47 ACCUBATION.
for the rationalistic view, Seiler, Bib. Herm. 418 ; Planck, Introd. 145 ; Neander, Life of Christ, 113, 114.
Ac'cos (A/v/v-wr, prob. for Heb. Koz, i. e. Accoz, Vipn ; Vulg. Jacob), the father of John, and grand- father of the Eupolemus who was one of the ambassa- dors of Judas Maccabams to Rome (1 Mace, viii, 17).
Ac'coz (AkjIioc v. r. 'Akkioc, for Heb. Koz, with the art. Vipfl, hah-Kots''), one of the priests whose de- scendants returned from the captivity, having lost their pedigree (1 Esdr. v, 38) ; evidently the same with Koz (q. v.) of the parallel text (Ezra ii, Gl).
Accubation, the posture of reclining (avoucupai, qvaic\ivu>, " sit at meat," " sit down") on couches at table, which prevailed among the Jews in and before the time of Christ ; a custom apparently derived from Persian luxury, but usual among the Romans like- wise. The dinner-bed, or triclinium, stood in the mid- dle of the dining-room (itself hence called "triclinium" also), clear of the walls, and formed three sides of a square which enclosed the table. The open end of the square, with the central hollow, allowed the serv- ants to attend and serve the table. In all the exist- ing representations of the dinner-bed it is shown to have been higher than the enclosed table. Among
Ancient Roman dinner-bed.
the Romans the usual number of guests on each couch was three, making nine for the three couches — equal to the number of the Muses ; but sometimes there were four to each couch. The Greeks went beyond this number (Cic. In Pis. 27) ; the Jews appear to have had no particular fancy in the matter, and wc know that at our Lord's last supper thirteen persons were pi-esent. As each guest leaned, during the great- er part of the entertainment, on his left elbow, so as to leave the right arm at liberty, and as two or more lay on the same couch, the head of one man was near the breast of the man who lay behind him, and he was, therefore, said "to lie in the bosom" of the oth- er. This phrase was in use among the Jews (Luke xvi, 22, 23; John i, 18; xiii, 23), and occurs in such a manner as to show that to lie next below, or "in the bosom" of the master of the feast, was considered the most favored place ; and is shown by the citations of Kypke and Wetstein (on John xiii, 23) to have been usually assigned to near and dear connections. So it was "the disciple whom Jesus loved" who "reclined upon his breast" at the last supper. See Lord's Sup- per. Lightfoot and others suppose that as, on that occasion, John lay next below Christ, so Peter, who was also highly favored, lay next above him. This conclusion is founded chiefly on the fact of Peter beck- I oning to John that he should ask Jesus who was the traitor. But this seems rather to prove the contrary \ — that Peter was not near enough to speak to Jesus himself. If lie had been there, Christ must have lain near his bosom, and he would have been in the best position for whispering to his master, and in tie' worst for beckoning to John. The circumstance that Christ was able to reach the sop to Judas when he had dip- ped it, seems to us rather to intimate that he was the one who tilled that place. The morsel of favor was likely to be given to one in a favored place ; and Ju- das, the treasurer and almoner of the whole party might be expected to till that place. This also ag
ACCUBATION.
4S
ACCURSED.
gravates by contrast the turpitude and treachery of his conduct. See Banquet. The frame of the din- ner-bed was laid with mattresses variously stuffed, and, latterly, was furnished with rich coverings and hangings. Each person was usually provided with a cushion or bolster on which to support the upper part of his person in a somewhat raised position, as the left arm alone could not long without weariness sustain the weight. The lower part of the body being ex- tended diagonally on the bed, with the feet outward, it is at once perceived how easy it was for " the wom- an that was a sinner" to come behind between the dinner-bed and the wall and anoint the feet of Jesus (Matt, xxvi, 7 ; Mark xiv, 3). The dinner-beds were so various at different times, in different places, and under different circumstances, that no one description can apply to them all (see Critica Bibliea, ii, 481). Even among the Romans they were at first (after the Punic war) of rude form and materials, and covered with mattresses stuffed with rushes or straw; mat- tresses of hair and wool were introduced at a later pe- riod. At first the wooden frames were small, low, and round; and it was not until the time of Augustus that square and ornamental couches came into fash- ion. In the time of Tiberius the most splendid sort were veneered with costly woods or tortoise-shell, and were covered with valuable embroideries, the richest of which came from Babylon, and cost large sums (Soc. Useful Knowl. Pompeii, ii, 88). The Jews per- haps had all these varieties, though it is not likely that the usage was ever carried to such a pitch of lux- ury as among the Romans ; and it is probable that the mass of the people fed in the ancient manner — seated on stools or on the ground. It appears that couches were often so low that the feet rested on the ground ; and that cushions or bolsters were in general use. It would also seem, from the mention of two and of three couches, that the arrangement was more usually square than semicircular or round (Lightfoot, I/or. Heb. in John xiii, 23). See Divan.