As in the East there is no rain during the harvest season (Hesiod, 0pp. 558), the threshing-floors were in the open field, and were carefully selected and managed {'ViTgi\,Geo7-ff. i, 178 sq. ; Pallad. vii, 1 ; Pliny, Ilisf. Nut. xii, 32; xv, 8; xvii, 14; xviii, 71, etc.). The farmers remained on the corn-floor all night in order to guard the product (Ruth iii, 4, 6, 14). The threshing-place was of considerable value, and is often named in con- nection with the wine-press (Deut. xvi, 13; 2 Kings vi, 27; Hos. ix, 2; Joel ii, 24), since wheat and wine and oil were the more important products of the land (Mish- na, Buba Bathi-a, ii, 8). They often bore particular names, as that of Nachon (2 Sam. vi, 6) or Chidon (1 Chron. xiii, 9), of Atad (Gen. 1, 10), of Oman, or Arau- nah (2 Sam. xxiv, 18, 20; 1 Chron. xxi, 15; Josephus, .4 nt. vii, 13, 4). See Thomson, Land and Booh, ii, 314 ; Hackett, Illustr. of Script, p. 160; Van Lennep, Bible Lands, p. 79; Conder, Tent-Work in Palestine, ii, 259. See Agriculture.
Threshing-instrument was a sledge for driving over the sheaves and separating the grain. These sledges, called among the Hebrews by the general term Dipp'ia, barkanim, rendered "briers" in Judg. viii, 7, 16, were of two kinds, corresponding respectively with two words, the first of which alone is rendered as above in the A. V. See Threshing.
1. Mordfj (5^T2, so called from ti-itnrating ; 2 Sam.
Oriental Phiiu Treshiug-sledge.
THRESHOLD
391
THRONE
xxiv, 22; 1 Chron. xxi, 23; Isa. xli, 15; by ellipsis chui-uls, pointe<l. Job xli, 22; Isa. xxviii, 27; Amos i, 3) was a threshing-instrument still in use in the north of Palestine. I'rof. Kobinson, who frequently saw this rus- tic threshing-sledge, says, •' It consists chiefly of two planks fastened together side by side, and bent upwards in front; precisely like the common stone-sledge of New England. JNIany holes are bored in the bottom under- neath, and into these are tixed sharp fragments of hard stone. The macliiue is dragged by oxen as they are driven round upon the grain ; sometimes a man or a boy sits upon it. The effect of it is to cut up the straw quite fine" (^Reseaiches, ii,306).
2. Agaldh (ilbaS;, rendered "cart" or "wagon") was a threshing-sleilge with wheels or rollers of wood, iron, or stone, made rough and joined together in the form of a sledge (Isa. xxviii, 27, 28). Mr. Lane found it still in use in Egypt, perhaps somewhat improved. He says.
Oriental Wheeled Threshing -sledges. A. Bottom; B. With seat.
" For the purpose of separating the grain of wheat or barley, etc., and cutting the straw, which serves as fod- der, the Egyptians use a machine called norag, in the form of a chair, which moves upon small iron wheels, or circular plates, generally eleven, fi.xed to three thick axle-trees; four to the foremost, the same number to the hindmost, and three to the intermediate axle-tree. This machine is drawn in a circle, by a pair of cows or bulls, over the corn" (Mod. Eyyptians, ii, 33).
Threshold is the rendering in the A. V. of three Heb. words.
1. Saph ( w)&, so called perhaps from the attrition there, Judg. xix, 27 ; 1 Kings xiv, 17 ; Ezek. xl, 6, 7 ; xliii, 8; Zeph. ii, 14; elsewhere "door" or "door-post"), the sill, or bottom, of a door-way. See Gate.
2. Miphtan ("(nSTS, so called apparently from its firmness or sti-etch), obviously to be interpreted of the sill, or bottom beam, of a door (1 Sam. v, 4, 5 ; Zeph. i, 9 ; Ezek. xlvii, 1); but perhaps meaning sometimes, as the Targum explains it, a projecting beam, or corbel, at a higher point than the threshold properly .so called (Ezek. ix, 3 ; X, 4, 18). See DooK.
3. Asopk ("ON, only in the plur. Asirppim, D^SCX, collections; Sept. ffwayayelv; Vulg. vestibula; Neh. xii, 25), a storehouse or depository ("Asuppim," 1 Chron. xxvi, 17 ), especially as connected with the western gates of the Temple, hence called heth-Asuppim (ver. 15). See Asuppim.
Throne (X33, Jdsse; ^povoq, a seat, as often ren- dered; twice n33, Jcissek, 1 Kings x, 19; Job xxvi, 9; Chald. !!<D*2, ko7-se, Dan. v, 20; vii, 9, so called as be- ing covered, i. e. either the seat itself or with a canopy) applies to any elevated seat occupied by a person in au- thority, whether a high-prie.st (1 Sam. i, 9), a judge (Psa. cxxii, 5), or a military chief CJer. i, 15). In Neh. iii, 7 the term is applied to the official residence of the governor, which appears' to have been either on or near to the city wall. In the holy of holies, between the cherubim, was the throne of Jehovah, the invisible king of the Hebrews (Exod. xxv, 22). See P.wiliox.
The use of a chair in a country where the usual post- ures were squatting and reclining was at all times re- garded as a symbol of dignity (2 Kings iv, 10 ; Prov. ix, 14). In order to specify a throne in our sense of the term, it was necessary to add to kisse the notion of roy- alty; hence the frequent occurrence of such expressions as " the throne of the kingdom" ( Deut. xvii, 18 ; 1