful resent- ment of slight or injury (Lk 9'^'*). See Boanerges.
W. EWING. TIBERIAS (Tt/3eptds).— A city situated on the W. shore of the Sea of Galilee, founded by Herod Antipas, and named by him in honour of the Emperor Tiberius. The original inhabitants were foreigners, whom Herod either forced to reside in the new city or to whom he gave special induce- ments if they would. Our Lord, so far as is known, never visited Tiberias, it being His custom to avoid Gentile cities. The only reference to the city in the NT is Jn G^'*, in which it is stated that ' there came boats from Tiberias unto the place
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where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks ' (cf. Jn 6^ 21i).
1. Location. — The ancient city was situated directly on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and therefore approximately 682 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, at the north end of a narrow rectangular plain about two miles long, which was bounded by a rather steep ridge of hills rising abruptly to the west. From the ruins still to be found in the vicinity it is probable that the ancient city extended considerably farther south of the modern town. Josephus (Ant. XVIII. ii. 3 ; cf. BJ IV. i. 3) says that there were ' warm baths a little distance from it in a village called Emmaus' (Hammath ?). According to the Talmud (Jerus. Megilla, i. 1), the city was built upon the ancient site of Rakkath of Naphtali ; and it is further stated (Sanhed. 12a) that in the 4th cent, the Jews had actually dropped the name Tiberias and re- verted to the ancient name Rakkath. On the other hand, in the Bab. Talmud, Tiberias is some- times identified with Rakkath, sometimes with Hammath, and sometimes with Chinnereth (cf. Jos 19^'). Jerome (Onom. 112. 28 ff.) identifies it with Chinnereth.
2. History. — Herod Antipas is supposed to have completed the building of Tiberias about A.D. 22. Ancient sepulchres were removed to make room for the new foundations, and accordingly the Jews regarded the new city as legally unclean (cf. Nu 19^^*). Nevertheless the town grew with great rapidity, and, before the downfall of Jerusalem had become one of the chief cities of Palestine. Herod had made it the capital of Galilee, removing the seat of government from Sepphoris, the former capital. The city was fortified by Josephus when commander-in-chief of Galilee (c. A.D. 66). During the struggle of the Jews with Rome, its inhabit- ants remained loyal to the national cause. When, however, Vespasian appeared before its walls with three legions, the citizens yielded without resist- ance. Vespasian restored it to Herod Agrippa II. , who stripped it of its political prestige by trans- ferring the capital again to Sepphoris. "When Agrippa died (A.D. 100), it fell directly under Roman rule. Shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), Tiberias became the chief seat of the Jews and of Jewish learning. According to Epiph- anius, it was not long before the city was inhabited exclusively by Jews. In the 2nd cent, the Sanhe- drin, which had been shifted from Jerusalem to Jamnia and then to Sepphoris, was established at Tiberias under the presidency of the celebrated Rabbi Judah the Holy.