It appears that the furniture of Oriental dwellings, in tlie earliest ages, was generally very simple ; that of tlie poorer classes consisted of but few articles, and those such only as were absolutely necessary. See House. The interior of the niore common and useful apartments was furnished with sets of large nails with square heads, like dice, and bent at the head, so as to
make them cramp-irons: a specimen of these may be seen in tlie British Museum. In modern Palestine the plan is to fix nails or j)ins of wood in the walls, while tliej"- are still soft, in order to suspend such domestic articles as are required ; since, consisting altogether of clay, they are too frail to admit of the operation of tlie hammer. To this custom there is an allusion in Ezra ix, 8, and Isa. xxii, 23. On these nails were liung their kitchen utensils or other articles. Instead of cliairs, they sat on mats or skins ; and the same ar- ticles, on wliicli the}' laid a mattress, served them in- stead of bedsteads, while their upper garment Wc;s used fur a covering. See Chair. Sovereigns had chairs of state, or thrones with footstools (Exod. xxii, 2G, 27 ; Deut. xxiv, 12). The opulent had (as those in the East still have) fine carpets, couclies, or divans and sofas, on which they sat, lay, and slept (2 Sam. xvii, 28 ; 2 Kings iv, 10). The}' have also a great va- riaty of pillows and bolsters, with which they support themselves when they wish to take their ease, and there is an allusion to these in Ezek. xiii, 18. In later times these couches were splendid, and the frames in- laid with ivory (Amos vi, 4), which is plentiful in the East ; they were also richly carved and perfumed (Prov. vii, IG, 17). See Bed. On these sofas, in the latter ages of the Jewish state, for before the time of Closes it appears to have been the custom to sit at table (Gen. xliii, 33), the}' universally reclined when taking their meals (Amos vi, 4; Luke vii, 36-38). See Accusa- tion. Anciently splendid hangings were nsed in the palaces of the Eastern monarchs, embroidered with needle-work, and ample draperies were suspended over the openings in the sides of the apartments, for the twofold purpose of aflx)rding air, and of shielding them from the sun. Of this description were the coftly hangings of the Persian sovereigns mentioned in Esth. i, 6, which passage is confirmed by the statements of Quintius Curtius relating to their superb palace at Persepolis. See Embroidery. In the more ancient periods other articles of necessary furniture were both few and simple. Among these were a hand-mill, a kneading-trough, and an oven. See Bread. Be- sides kneading-troughs and ovens they must have had various kinds of earthen-ware vessels, especially pots to hold water for their several ablutions. In later times baskets formed an indispensable article of furni- ture to the Jews. See Basket. Large sacks are still, as they anciently were (Gen. xliv, 1-3; John ix, 11), employed for carrying provision and baggage of every description. The domestic utensils of the Orientals in the present day are nearly always of brass ; those of the ancient Egyptians were chiefly of bronze or iron. Bowls, cups, and drinking-vessels of gold and silver were used in the courts of princes and great men (Gen. xliv, 2, 5; 1 Kings x, 21). Some elegant specimens of these are given in the paintings of tlie tombs of Egyjit. See Bowl. Bottles were made of skins, which are chiefly of a red color (Exod. xxv, 5). See Bottle. Apartments were lighted by means of lamps, which were fed with olive-oil, and were com- monly placed upon elevated stands (Matt, v, 15). Those of the wise and foolish virgins (Matt, xxv, 1- 10) were of a difl^erent sort ; they were a kind of torch or flambeau, made of iron or earthen-ware, wrapped aliout with old linen, moistened from time to time with oil, and were suitable for being carried out of doors. See La SI p.
Furrow (l^'^S, grdud', an incision, e. g. in the soil, Psa. Ixv, 10 ; •13"'5, maanah' , a tilling with the plough, Psa. cxxix, 3; cbp, te'lem. Job xxxi, 38; xxxix, 10; Hos. x, 4; xii, 11, a ridge, as rendered Psa. Ixv, 10 ; tlS'l'nS', arvgah' , Ezek. xvii, 8, 10, a hed m a garden, as rendered Cant, v, 13; vi, 2), an open- ing in the ground made by a plough or other instru- ment (Psa. Ixv, 10; Hos. "x, 4, 10). Roberts, on Job xxxi, 38, ' If my land cry against mo, or that the fur-
FURSEUS
G99
GAASll
rows likewise thereof complain," observes that similar proverbs are common amonj^ the Hindus. See Agri- culture.
In Hos. X, 10, the text has arb"'^, i. e. Cnb", their \two~\ eyes, which the A. Vers, seems to liave pointed croi^'; and even thus it will hardly bear their ren- derin"', "these \iyio~\ furrows''' (as if from n3", to till, the same root as in the second Heb. word above) ; but tlie margin, with all the versions (Davidson's Hebrew Text, p. 125), has Driibl:^, their [two] iniquities, refer- ring to the golden calves at Dan and Bethel (Hender- son, Comment, ad loc). See Calf, Goldex