Literature.— Hultsch, Griech. u. Rom. Metrologie, ii. (1882), also his Collection of Greek and Roman Sources, under the title of Metrologiconim Scriptorum ReUquim, 2 vols. (1864-1866) ; Lehmann, ' Altbab. Mass u. Gewicht' (in Verhandl. d. Berhmr GeselUchaft f. Anthropol. 1889); Zuckermann, Das Judiache Masssijste'm (1867); Nowack, Heb. Arch. i. 198 ff. ; Benzmger, Heb. Arch. 178 ff. A. C. ZENOS.
WELL {ttvjv, (ppeap, Jn 46- ").— The one well mentioned in the Gospels is that of Jacob, near ancient Shechem, under the northern cliffs of Gerizim. There is no reasonable doubt that this is the well pointed out to this day as Bir Ya'Mb in the eastern opening of the pass of Nablus. Samari- tan, Jewish, Christian, and Moslem traditions support this identification with absolute unanimity. See Jacob's Well. .
There is a law of the well in the East, which, although unwritten, receives Avell-nigh universal homage. Drawing water from the cisterns or wells that abound in Palestine occupies much of the women's time. The stones round the mouth of many a well are scored deeply by friction of the ropes to Avhich the bucket or leather dalmv is attached. Few experiences are more trying than to pass one of these ' Avells ' in the heat, seeing the water in the cool depths but having ' nothing to draAV with.' The appeal of the thirsty to one drawing, 'Give me to drink,' is never refused.
WEST
WICKED
821
While surprised that a Jew, even when urged by thirst, should thus accost a Samaritan, the woman did not deny the Saviour's request. Even a Metd- wileh, one of the most fanatical of all Oriental sects, will give water to the thirsty, if appealed to, although to avoid the possibility of pollution he must destroy the vessel from which the infidel has drunk. W, Ewing.
WEST (5v(7(jL'n). — In Palestine the direction of the setting sun is also that of the sea, and the West is therefore the source from which rain is generally expected (1 K 18«, Lk 12^^). The ob- served connexion between western clouds and rain led Christ to remark on the strange inattention to the spiritual trend of the times (Lk 12^^). He attributed such disregard and misrepresentation to self-delusion resulting from insincerity. He recognized that the final stage of imperviousness and impotence had been reached, and that the Kingdom of Heaven required the removal of both teachers and teaching and a re-baptism of religious vision and thouglit (Mt 2Z^^-^\ Mk gi-, Jn 4=i).
The reference to North, South, East, and West as the equal sources from wliich the Kingdom of Heaven was to draw its membership, indicated the universal scojie of His own relationship to the world. The same truth is suggested in the vision of the New Jerusalem as the city Avith an equal number of open gates on its four sides (Rev 21'^). Hence to-day, in the statesmanship of that King- dom, it is iinwise and wasteful to transport to the East the controversies and cleavages of Western Christianity. Only the universal truths of the gospel should be presented to the universal mission Held. G. M. Mackie.
WHALE.— See Jonah, Ninevites, Sign.
WHEAT. — Of all the cereals, wheat is at once the most valuable and the most widely distributed. It has been cultivated from very early times, as is proved by the finding of wheat grains in some of the oldest Egyptian tombs. In what land it had its origin is unknown, but de Candolle assigns the honour to Mesopotamia. In Palestine its cultivation dates back to a time prior to the Hebrew conquest (Dt 8^). How long before cannot be said, but it Avas probably a considerable time. In the OT the most common name for it is nan, which the LXX renders in most instances by Trvp6s (Gn 30", Ex ^' etc. ) but sometimes by alro^ ( Jg 6'S Ezk 27^''), and the Vulg. by triticum and, in a fe^v cases, frumentum. On the other hand, (rtros is used also to render ib (Jer 2328, Jl 2^^), p^ (Nu IS^^, Jer ZV\ inj; (Jos 5"), and nae* (Gn 422-3). In the NT this is the term invariably employed (Mt 3^^^ Lk 16'' etc.), and in EV it is nearly always trans- lated 'wheat.' Like the Heb. jj^, however, (jItos is really a general term for the cereals. But A\e can readily understand how, just as in Scotland the word ' corn ' has become practically the equivalent of oats, .so in Palestine alros should come to mean wheat. For it Avas the most common and the most valued of the staple products of the country, and was, as it still is, its principal breadstuff. Several varieties of Avheat are groAvn in Palestine. Tristram (Nat. Hist, of Bible, 492) mentions spe- cially three of them : Triticum compositum, T. spelta (which is the most common of all), and T. hybernum.
Wheat is sown about November, shortly after the first rains have softened the soil and rendered it fit for ploughing. It is ripe in May or June, but the time of harvest varies for the different districts, being earliest in the low-lying Jordan Valley, and latest in the Lebanons. The processes of reaping, threshing, AvinnoAving, and sifting have
already been described (see Agriculture). The return yielded by Avheat varies greatly. Thirty- fold is, according to Tristram, reckoned a good return {op. cit. 489). But that applies to Palestine as it is noAV. The sixty-fold or hundred-fold of the parable (Mt 13® ||) might Avell have been obtained in the days of its former prosperity. Wheat Avas an article of export from very early days (Ezk 27^', cf. Ac 12'"), and even to this aay considerable quantities are exported by Avay of Haifa and Beirut. It is obtained mainly from the 5auran.