The disease called empneumatosis, or false conception, docs not appear to have been so unfrequent among the
BIRTH
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BIRTHRIGHT
Hebrew women as among tlwse of Europe. If it had i been so, it probably would not have made its appear- ance on the pages of Hebrew writers in the shape of a figure of speech. The Hebrews were accustomed to expect, after severe calamities, a season of prosperity and joy. They accordingly compared a season of misfortune and calamity to the pains of a woman in travail ; but the better destiny which followed they | compared to the joy which commonly succeeds child- birth (Isa. xiii, 8 ; xxvi, 17 ; 2 Kings xix, 3 ; Jer. iv, i 31 ; xiii, 21 ; xxii, 23 ; xxx, G : Mic. iv, 9, 10 ; John xvi, 21, 22). But they cany the comparison still far- ther. Those days of adversity, which were succeeded by adversity still more severe ; those scenes of sorrow, j which were followed by sorrow j^et more acute, were j likened to women who labored under that disease of : the system which caused them to exhibit the appear- ance and endure the pains of pregnancy, the result of which was either the production of nothing — to use the words of the prophet Isaiah, when it " brought forth wind," or when it terminated in the production of a monster (Isa. xxvi, 18 ; Psa. vii, 14). On this disorder, which is well known to medical men, see Michaelh's Syntagma Comment, ii, 165. See Disease.
BIRTHDAY (r^rt Q"n, Gen. xl, 20; tu yevsma, Matt, xiv, G; Mark vi,'21). The observance of birth- days may be traced to a very ancient date; and the birthday of the first-born son seems in particular to have been celebrated with a degree of festivity propor- tioned to the joy which the event of his actual birth occasioned (Job i, 4, 13, 18). The birthdays of the Egyptian kings were celebrated with great pomp as early as the time of Joseph (Gen. xl, 20). These days were in Egypt looked upon as holy ; no business was done upon them, and all parties indulged in festivities suitable to the occasion. Every Egyptian attached much importance to the da}% and even to the hour of his birth ; and it is probable that, as in Persia (Herodot. i, 133 ; Xenoph. Cyrop. i, 3, 9), each individual kept his birthday with great rejoicings, welcoming his friends with all tl)3 amusements of society, and a more than usual profusion of delicacies of the table (Wilkinson, v, 290). In the Bible there is no instance of birthday celebrations among the Jews themselves (hut see Jer. xx, 15). The example of Herod the tetrarch (Matt. xiv, G), the celebration of whose birthday cost John the Baptist his life, can scarcely he regarded as such, the family to which he belonged being notorious for its adoption of heathen customs. In fact, the later Jews at least regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship (Lightfoot, Hor. Hehr. ad Mutt, xiv, G), and this probably on account of the idolatrous rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded as the patron gods of the day on which the party was born Kitto, s. v.
The proper Greek term for a birthday festival is tu \ yevcOXui (and hence in the earl}' writers the day of a i martyr's commemoration), but tc\ ytrtaia seems to be j used in this sense by a Hellenism, for in Herod, iv, 2G, ; it means a day in honor of the dead. It is not impossi- j ble, however, that in Matt, xiv, G, the feast to com- memorate Herod's accession is intended, for we know j that such feasts were common (especially in Herod's j family, Josephus, Ant. xv, 11, 3; sec Blunt's Comci-\ diners, Append, vii), and were called "the day of the j king" (Hos. vii, 5). The Gemarists distinguish ex- j presslv between the d^ab^ V4J tOO^H QT1, dies ytv- vicia rer/ni, and the X;!?? CI"1, or birthday (Lightfoot, Hor. Ilebr. 1. c.).— Smith, s. v.
Treatises on birthday celebrations have been written in Latin by Braen (Hafn. 1702), Esenbreck (Altdorf, 1732), Funcke (Gorliz. 1G77), same (ibid. 1G95), llildc- brand (Helmst. 1661), Khode (Regiom. 1716), Roa j (Lugd. Bat. 1604), Spangenberg (Goths, 1722), Weber (Vimar. 1751), Wend (Viteb. 1687). I
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Birthright (?TV1=3, lekorah' '; Sept. and N. T. to. TrpojToroKia) denotes the special privileges and ad- vantages belonging to the first-born (q. v.) among the Hebrews. These were not definitely settled in the pa- triarchal times, but gradually became defined to in- clude the following peculiar rights :
1. The functions of priesthood in the family. The eldest son naturally became the priest in virtue of his priority of descent, provided no blemish or defect at- tached to him. The theory that he was the priest of the family rests on no scriptural statement, and the rabbins appear divided on the question (see Hottingcr's Note on Goodwin's Moses and Aaron, i, 1 ; Ugolini, iii, 53). Great respect was paid to him in the household, and, as the family widened into a tribe, this grew into a sustained authority, undefined save by custom, in all matters of common interest. Thus the "princes" of the congregation had probably rights of primogeniture (Num. vii, 2; xxi, 18; xxv, 14). Reuben was the first-born of the twelve patriarchs, and therefore the honor of the priesthood belonged to his tribe. God, however, transferred it from the tribe of Reuben to that of Levi (Num. iii, 12, 13; viii, 18). Hence the first- born of .the other tribes were redeemed from serving God as priests by a sum not exceeding five shekels. Being presented before the Lord in the temple, they were redeemed immediately after the thirtieth day from their birth (Num. xviii, 15, 1G; Lukeii, 22). It is to be observed that only the first-born who were fit for the priesthood (i. e. such as had no defect, spot, or blem- ish) were thus presented to the priest.