1. Protective Weapons. — To this class belong the fol- lowing :
h The Shield (q.y.).
2. The Helmet (S'^IS or "?ip, 2 Chron. xxvi, 14; .Jer. xlvi, 4; j) ■7rEptKt<pa\aia, Eph. vi, 17) of brass (1 Sam. xvii, 6, 38 ; 1 Mace, vi, 85 ; comp. Diod. Sic. v, 30 ; Xenoph. Anub. i, 2, 16). Whether the Israelites also w'ore them of leather (neats' hide. Homer, //. x, 257 sq. ; Strabo, vii, 306, etc. ; see Passow, s. v. Kvv'tvi) is uncer- tain, although such certainly belonged to rude ages (for the ancient Egyptian form, see Wilkinson, i, 331). Sec Heljiet.
3. The Breastplate (^i'^l'^j, Biopa^), which covered the centre of the person (1 Sam. xvii, 5; Neh. iv, 16; 2 Chron. xxvi, 14 ; 1 Mace, iii, 3), usually of brass (1 Sam. xvii, 5; Rev. ix, 9; comp. Iliad, xiii, 371 sq., 397 sq.), and sometimes composed of plates (0"'tZi|?C|?, 1 Sam. xvii, 5), by which, however, we must not understand the Roman lorica squameata, consisting of a leather corselet covered with brass scales. In order to wound a fully equipped soldier, it was necessary to strike some spot where the brazen pieces failed to join each otlier fully, or where ordinary clothing intervened (1 Kings xx, 34). Among the Syro-Seleucid generals we find chain- armor (jiauoply) in use (1 Mace, vi, 35; comp. the Sept. at 1 Sam. xvii, 5; Diod. Sic. v, 30); but of linen corselets (see Kiipke, Kriegsw. d. Griech. p. 97 sq.) there ap- pears no trace in the Bible. See Breastplate.
4. Greaves for protecting the knees and legs (nri2"2, Kvri^ilct^. ocrete ; 1 Sam. xvii, 6), commonly of brass {Iliad, vii, 42), were universal in classical antiquity (Xenoph. Anab. i, 2, 16; iv, 7, 16; Virgil, yEn. xi, 177;
WEAPON"
893
WEASEL
Pliny, xxxiv, 18, etc.), and are regarded as an inven- tion of the Cariaus (Pliny, vii, 57). We must distin- guish from these the military shoe ("liXO, Isa. ix, 4), probably like the Roman califfu (see Bynreus, De Calceis Jlebr. p. 83 sq.), a sort of half-boot of leather shod with strong nails (Juvenal, xvi, 24 ; Josephus, War, vi, 1, 8; clavi cali(jeres,Wmy,ix,'63; xxii, 4G; xxxiv, 41). See Greaves; Shoe.
II. A(j(jressice Wecqwns. — 1. The Sword (3'in), which was carried in a special belt at the hips (1 Sam. xvii, 37 ; XXV, 13; 2 Sam. xx, 8), but certainly not (as Jahn [^ rchdiil. II, ii, 40] falsely argues from Judg. iii, 16, 21 ; Josephus, War, iii, 5, 5) on the right side (see the fig- ures of Ninevites in the Journal Asiatique, 1840, vii, pi. 3, 6, 7, 10 ; X, 17, 19, 22, 53, etc.). It was enclosed in a sheath ("i^n, 1 Sam. xvii, 51; 2 Sam. loc. cit.; "|'13, 1 Chron. xxi, 27; SrljKr], John xviii, 11), hence the phrase " to draw the sword" (3"in p'^^f^, or Cl^llJ, or nri3), and was double-edged (ri'S "^3113, Judg. iii, 16 ; Prov. V, 4; diaTOj-ioQ, Ileb. iv, 12; Rev. i, 61; ii, 12; a^(p)lKi\i;, Iliad, xxi, 118). It was used both for strik- ing and stabbing (1 Sam. xxxi, 4 ; 2 Sam. ii, 16 ; xx, 10, etc.). The Sept. usually translates the Ileb. H'ln by ^laXaipa, which latter occurs in the New Test., and originally denoted the short dagger (comp. Iliad, iii, 271 sq.), but later any (curved) sabre in distinction from ^ifoc, the proper (military) sword; but that 3*111 also signifies the straight sword there can be no doubt. The Roman sica, a somewhat curved poniard, was intro- duced later among the Jews, and became, shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem, the deadly weapon of the bold robbers, who hence were called 'Sicarii (Josephus, Jh<.xx,8, 10; lF«r, vii, 10, 1 ; Z-j/e, § 56). See Sword.
2. The Spear, lance, or dart, was used as a weapon both for thrusting (close at hand) and for throwing (at a short distance), like the Sopv of the Greeks (Strabo, x, 448) ; but cliiefly for the former (see 1 Sam. xviii, 1 ; xix, 10; XX, 33). The usual Heb. designations are JTl"! and ri"'3H, which can hardh' be distinguished, ex- cept that the latter is generally used in connection with the sword (or bow), while both appear in connection with the shield (Judg. v, 8; 1 Sam. xvii, 15). Instead of either word, we sometimes find ll^p (2 Sam, xxi, 16) and ")iT^3 (Josh, viii, 18, 26 ; 1 Sam. xvii, 6 ; Job xli, 21); also uad in some cases (2 Sam. xviii, 14, accord- ing to some). They are also thought to have been used as standards for colors (Gesen. Thesaur, p. 683). The spears (see the Persepolitan specimens in Porter, Travels, i, pi. 36, 40, 46, 49) had a wooden shaft (VH, 1 Sam. xvii, 7; or "i'^', 2 Sam. xxi, 19; xxiii, 7) and an iron point (1 Sam. xvii. 7). Ash or fir was preferred (Virgil, .^n, xi, 667 ; Homer, //. xix, 390 sq. ; xxii, 293 ; Odijs. xiv, 281; Ovid, Metam. x. 93; Statius, Theb. vi, 102; comp. Pliny, xvi, 24), and hence many (so Rosen- milller) explain Nah. ii, 4; but u3i"i3 is probabh' cy- press (q. v.). The hasta of the Romans, a weapon for throwing, is called Xoyx'? i" ^^^ New Test. (John xix, .34 ; comp. 2 Mace, v, 2 ; xv, 11 ; see Alstorph. De Hastis Veter. [Amst. 1757]). See Spear.