The art of embroidery became hereditarj- in certain families of the Israelites, but finally fell into desuetude (1 Chron. iv, 21).
In later times, the Babj'lonians were the most noted of all the Asiatic nations. for the weaving of cloth of different colors, with gold threads introduced into the woof. These Assvrian dresses are mentioned as an
Ancient As Ml in ( ml I i i II K (From the MunumLiit )
article of commerce by Ezekicl (xxvii, 24), and occur even as early as the time of Joshua (vii, 21). Tliey formed, perhaps, the "dyed attire and broidered work" so often mentioned in Scripture as the garments of princes and the costly gifts of kings. The ornaments upon them may either have been dj'ed, worked in the loom, or embroidered with the needle (Judg. v, ."0>. (See Layard's Ninevth, 1st series, ii, 313.) See Wom- an ; Weaving. (See further in Adam's Roman An- tiquitirs, p. 372; liliss Lambert's Hand-book of Needle- work, London and New York, 1846.) See Needle-
WOKIC.
EMBURY
177
EMERY
Model u Uucutal LiiibiuKlury-liiUiii
Embviry, Philip, the first Methodist minister in America, was born in Ballygaran, Ireland, Sept. -21, 1728 or 1729. His parents were Germans of the Pa- latinate, and lie was educated at a school near Balh'- garan. In 1752 he was converted, and in 1758 he ■was entered upon the roll of the Irish Conference as a preacher. In 17G0 he emigrated to America, but it is not known whether he preached or not during the first few years of his life in New York. In 17GG, stimulated l)y the advice of Barbara Ileck, a pious Methodist, he organizeda class, and commenced preach- ing, first in his own house, then in a hired room, and soon after (17G7) in the "Rigging Loft," famous as the birth-place of Methodism in New York. A chapel became necessary, and in 17G8 the pioneer Methodist church was erected on the site of the present .John- street Church. New York at this time had a popula- tion of twenty thousand. Embury continued to serve the Church in this chapel gratuitously until the arri- val of the first missionaries sent out by John Wesley in 17G9, when he surrendered the charge, and, with a party of fellow-Methodists, emigrated to Washinaiton County. He there continued his laljors as a "local preacher, and formed a society, cliiefly of his own countiymen, at Ashgrove, the first Methodist organi- zation within the bounds of the present Tro}' Confer- ence, now numbering twenty-five thousand communi- cants, and more than two hundred travelling preach- ers. Embury died suddenly in August, 1775, in con- sequence of an accident in mowing. He was buried on a neighbor's fiirm, but in 1832 his remains were taken up and deposited in Ashgrove church-yard, with funeral ceremonies, and an address by John N. Maf- fitt. In 18GG, the centenary j'ear of American Meth- odism, his remains were transferred, by order of the Troy Conference, to the Woodland Cemetery, Cam- bridge, Washington County, N. Y., with impressive services, conducted by bishop Janes and the Rev. S. D. Brown. See a good sketch of his life by Saxe, La- dies' Repository, May, 1859 ; also Bangs, History of the Ifethodist Episcopal Church, vol. i ; Stevens, Memorials of Methodism, vol. ii ; Wakeley, Heroes of Methodism ; Stevens, History of the lifethodist Episcopal Church, vol. i ; Wakeley, Lost Chapters.
Eniek. See Beth-Emek ; Keziz.
Emerald ("23, no'pheh, of uncertain signif.; Sept. av^oa'i, N.T. and Apocr. af^u'ipa-ycoQ), a precious stone, named first in the second row on the breast-plate of the high-priest (Exod. xxviii, 18 ; xxxix, 11), imported to Tyre from Syria (Ezek. xxvii, IG), used as a seal or signet (Ecclus. xxxii, C), as an ornament of clothing and bedding (Ezek. xxviii, 13 ; Judg. x, 21), and spoken of as one of the foundations of Jerusalem (Rev. xxi, 19 ; Tob. xiii, 16). The rainbow round the throne III.— M
is compared to emerald in Rev. iv, 0- Q^i^oioq o.mtTu ffjiapayi^iviij). The Sept., Josephus, and Jerus. Targum understand by it the carbuncle. This name (in Greek denoting a live coal) the ancients gave to several glow- ing red stones resembling live coals (Plin}% Hist. Xat. xxxii, 25 ; com p. Theophrast. De Lapid. 18), particular- ly rubies and garnets. See Carbuncle. Tlie most valued of the carbuncles seems, however, to have been the Oriental garnet, a transparent red stone, with a violet shade, and strong vitreous lustre. It was en- graved upon (Theophrast. 31), and was probably not so hard as the ruby, which, indeed, is the most Ijeautiful and costly of the precious stones of a red color, but is so hard that it cannot easily be subjected to the grav- ing-tool. The Hebrew nophelc, in the breast-plate of the high-priest, was certainly an engraved stone ; and there is no evidence tliat the ancients could engrave the ruby, although this has in modern times been ac- complished (Uosenmiilier, Biblical Mineralogy, p. 32, 33; Braunius, De Vest. Sacerdot. p. 523; Bellermann, Ueber die Urim u. Thummim, p. 43). See Beryl.
The smaragdus of the New Test, was the generic name of twelve varieties of gems, some of wliich were probably true emeralds, while others seem to have been rather stones of the prasius or jasper kind, and still others no more tlian colored crystals and spars from copper mines. The statues, etc., of emerald mentioned by several ancient authors appear to have been noth- ing more than rock crystals, or even colored glass (Hill on Theophrast. de Lajnd. 44 ; Moore's Ana. Min- eral, p. 150). See Gem.