The productions of Sibel's pen are very numerous, and have often been published in monograph form. They contain nothing, however, of considerable importance to modern readers, and may be classed as follows : Ser- mons and homilies on parts of the Old-Test. Scriptures : — Sermons and homilies on sections of the New Test., and miscellaneous sermons: — Catechetical writings: Meditat. Catecheticarum (1646-50, four parts) : — Pi-oleg, et Paralipomena Catechetica (1650): — Epitume Cate- chismi (Dutch [1643] ; a Latin ed. approved by clas- sis in 16,53): — A devotional manual, Christl. (Jebeder ende Dankzeggingen (last ed. 1645; Latin ed. approved 1653): — Translations of the New Test. (Dutch, with Sibel's Margiiudia [1640, and often] ; Latin, with notes, approved by classis in 1652 and 1653): — Fasciculus CCIV Qucestiimiim et ad illas Francisci .Junii Responsi- onum (not printed) : — An autobiography, incom))lete ; it extends to 1653, in two volumes, but there is evidence that a third volume must have been written. See Her- zog, Re(d-Fncgkloj). s. v.
Sibien, in Hindi! mythology, was a prince of the children of the moon, who was father to Sandren, or Jandra, and grandfather to the rajah Darmamaden.
Sib'mah (Heb. Sibmah', rro^"^, coolness, ox fra- grance [ (iesenius ). J((/.svf/«-place [Fiirst]; Sept. 2!f/3a;ta V. r. ill .ler. 'Affffjiiftd, etc.; A. V. "Shibmah"' in Numb. xxxii, 38), one of the places on the east of Jordan which were taken possession of by the tribe of Reuben (ver. 38) and rebuilt by them (.losh. xiii, 19). It is probably the same with Shebam (i. e. Sebani), named in the ])arallel list (Numb, xxxii, 3). It originally be- longed to that section of the territory of ISloab which was captured l)y the Amorites under Sihon (xxi, 26). From the Amorites Moses took it, and gave it to the children of Reuben (xxxii, 1 sq.). Sibmah is grouped witli Heshbon and Nebo, and must, consequently, have stood near the western brow of the plateau, east of the Dead Sea. Like most of the Transjordanic places, Sib- mah disappears from view during the main part of the Jewish history. We, however, gain a parting glimpse
SIBOUR
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of it in the lament over Moab pronounced In' Isaiah and by Jeremiah (Isa. xvi, 8, 9; Jer. xlviii, 32). It was then famed for the abundance and excellence of its grapes. They must have been remarkably good to have been thought worthy of notice by those who, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, lived close to and were familiar with the renowned vineyards of Sorek (Isa. v, 2, where "choicest vine" is " vine of Sorek") Its vineyards were devastated, and the town dotditless destroyed by the "lords of the heathen," who at some time unknown ap- pear to have laid waste the whole of tliat once smiling and fertile district. It will be observed that these proph- ets speak of the city as belonging to Moab, whereas in the books of Numbers and Joshua it is enumerated among the cities of Reuben. Tlie reason is, on the captivity of the Transjordanic tribes by the Assyrians, the Muabites returned to their ancient possessions and reoccupied their ancient cities, and among them Sibmah. See Moab.
Sibmah seems to have been known to Eusebius (Ono- mast. s. V. " Sabama"), and Jerome (Comment, in Isaiam, lib. v) states that it was hardly 500 paces distant from Heshbon. He also speaks of it as one of the very strong cities (iirbes validissima) of tliat region. From the way in which it is grouped in the Bible, it seems to have been on the south or south-west of Heshbon ; but even the minute researches of De Saulcy, in his recent tour through that country, have failed to discover a trace of it. There are several nameless ruins mentioned by him and noted in his map, one or other of which may mark the site ( Voyage en Terre Sainte. i, 277 sq.), especially es-Sameh, or es-Samik, a ruined village near Hesban, on the north-east. It is interesting to observe, how- ever, that around Heshbon he found traces of tlie vine- yards for which the region was once celebrated; and that from the lips of the Bedawin both he and Tristram {Laiul of Israel, p. 535) heard the name Neha given to a mountain-peak a short distance south-west of Hesh- bon.— Kitto; Smith. See Nebo.
Sibour, Marie Domixiquk Augusts, a French prelate, was born at St.-Paul-Trois-Chateaux (Drome), April 4, 1792, and was educated in philosophy and the- ology chiefly at the seminar}' of Viviers. He after- wards taught the iuimanities in the seminary of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet at Paris. After spending a year at Rome, he was ordained priest, June 13, 1818, and on his return to Paris was attached to the parish of St. Sulpice, and next to the mission chapel. Nov. 9, 1822, he was made canon of the Cathedral of Nismes. but con- tinued his duties as teacher till interrupted by the revo- lution of July, 1831, when he occupied himself with lit- erary labors. In Septenilier, 1839, he was appointed bishop of Digne, and in October, 1848, he became arch- bishop of Paris, in which capacity he was noted for be- nevolent, patriotic, religious, and ecclesiastical labors, which made him conspicuous in both Church and State. He was assassinated .Jan. 3, 1857, by a priest whotp he had offended by a religious penalty. He was the au- thor of several ecclesiastical works of local interest, for which see Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Ge.nerale, s. v.