See Si:
I he - bank" or shore of a river or sea is designated by the ii,.,,. ter,„ rr,:, or rrns, gadah' or gidyah', and iphah', a Up, Bann. See Banns.
Bannai'a « 2a/3awatoc v. r. Bavvaioc, Vulg. Ban- Ofthe "BOnSofAsom" that renounced their
Gentile wives after the captivity i l Esdr.ix,33); ap-
Banner, or Standard, or Ensign, or Signal (q. v. severally). These words are probably used indis- criminately by the sacred writers. Some of the rab- bins suppose that the ancient Hebrew tribe-standards were flags bearing figures derived from the compari-
Kgyptian ; 3, 4, Persian ; 5, 6, Roman.
sons used by Jacob in his final prophetic blessing on his sons. Thus they have Judah represented by a lion, Dan by a serpent, Benjamin by a wolf, etc. (Gen. xlix, 1-28). Sir Thomas Brown, indeed, observes (Vulgar Errors, v, 10), "The escutcheons of the tribes, as determined by these ingenious triflers, do not in ev- ery instance correspond with any possible interpreta- tion of Jacob's prophecy, nor with the analogous proph- ecy of Moses when about to die." However, there may he some truth in the rabbinical notion after all. And as the tribe of Judah was represented by a lion, may not its motto have been, " Who shall rouse him up?" Thus the banner of the royal tribe would be an interesting prediction of the appearance and universal triumph of Christ, who is called "the lion of the tribe causes of ban.," Lam. ii, 14, rather se- J of Judah" (Hos. v, 14 ; Rev. v, 5). The four follow- ing Hebrew words signify banner, standard, ensign, flag, or signal :
1. Ds'gel (PW, as being conspicuous'), flag, ban- ner, or standard of a larger kind, serving for three tribes together, one of which pertained to each of the four general divisions. The four standards of this name were large, and ornamented with colors in white, purple, crimson, and dark blue. The Jewish rabbins assert (founding their statement on Gen. xlix, 3, 9, 17, 22, which in this case is very doubtful authority) that the first of these standards, that of Judah, bore a lion; the second, or that of Reuben, bore a mn: that of Ephraim, which was the third, displayed the figure of a bull: while that of Dan, which was the fourth, ex- hibited the representation of cherubim. The standards were wrorked with embroidery (Num. i, 52 ; ii, 2, 3, 10, 18, 25 ; Sol. Song ii, 4 ; vi, 4," 10). See Camp.
2. Otii (riX, a sign), an ensign or flag of a smaller kind. It belonged to each single tribe, and perhaps to the separate classes of families. Most likely it was originally merefy a pole or spear, to the end of which a bunch of leaves was fastened, or something similar. Subsequently it may have been a shield suspended on the elevated point of such pole or spear, as was some- times done among the Greeks and Romans. The Tar- guinists, however, believe that the banners were dis- tinguished by their colors, the color for each tribe be- ing analogous to that of the precious stone for that tribe in the breast-plate of the high-priest; and that the great standard (tlgel) of each of the four camps combined the three colors of the tribes wdiich composed it. They add that the names of the tribes appeared ><n the standards, together with a particular sentence from the law, and were moreover charged with appropriate representations, as of the lion for Judah, etc. Most modern expositors seem to incline to the opinion that the ensigns were flags distinguished by their colors, or by the name of the tribe to which each belonged (Num. ii, 2, 34). See Flag.
i
BANUS
635
BANQUET
3. Nes (D3, from its loftiness), a lofty signal, a stand- ard. This standard was not, like the others, borne from place to place. It appears from Num. xxi, 8, 9, that it was a long pole fixed in the earth; a flag was fastened to its top, which was agitated by the wind, and seen at a great distance. In order to render it visible as far as possible, it was erected on lofty moun- tains, chiefly on the irruption of an enemy, in order to point out to the people a place of rendezvous. It no sooner made its appearance on such an elevated posi- tion than the war-cry was uttered, and the trumpets were blown (Psa. lx, 4; Isa. v, 2G; xi, 12; xiii, 2; xviii, 3; xxx, 17 ; xlix,22; lxii,10; Jer.iv, G,21; li, 12, 27 ; Ezek. xxvii, 7 ; in this last passage it is the standard or flag of a ship, not the sail). See War.
4. MASETH'(HXbp, from its elevation), a. sign, a. sig- nal given by fire. Some writers have supposed that this signal was a long pole, on the top of which was a grate not unlike a chafing-dish, mad* of iron bars, and supplied with fire, the size, height, and shape of which denoted the party or company to whom it belonged (Jer. vi, 1). See Beacon.
There appear to be several allusions in Scripture to the banners, standards, or ensigns of ancient na- tions ; a proper knowledge of them might aid us in un- derstanding more clearly many of the sacred predic- tions. In Daniel, the various national symbols or standards are probably referred to instead of the names of the nations, as the he-goat with one horn was the symbol of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian people, and the ram with two horns Media and Persia, etc. (Dan. viii, 3-9). See Macedox. The banners and ensigns of the Poman army had idolatrous, and, therefore, abominable images upon them, hence called "the abomination (q. v.) of desolation;" but their principal standard was an eagle. Among the evils threatened to the Hebrews in consequence of their dis- obedience, Moses predicted one in the following terms : " The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth" (Deut. xxxviii, 49 ; compare also Jer. iv, IS). In Matt, xxiv, 28 ; Luke xvii, 37, the Jewish nation, on account of its iniquity, is compared to a dead body, ex- posed in the open field, and inviting the Poman army, whose standard often bore the figure of an eagle, to come together and devour it. See Eagle.