group, the middle figure is a Syrian Jew; the figure to the left is an Arabian; that t> the right, a Persian. In the lower group, the first head, going from left to right, repre sents a Turkish officer; the second, a Turk- BEARDS. BEDS offer a subject on which the inhabitants of these colder climes have great need of care, in order to avoid ascribing their asages to orientals. The dryness and salubrity of the air, the dryness also of the surface of the earth, and the general heat of the climate, rendered it generally safe and pleasant for the people of Syria to sleep even in the open air, and on the bare ground, at least with no other covering than the large outer garment, which somewhat resembled a Scotch plaid, and was denominated Hyk. Accordingly, travellers, when wearied with their day's journey, throw themselves with little preparation on the earth, and enjoy safe, comfortable, and refreshing repose. If a pillow is needed, a stone serves for the purpose; and what was a cloak by day, becomes blanket at night. The poor generally take no further care. The floor of the apartment in which they ordinarily dwell, or the flat roof of their humble abode, answers all requirements in conjunction with the apparel worn by day, which is rarely put off, except In houses of persons with a view to bathe of more substance, the large room in which the family assembles by day becomes a dormitory by night, the male members of which, except the master who retires to an inner apartment, lay themselves down on the raised and cushioned platform, a divan or daïs, which runs along the sides, and there, with or without more covering than their clothes, as the season of the year requires, experience the restorative effects of slumber. But though the reader must dismiss from his mind the idea of feather-beds, and layers of blankets, yet these general observances ad L mitted of modification according to circumstances, and so were brought to a greater or less approach to our own usages. Warmth was, when needed, procured by either numerous coverings, or a skin of some animal. A mattress served for a bedstead, which, however, was sometimes made of wood, in a more or less artificial form. Nor were moveable couches, like the modern sofa, unknown, with the ordinary appendages of cushions and pillows, to minister to ease or luxury. COUCH. These general remarks will afford the student aid in perusing the Sacred Scriptures. For instance, they throw light on the threat of Moses, that the frogs should go up into the bedchamber and the bed of the Egyptians (Exod. viii. 3). They also explain the words of Saul, who ordered the pretendedly sick David to be brought to him in the bed' that he might slay him; and how it was that the palsied man was brought to Jesus in a bed,' and was led down before the Saviour with his couch,' and when healed was bidden to take up his bed and walk (Luke v. 18, seq.). The phrase used in Amos iii. 12, the corner of a bed,' has scarcely any meaning according to our ordinary notions of beds; but the corner of a couch, or of a room having a daïs, is the place of luxury; and this slight change renders the sense clear, and makes the words accordant with the tenor of the passage. In consequence of the large upper garment being used as a covering by night, Moses kindly forbade that it should be taken in pledge (Exod. xxii. 26). The coverings of tapestry in which the rich and luxurious indulged (Prov. vii. 16) were not what we term bed-clothes, but beautifully wrought needle-work coverings for stately couches, which were either moveable or immoveable (Ezek. xxiii. 41). A suspended bed, resembling the sailor's hammock, was used by watchmen in gardens; which is intended in Isa. xxiv. 20 by the word rendered by King James's translators, cottage.' The import of the passage thus becomes clear ་ ix. 6. Mark ii. 4; vi. 55. Luke v. 18. Acts v. 15) were moveable couches, more or less simple in their form, and easy to carry. Beds are often nothing more than one or two stout coverings, in which the person is enveloped, who, thus clad, throws himself either on the floor of a room, the surface of the ground, or the flat roof of a house. 'We would gladly'- Robinson is speaking of his residence at Ramleh-have slept upon the roof beneath the open sky, in preference to the close air of any room; but this privileged spot was already in possession of others. Beds were spread for us in our upper room, consisting of thick quilts underneath, and another quilt of silk, in which to wrap ourselves. But the night beneath a roof was hot, and the house, like all others in Palestine, not free from fleas; so that I did nothing but toss about in feverish halfslumber all night. I several times rose and looked out through the lattices, as the bright moonlight fell upon the group of sleepers on the roof, and envied their lot.' In Egypt, at present, the bed is prepared as it is wanted, and removed when its purpose has been answered. In the houses of persons of moderate wealth, the bed is made of a mattress, stuffed with cotton, about six feet long, and three or four feet in width, placed on a low frame; a pillow being put for the head, and a sheet spread over this and the mattress. In summer, the only covering is a thin blanket; in winter a thick quilt stuffed with cotton is employed. Sometimes the mattress is placed on the floor without any frame, or two mattresses are laid one upon the other. A mosquito-curtain is suspended over the bed by means of four strings, which are attached to nails in the wall. The dress is seldom changed on going to bed. In winter many sleep with all their ordinary clothes on, except the gibbeh, or cloth coat; in summer they sleep almost or entirely unclad. In winter the bed is prepared in a small closet; in summer, in a large room. All the bed clothes are rolled up in the day time, and placed on one side, or in the closet before alluded to. During the hottest weather, many people sleep upon the house-top, or in an uncovered apartment. The most common kind of frame for the bed is made of palm-sticks, a frame similar to which is still used in Palestine, and other neighbouring countries. and consistent. The beds mentioned in the No chambers are furnished as bed-rooms. A New Testament as used by the sick (Matt. mat or carpet, spread upon the raised part The habits of this little animal are too well known to require to be detailed here. swarms. Wild bees were, and still are, common in Palestine. They built in hollow trees, and clefts of the rocks. They flew in great As the honey which they made, and deposited in various parts, was ample and rich, so it became a figure to describe abundance. Palestine was denominated a 'land flowing with milk and honey' (Exod. iii. 8); and Israel is said (Deut. xxxii. 13) to have been made, through the bountiful goodness of Jehovah, 'to suck honey out of the rock. The copiousness of the supply of this native honey may be learned from 1 Sam. xiv. 25, 26. Sometimes the skeleton of decomposed animals afforded a home for a swarm, as in the case of the lion which Samson killed. The passage, Judg. xiv. 8, has derived the difficalty which has occupied and puzzled many commentators, solely from the assumption, that the lion's carcass had produced the bees, that simply hived in the hollow made by the bones of his head, or those of his trunk. Theology has too many instances in which fancy or superstition has made difficulties, which neither learning nor common sense could solve. In such cases, a simple appeal to facts is the proper course. The domestication of bees is too obvious a resource for obtaining a pleasant and salubrious aliment, not to be resorted to whereever the animal abounds. Accordingly it is practised, at the present day, in Syria and Egypt In the Talmud, mention is often made of the keeping of bees; and the Essenes gave particular attention to this useful creature. Under these circumstances, it is probable that bees were kept for domestic purposes in the earlier periods of Jewish history. High authorities have found a reference to a practice connected with keeping bees in Isa. vii. 18, where it is said, that Jehovah shall hiss for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. The practice to which we have referred, and which is well known in rural districts, is the guiding a young swarm to the desired spot by means of noises made often by domestic utensils. A usage of a similar nature, notwithstanding the ignorance of a writer in Kitto's 'Biblical Cyclopedia' (vol. i. 314), existed beyond a doubt in ancient times, according to the statement of Elian (Anim. v. 13), and the testimony of Cyril, in his comment on the words in question. These and other authorities show that it was, as it still is, customary to guide the motions of bees by certain noises; and the 'hiss' mentioned in Isaiah is, in the original, a word which imitates the sound made by the mouth for that purpose. The comparison of the Assyrians, as enemies of the Israelites, to bees, will, with other Scriptural language, be understood in its full force, when the reader is aware that bees in the East are much more malignant, and their sting much more painful and injurious, than in these regions. Park speaks of the dismay caused among his people, by the attack of a swarm of bees, which they chanced to disturb, when flight alone probably saved the human beings from that destruction which fell on two asses. Whence appears the propriety of the words of Moses, The Amorites came out against you, and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, unto Hormah; comp. Ps. cxviii. 12. Near Acbala, in the north-western part of Palestine, Olin found the atmosphere vocal and almost darkened by an increTheir hives are dible number of bees. cylinders, made of earth, about two or three feet in length, by eight or ten inches in diameter, having the entrances at one end. These were piled one upon another like logs of wood, in some instances forty or fifty together. The culture of bees would seem to be the chief business of the people, and I was reminded that honey was formerly one of the staple products.' BEELZEBUB (C. fly-god-see BAAL). The correct reading in Matt. x. 25. Mark iii. 22, is 'Beelzebul,' which signifies dung. god; the change of b into 7 having been made by a sort of play upon words, of which numerous instances occur in the later periods of Jewish history, in order to throw dis honour and contempt on the worship of Baal, and generally on all idol-worship. In process of time, and under the influence of a corrupt oriental philosophy, a system of 'doctrines of devils-demons (1 Tim. iv. 1) was introduced and spread throughout Judea, and other western countries. This system made a complete infernal hierarchy, setting forth the rank, order, and attributes of each class, and giving names to their respective chiefs. Though not perfected till the Rabbins, after the days of our Lord, had applied to the subject their fancies teeming with dark creations, yet something more than the outlines of this doctrine of demons was found in existence by our Lord, who, adopting the popular phraseology, speaks, in the passages above referred to, of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.' To the influence of these demons, various diseases, especially insanity, were ascribed. But a power which could wound, could also heal. Hence the Jews argued that our Saviour performed his miracles by the cooperation of Beelzebul, as at a later period the Fathers of the church maintained that the heathen oracles were inspired by the demons. The logic of this imputation was as bad as its philosophy. This Jesus showed by bringing into relief the absurdity of the supposition, that Satan would cast out Satan (Mark iii. 23). A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (24). Beelzebul, as an evil power, must do evil, and could not be the prime agent in a work whose essential attribute was to heal and save. BEER (H. a well), a town in Palestine (Judg. ix. 21. 2 Sam. xx. 14), about a day's journey north-west of Jerusalem, to which Jotham fled for fear of Abimelech, after he had delivered on Mount Gerizim the speech which contained his famous apologue of the trees choosing a king. The meaning of the name shows its origin. That name is still borne by a small village, lying as above mentioned; a little to the west of which is a beautiful and copious fountain. The modern Beer does not contain more than a hundred and fifty low mean stone houses. It has, however, many marks of antiquity: massive stones built into peasants' houses, or lying upon the earth, half-buried walls, and substructions, with mounds of rubbish. The walls and beautiful solid arches of a dilapidated church form the most conspicuous object. It is commonly ascribed to the empress Helena, and, from its size and sumptuousness, may have had its origin in her princely munificence. The tradition prevails that it was at Beer, Mary, on her return home to Nazareth, discovered that the child Jesus had been left behind; and the church marks the spot where, in the fulness of a mother's feelings, she turned back in quest of her beloved son. BEERSHEBA (H. well of the oath), a place forming the extreme southern boundary of Palestine (2 Sam. xvii. 11), which received its name from the oath which Abraham and Abimelech there swore in ratification of a covenant of peace (Gen. xxi. 31). At first it was consecrated to the worship of the Almighty; for Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God (ver. 32); but in a degenerate period it was polluted by idolatry (Amos v. 5; viii. 14). It was in existence after the exile (Neh. xi. 27, 30), and in the time of Jerome. Robinson found on the skirts of the desert, in an open pasture country on the northern side of Wady esSeba, two deep wells, still called Bir es-Seba, the ancient Beersheba. The water in both wells is pure, sweet, and abundant. Ascending the low hills north of the wells, he found them covered with the ruins of former habitations, spreading over a space half a mile in length, on which are scattered fragments of pottery. Here, then,'- -we cite the words of Robinson, is the place where the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, often dwelt. Here Abraham dug, perhaps, this very well; and journeyed from hence with Isaac to Mount Moriah, to offer him up there in sacrifice. From this place Jacob fled to Padan-aram, after acquiring the birthright and blessing belonging to his brother; and here, too, he sacrificed to the Lord on setting out to meet his son Joseph in Egypt. Here Samuel made his sons judges; and from here Elijah wandered out into the southern desert, and sat down under a shrub, just as our Arabs sat down every day and every night. Over these swelling hills the flocks of the patriarchs once roved by thousands, where now we found only a few camels, asses, and goats.' Proceeding northward to Jerusalem, the path gradually ascends over an open tract, which, in ordinary seasons, is a fine grazing country: not a precipice, not a tree, is to be seen; nothing but grassy hills. Robinson thus describes this part:-Fifteen minutes more brought us out upon a wide, open, grassy plain, suffering greatly indeed from drought (April 15), but in which many fields of wheat were scattered, looking beautifully in their vesture of bright green. The ground, too, was in many places decked with flowers: among them was an abundance of low scarlet poppies. The morning was lovely, the sky perfectly serene, with a refreshing breeze from the S.W.; the air full of the sweet carols of birds.' He next travelled over a plain in a course N.E. by E. having an undulating surface, no shrubs nor trees visible; nothing but grass, flowers, and green fields. On the east and north are hills and ridges, the beginning of the mountains of Judah. The plain soon terminates. and you get among the hills, entering a Way which leads to Hebron. In this valley Robinson (April 13) found fields of grain, and a man ploughing with two heifers, in order to sow millet. His plough was very sim ple, yet did its work well. The road now ascends more rapidly. The limestone hills on each side become rocky and higher, being green with grass, while low trees are scattered among them. Among these, the Butm, Pistacia Terebinthus of Linnæus, the terebinth of the Old Testament, is the most frequent. Red clover is found growing wild along the path. Reaching the head of this valley, you come out on a ridge, from which a very steep descent brings you to the bottom of another deep and narrow Wady coming down from the N.E. up which the path goes in a general course N.E. by E. This water-course is narrow, and winds among the hills; the sides are rocky, but clothed with grass and the shrub Bellan, a kind of furze. The bottom of the valley, in its steeper parts, was formerly laid out in terraces, of which the massive walls still remain. The hill terminating the Wady, and the hills around, are in spring covered with flocks and cattle in the ancient patriarchal style, with horses, asses, and camels, all in fine order, and affording a most pleasing prospect. The country around the village of Dhohe riyeh, which lies high, is visible from a great distance, and seems to have been one of the line of fortresses which apparently once existed all along the southern border of Palestine, has but a barren aspect: the limestone rocks come out in large blocks and masses on the sides and tops of the hills, and give a whitish cast to the whole landscape. No trees are visible, nor any fields of grain, except in the bottoms of the narrow valleys. Indeed the whole aspect of the country is stern and dreary. Yet it must be a fine grazing country, as is proved by the fat and sleek condition of the flocks and herds, and from its having been, from the days of Abraham onward, a place of resort for herdsmen. From the top of a neigh bouring hill nothing is to be seen, save rocky hills and swells. The course from Dhoheriyeh to Hebron is north-east. The road winds among valleys and over hills which begin to be covered with shrubs, increasing as you advance, being intermingled with evergreens or prickly caks, arbutus, and other dwarf trees and bushes. In summer a large portion of the peasantry are said to leave their villages, and dwell in caves and ruins, in order to be near their flocks. The region around Hebron, which lies in a deep narrow valley, abounds with vine yards, and the grapes are the finest in Palestine. The path towards Jerusalem, which leads up the valley, and then up a branch coming from the north-east, is at first paved, and passes between the walls of vineyards and oliveyards; the former chiefly in the valley, and the latter on the slopes of the hills, which are Pome This road bears every mark of having always been a great highway between Hebron and Jerusalem. It is direct, and in many parts artificially made, evidently in times of old. But wheels never passed here: the hills are too sharp and steep, and the surface of the ground too thickly strewn with rocks, to admit of the possibility of vehicles being used in this mountainous region, without the toilsome construction of artificial roads, such as never yet existed here. At one hour from Hebron, a blind patlı goes off to the right, leading to Tekoa; and on it, about five minutes' walk from the road, are the foundations of an immense building, which the Jews of Hebron call the House of Abraham, and regard this as the place of Abraham's tent and terebinth at Mamre (Gen. xiii. 18). The country is still rocky and uneven, but somewhat culti vated. It soon becomes more open; the valleys are wider and fertile; and the hills are covered with bushes, arbutus, and dwarf oaks, exhibiting also in their terraced sides the traces of ancient cultivation. The tract is full of partridges, whose calling and clucking in spring may be heard on every side. Crossing a valley obliquely, you see the road at some distance a-head, ascending the side of a long ridge, the path up which is artificial; midway is a cistern of rain-, water, also an open place of prayer for the Mohammedan traveller. From the top the path descends into a long straight valley, which it follows for an hour, called Wady et-Tuheishimeh. The hills become higher and more rocky, the valley narrower and winding; while the road ascends obliquely on the left, and bends around the eastern point of a high hill, leaving the valley very deep below on the right The valley passes on towards the right, and receives that which descends from Solomon's Pools, and so runs to the Dead Sea. The road leads across a ridge into the more open valley, n which are those famous pools. There are three of these immense reservoirs lying one above another in the sloping valley, and bearing every mark of high antiquity. A small aqueduct is carried from them, along the sides of the hills, to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. A road passes hence to Bethlehem along the aqueduct. Another, which is more direct, leads obliquely up the gentle ascent north of the pools. The path in this latter |