1. It has been made a question whether the Hebrew agmon', )" -?X, which is mentioned in opposition to the palm -branch (Isa. ix, 13; xix, 15), and is translated " rush" in the A. V., does not rather mean reed. Both were, and are. used for making ropes (Sonnini, Trav. ii, 41G; Pliny, xix, 9; comp. Job xl, 26). See Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel, and others ; also Celsius, Hierobot. i, 465 sq. See Rush.
2. The Hebrew achu', OTX, originally an Egyptian word ( see Jerome, ad Isa. xix, 7 ; comp. Jablonski,
REED
9;
Opusc. i, 45; ii, ICO; Gesen. Tkesaur. i, G7), occurs in Gen. xli, 2; Job viii, 11: in the lirst place the A. V. has meadow, in the second rush. It seems to mean, not reed, bat "reed-grass," Carex (comp. Celsius, Uierobot. i,340sq.). "11 the other hand, suph, 5)10, Exod. ii, 3, 5, growing on the Nile, but distinct from lcaneh, may l>e the sari (Pliny, xiii, 15). See Flag.
3. The word go'me, X~j<, Gr. /3ir/3\oc, the papyrus, paper-reed (so rendered, among the old interpreters, by ... Job loc. ri/.; Isa. xviii. 2 ; Vulg. Isa. xviii. 2; Syr. Isa. xviii, xxxv ; Arab. Exod. ii, 3. In the Tal- mud this word means rush; comp. Mishna, Erubin, x, 11. Tlie leaves were used lor binding wound-', does nol belong to the genus Arundo,&ad is not a proper reed (called by Pliny, xxiv, 81 akin to the reed). It is the Cyperus papyrus of Linnaeus, Class, iii, Monogynia. This plant, anciently so important, grew abundantly in the Egyptian swamps (even perhaps in those of the Nile, Pliny, xiii. 22; comp. v,8. Hence Ovid, Metaph. xv. 75;!-. Trist. iii. x, 27, calls this river papyrifi r; comp. J/m/.x. 1,3), and is mentioned Isa. xxxv, 7: Job viii. 11 5 Exod.ii..'i; Isa. xviii. ■_'. The A. V. has rush in the lirst two places, bulrush in the others. It is now rarely met with in Egypt (according to Minutoli, A bhandl. verm. Inhalts | fieri. L831 |. vol. ii. No. 7. only at Dami- etta; while Pluver, Egypt. Naturgesch. p. 55, sa)rs it does nol now grow in Egypt), bul in Palestine it is occa- sionally found at the Jordan ( Yon Schubert, iii, 259). It has a three-edged stalk, which below bears hollow. sword-formed leaves, covering each other; it grows to a height of ten feel or more, and has above a flower cup of reddish leaves, out of which a thick body of hair-like shoots spring up (comp. Theophr. Plant, iv, '.1 1. The root is as thick as a man's arm. and is used as fuel I Dioscor. i, 115); vessels were framed of the stalks (Exod.ii, 3; Isa. xviii, 2; Pliny, vi, 24; vii, 57, p. 417 ; Hard. Plutarch, hid. c. 18; Lucan, Iv, 136; Rosellini, Monument. I 'iv. [I, iii, 124; Wilkinson, iii, 185 sq.), which sailed very fast (Helidor. jEthiop. x, 4). Sails, shoes, ropes, sieves, mattresses, wicks, etc.. were made of the green rind ( l'liny. xiii, 22; xviii, 28; xxviii, 17; Herod. ii.::7: Veget. Veterin. ii, 57 ; Philo, Op. ii, 182; comp. Wilkinson, iii. 62, 146), bul especially paper, on the mode of preparing which comp. Pliny, xiii, 23 sq. (see Rosellini, Monument. Civ. II, ii, 208 si).: Becker, Chari- <•/(.-•. ii. 21 '.» sq. I. See Writing. The plant is now called berde or berdi by the Arabs (so Job viii, 1 1, in the Ara- bic 1. See Papi in s.
III. It will thus be seen that the reeds named in the Bible may be popularly distinguished as three.
1. The water-reed in pools, marshes, and on the shores of rivers, as of the Nile I Exod. ii,3, 5) and of the Jordan ( 1 Kings xiv. 15; .lob viii, 11; Isa. xix. 0 : xxxv. 7 ). The mosl common -pedes are Arundo phragmites and Arundo calamagrostis (comp. Oken, Botany, i. 805).
See 111 I.Kt'sii.
2. The Stronger reed, adapted tor slaves and canes.
and as measuring-rods ( Ezek. xl, 3 sip: Apoc. \i. I; \\i. 15 Mp: 2 Kings xviii. 21; Isa. xxxvi. 6; Ezek. xxix,6; Matt. xxvii,29; Mishna, Shab. xvii, 3 ; Diog. Laert. I'm,, ,,,. 6 1, 1 lie I rundo </• nax, whose hard, woody stem reaches a height of eight feet, and is thicker than a man's thumb. This, too. i- \ ,ry frequent on the banks
of the Nile ( Forskal, Flora, p. 21: < p. Descript. </<
\i\. 74).
;;. I'll" writing-reed I Arundo scriptoria) (3 John 13; see Mishna, Shab. viii. 5). It -rows in the marshes be- tween the Euphrates and Tigris; at Hellah, in the Per- sian Gulf, etc. The stalks are lirst soaked, then dried. and when properly cut and split make tolerable pen-. formerly the writing-reed grew in Egypt, in Asia Minor, and even in Italy (Pliny, xvi, €4 ; Martial, xiv, 36; comp. Beckmann, Gesch. der Erfindungen, iii, 18sq.; see on the Hebrew name. Celsius, Uierobot. ii. 312 sq. 1, Si e l'i v
See, in general, Prosp. Alpin (Plant. /Egypt, c. 30,
6 KKED
p. 53) and Vesting (p. 107) upon it; RottbolL Descr. Norar. Plant. ( I Iain. 177.; 1 i. 32 sq.; Celsius, Uierobot. ii. 137 sip: BocUei a Stapel, ('••mm. 428 sip; Bruce, Travels, v. L3 sip. 279, with plate i; Montfaucon, in the .1/, moires '/• 1'Acad.des Tnscript.vi,b92 sip: oken, Bot- any, i. 819 sq.