Sa'mi (S«f((, v. r. So/3ti', Tw/Si'c; Vulg. Tobi),a cor- rupt Greek form ( 1 Esdr. v. 28) of the name Shobai (q. v.) of the Heb. list (Ezra ii, 42).
Sanii, a species of hard-wood which the Hindils em- ploy in kindling the sacrificial fire. They believe that it contains a mysterious internal heat which must be called forth by rubbing, and the fire for sacrificial uses is accordingly never jiroduced by any other method. — Vollmer, Worterb. d. MylhoL s. v.
Samia, in Greek mythology, is (1) a daughter of the river-god Meander, who was married to Ancseus, the son of Neptune and Astypalea, and king of the Le- leges, to whom she bore Perilaus, Entidus, Samus, and Alitherses — ancestral heroes of the Samians— and also Parthenope; (2) a surname ol' Juno, derived from Sa- mos, where a primitive statue in the Egyptian style, the work of Smilis, was erected in her honor.
Sa'mis (Saju/c, v. r. Sojueic), a Greek form (1 Esdr. ix, 34) of the name Shimei (q.v.) of the Heb. list (Ezra X, 38).
Samius, in (ireek mythology, is an appellative of Nepfmie, from his temple on Samos.
Sam'lah (Heb. Samlah', Hbisia, a gm-ment ; Sept. ^aXa^u'i, ^a/iad, v. r. Sr^/afVr, ^tf-iXct), a king who reigned in Edcun before the Israelites had a king (Gen. ! xxxvi,3(;, 37; 1 Cliron. i,47,48). B.C. post Ifiis. He was the successor of Iladad or Iladar, and was of Mas- rekah, that being probably the chief city during his reign. This mention of a separate city as belonging to
SAMMAEL
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each (almost without exception) of the "kings" of Edoin suf^gests that the Edomitish kingdom consisted of a confederacy of tribes, and that the chief city of the reigning tribe was the metropolis of the whole.
Sammael, a dannon among the modern Jews, most commonly styled the Angel of Death. The rabbins allege that the removal from tlie present life of those who die in the land of Israel is assigned to Gabriel, whom the\' call an Angel of Mercy, while those who die in other countries are despatched by the hand of >Sammael, the prince of da?mons. Several of the rabbins confidently assert that the latter has no power over the Jews, and God himself is represented as saying to him, " The world is in thy power except this peo])le. I have given thee authority to root out the idolaters; but over this people I have given thee no power." — Gardner, Fiiiths of the i\'orU,s.v,
Sammans (Schamans). See Shamans,
Sanimim. See Spick.
Sam'naus (^afifiovg v. r. Sof/t/toi;), a corrupt Greek form (I Esdr. ix, 43) of the name Shema (q. v.) of the Heb. text (Neh. viii, 4).
Samoan (or Navigator's) Islands, a group of nine inhabited islands, with some islets, in the Pacific Ocean, lying north of the Friendly Islands; population in 1869, 35,107. The soil, formed chiefly by the de- composition of volcanic rock, is rich, and the climate is moist. Among the Polynesian Islands, the inhabi- tants of the Samoan group rank, in personal appearance, second only to the Tongese, They are well formed, anil easy and graceful in their movements. Polygamy is customary, but two wives seldom live in the same house. Women are considered the equals of men, and both sexes join in the family labor. The ancient re- ligion of the islanders acknowledged one great God, but less worship was paid to him than to some of their war- gdds. They had, besides, a god of earthquakes, a god who upheld the earth, and gods of hurricanes, rain, and lightning, and also many inferior gods, who guarded certain localities. They also worshipped certain chiefs, to whose memory thej' erected carved blocks of wood and stone. The first missionaries landed in Savaii in 1830 from the Society Islands, and, in 1836, were joined by others from England. The first Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in 1846. The inhabitants are all now nT)minally Christians. Tiiere are schools and a church in every village. The children can generally read in their own language at the age of seven years, and most of the adidt population can read and write. The Bible has been translated and printed, as have hymn- books and other works, at the missionary printing-office. In 1869, the population was divided, denominationally, as follows: Independents and Presbyterians, 27,021; Wesleyans, 5082 ; Roman Catholics, 3004. See Apple- ton, Neu> Amer. Cyclop, s, v, ; Chambers's Encyclop, s. v,
Samoan Version. The Samoan belongs to the Polynesian or IMalayan languages, and is spoken in Samoa, or Navigator's Islands. The translation of the Scriptures into that language appears to have been un- dertaken, in the first pLice, bj' the Rev. John Williams, assisted b_v other missionaries of the London Missionarv Society, who, after the death of Williams, continued and completed it. In 1842 the Gospel of John was pub- lished, followed, in 1845, by the (iospel of Luke, trans- Iited by Macdonald, and the Epistle to the Romans, trans- lated by Heath. In 1846, the entire New Test., includ- ing a revised translation of the (iospel of JNIattliew, was completed at press. In 1848, the missionaries sent a revised copy of the New Test, to London, and an edition of 15,000 copies was printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society. In the year 1855, the translation of the Old Test, was completed and printed ; and as to the par- ticulars concerning this great work, we will quote the words of the Report (1856, p. clxiv) :