2. A " race"-course in the public games (1 Cor. ix, 24; comp. Heb. xii, 1 ; in the Talmud, "pnu^^S, Aboda Sara, i, 7). where the lists {dpofxoc), whether armed or unarmed, was located, and which was generally (not al- ways; see Forbiger, ut sup. p. 651 sq.) 125 paces or 600 Greek feet long (see Potter, Gr. A ntiq. i, 962 sq.). Who- ever first reached the goal ((Dcottoc) received from the arbiter (a^Xo^trj/c, jipajSivi:, or i3pal3(friig, Sueton. .Ve?-o, 53) the prize (lipajitlov, 1 Cor. loc. cit.; Phil, iii, 14), namely, a crown {ariipavoi;, 1 Cor. ix, 25) of living twigs or leaves. Every important citj' of Greece and the Greek colonies of Asia INIinor (also the Palestinian cities that contained many Greek inhabi- tants; Josephus, Life, § 17, 64) had its stadium, either separate or in connection with the gymnasia (Wachs- muth, Ildkn. Alterth. ii, 678). See Lydii Ayonistica Sacra (Rotterd. 1657). — Winer. See Game,
Stadings. See Stedingers.
Stadler, Joiiann Evangelist, a Roman Catholic divine, was born I )ec. 24, 1804, at Parkstettcn. in the L'p- l)er Palatinate. He studied theology and Oriental lan- guages at Landshut and Munich, and from 1823 until his death (Dec. 30, 1868) he occu|iied some of the highest positions in his Church. He wrote. Lexicon Manuale n ebraicn-Latinum et Chaldaico-bihliciim (Munich, 1831): —l)e Idcntitate Sapientia- V. T.et Verhi X. T. (ii)id. 1829). He also pidjlished correct editions of the Roman missal and breviary; but his main work is his Vollstdndiges //eilif/cnlexik-on ( Augsl)urg, 1858-68, vol. i-iii, contin- ued by J. N. Ginal). See Nif/ensburr/er Conrersations- Lexikon, s. v, ; Lilerai-wcher llandweiser, 1869, p. 129; Fiirst, liibl. Jud. iii, 377; Steinschneider, Bihliogr. llandhuch, p. 135. (15. P.)
Staff (usually tlB^, b)?^, or ^2^; paft^oq; all designating a stick). The use of rods and staffs was as various with the ancient Israelites as with us. Men and animals were goaded with them (Exod. xxi, 20 [comp. Sir. xxxiii, 27]; Nimil). xxii, 27; 1 Sam. xvii, 43; 2 Sam. vii, 14 ; Prov. x, 13 ; xiii, 24 ; Isa. ix, 3) [see Bas-
STAFF
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STAFF
TiNADo]; fruit was beaten with them from the trees (Judg. vi, 11; Kuth ii, 17; Isa. xxviii, 27), especially olives (q. v.). Old and infirm people carried them as supports or for defence (Exod. xxi, 19; Zech. viii, 4 [see the monograph of Canz, De Pedo Servatoris, Tub. 1750]), also travellers (Gen. xxxii, 10; Exod. xii, 11; 2 Kings iv, 29 ; Matt, x, 10 ; Mark vi, 8). See Walk. A baton, like a ring, was often a sign of rank (Gen. xxxviii, 18, 25; comp. Herod, i, 19; Bonomi, Nineteh, p. 197); sometimes inscribed with the owner's name (Wilkinson, Aiic. Eijypt. ii, 347); and especially a badge of office (Exod. iv, 2 sq. ; vii, 9 sq.; Numb, xx, 8; xxi, 18; Judg. v, 14; 1 Sam. xiv, 27; Psa. ex, 2; Mic. vii, 14). See Sceptre. The shepherd carried a staff, which he used not only as a support in climbing hills, but for the purpose of beating bushes and low brush- wood in which the flocks strayed, and where snakes and other reptiles alwunded. It may also have been used for correcting the shepherd-dogs and keeping them in subjection (Van Lennep, Bible Lands, p. 188). See Shepherd.
In Heb. xi, 21 it is cited as an example of faith that the dying Jacob "worshipped [leaning] upon the top of his staff" ( TrpoaEKiiinjaev tiri to ciicpov Tijg paj3dov avTOv}, a statement which Romanists have sometimes appealed to as sanctioning the worship of images, on the pretence that the patriarch's staff bore a carved head (after the Vulg. adoi-avit fnstigium hnculi sui}. These words are simply quoted from the Sept. at Gen. xlvii, 31, where the Greek translator has mistaken ilS"3, bed, for llia'Q, staff] as is obvious from the paral- lel passage (xlix, 33). The phrase merely uidicates a reverential posture such as David assumed (1 Kings i, 47). See Zeibich, I)e Jacobo ad Caput Scipionis Ado- rante (Ger. 1783). See Jacob.
STAFF, Pastoral, a symbol of episcopal author- ity, resembling a shepherd's crook, and pointed at the end as an emblem both of encouragement and correction. It was originally a simple walking-stick with a plain head or a cross-piece at the top. The Russian bishops use one with two curved heads. It was eventually wrought into very elaborate forms; but was, at length, generally discarded, except by the patriarch (q. v.) who
Egbert, Bishop of Treves, with Pastoral Staff. (From a MS. of the 10th century.)
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retained it in its primitive form. The pope gave up the use of the staff" in the middle of the 12th century, and cardinal-bishops no longer carry it. The early staffs were mostly made of cj'press-wood, and after- wards of ivory, copper-gilt, crj'stal, and precious metals richly carved, jewelled, or enamelled. Between 1150 and 1280 the crook was often formed of a serpent (the old dragon), or contained St. Michael or the lion of Judah, and at a later period the prelate praying be- fore his patron saint. Beautiful crocketed work was also added on the exterior of the crook. The French abbot's staff has its crook turned inward, to show that his jurisdiction extended only over his house, while the bishop's crook turned outward, to denote his external jurisdiction over his diocese. In the Penitential of Theodore and the Ordo Romanus the bishop gave the abbot his staff and sandals. The banner on the staff was originally a handkerchief Fine spec- imens of staffs are preserved — those of Wykeham, of silver -gilt, enamelled, at New College ; of Fox, at Corpus- Christi College; of Laud, at St. John's College, Oxford; of Smith, of the 17th century, at York ; of Mews and Trelawney, at Win- chester. Others are to be seen in the British Museum, the Museum Clugny, at Chichester, and HUdesheim. See Pasto- ral Staff.