Bridal Ring. See Ring.
Bride, St. See Bridget.
Bride (nibs, kallah'; vvp^rf ; both also " daugh- ter-in-law"). See Bridegroom.
Bride-chamber (yv/ujiwv), a bridal room (Suid. KoiTior) where the nuptial bed was prepared, usually in the house of the bridegroom, whither the bride was brought in procession. See Wedding. It occurs only in the New Testament, in the phrase "sons of the bride-chamber" (Matt, ix, 15; Mark ii, 19; Luke v, 34). These were the companions of the bridegroom, bridemen, called by the Greeks paranymphs (Rabbin. D^iSttJiO), just as the bride had also her companions or bridemaids (Matt, xxv, 1-12). See Marriage.
Bridegroom (""", chaihan', also "son-in-law;" vvfifiocj. In the typical language of Scripture, the love of the Redeemer to the Church is vividlj' alluded to in the expression "the bride, the Lamb's wife" (Lev. xxi, 9). Christ himself is also called "the bridegroom" in the same sense (John iii, 29). The figure, under various and extended forms, is of fre- quent occurrence in the O. T., to denote the union be- tween Jehovah and the Jewish nation. See Canti- cles; Nuptials.
Bride-maid, Bride-man. Sec PARANYjirn.
Bridge (yi<pi'oa, 2 Mace, xii, 13) does not occur in the canonical Scriptures unless indirectly in the prop- er name Geshuf (q. v.), a district in Bashan north-east
BRIDGE
891
BRIDGE BRETHREN
of the Sea of Galilee. Not far from this region still exists the most noted artificial stone bridge in Pales- tine. It is mentioned by B. de la Brocquiere A.D. 1432, and a portion of one by Arculf, A.D. 700 (Early Trav. in Pal. p. 8, 300 ; Burckhardt, Syria, p. 315 ; Rob- inson, Researches, iii, 361). It crosses the Upper Jordan about two miles below the lake Huleh. The river here flows rapidly through a narrow bed ; and here from the most remote ages has lain the high-road to Damas- cus from all parts of Palestine, which renders it like- ly that a bridge existed at this place in very ancient times, although of course not the one which is now standing. The bridge is called " Jacob's Bridge" (Jissr Yakoub), from a tradition that it marks the spot where the patriarch Jacob crossed the river on his re- turn from Padan-Aram. But it is also sometimes call- ed Jissr Benl Yakoub, "the Bridge of Jacob's Sons," •which may suggest that the n.i :ie is rather derived from some Arab tribe called the Beni Yakoub. It is still oftener termed, however, Jisr Benat Yakoub, " Bridge of Jacob's Daughters." The bridge is a very solid structure, well built, with a high curve in the^niddle like all the Syrian bridges, and is com- posed of three arches in the usual style of these fab- rics. Close by it on the east is a khan much frequent- ed by travellers, built upon the remains of a fortress which was erected by the Crusaders to command the passage of the Jordan. A few soldiers are now sta- tioned here to collect a toll upon all the laden beasts which cross the bridge.
Permanent bridges over water do not appear to have been used by the Israelites in their earlier times, but we have frequent^mention made of fords, and of their military importance (Gen. xxxii, 22 ; Josh, ii, 7 ; Judg. iii, 28; vii, 24; xii, 5; Isa. xvi, 2). West of the Jordan there are few rivers of importance (Amm. Marc, xiv, 8; Reland, p. 284); and perhaps the policy of the Jews may have discouraged intercourse with neighboring tribes, for it seems unlikely that the skill of Solomon's architects was unable to construct a bridge. Though the arch (q. v.) was known and used in Egypt as earl)' as the 15th century B.C. (Wilkin- son, ii, 302 sq. ; Birch, i, 14), the Romans were the first constructors of arched bridges. They made bridges over the Jordan and other rivers of Syria, of which remains still exist (Stanley, Palest, p. 296; Irby and Mangles, p. 90, 91, 92, 142, 143). There are traces of ancient bridges across the .Ionian above and below the Lake of Gennesareth, and also over the Arnon and other rivers which enter the Jordan from the east ; and some of the winter torrents which traverse the west- ernmost plain (the plain of the coast) are crossed by bridges, also the Litany, the Owely, etc. But the old
more recent date (see Thom- son, Landand Book, i, 62, 122, 253). TheChaldee paraphrase renders "gates," in Nahum ii, 0. " bridges," where, however, dikes or weirs are to be under- stood, which, being burst by
inundation, destroyed the walls
of Nineveh (Diod. ii, 27). Ju- das Maccabffiua is said to have intended to make a bridge in order to besiege the town of Casphor or < !aspis, situate near a lake (2 Mace, xii, 13). Jo- sephus (.1;//. v, 1,3), speaking of thi' Jordan at the time of the passage of the Israelites, says it had never been bridged before (ovk t^tvKTo irooripov), as if in his own time I nidges had been made over it, which under the Romans was the case. In Isa. xxxvii, 25, "ttp, dig for water, is rendered by the Sept. " to bridge," yi<pv- p'av ri%u. The bridge (yifin.a) connecting the Tem- ple with the upper city of which Josephus speaks (War, vi, 6, 2; Ant. xv, 11, 5) seems to have been an arched viaduct (Robinson, i, 425 ; also new ed. iii, 224). See Jerusalem. Herodotus (i, 186) describes a bridge consisting of stone piers, with planks laid across, built bv Nitocris B.C. circ. 600, connecting the two portions of Babylon (see Jer. Ii, 31, 32 ; 1, 38), and Diodorus speaks of an arched tunnel under the Euphrates (ii, 9). Bridges of boats are described also by Herodotus (iv, 88; vii, 36; comp. iEsch. Pers. 69, Xwuckt/wc a\tiia) and by Xenophon (Anab. ii, 4, 12). A bridge over the Zab, made of wicker-work connecting stone piers, is described by Layard (i, 192), a mode of construction used also in South America.— Kitto; Smith.