BASHAN

BASHAIT. — The name ot the territory east of the Sea of Tiberias. It was the kingdom of Og, the Eephaite op-ponent ol Israel, and with his name the country is almost invariably associated (Nu 21^3, Dt 29', Neh 9« etc.). The territory was given to the halt-tribe of Manasseh, with a reservation of two cities, Golan and Be-eshterah (Ashtaroth in 1 Ch 6"), for the Gershonite Levites (Jos 2V). In the time of Jehu the country was smitten by Hazael (2 K lO^^). it was noted for mountains (Ps 68'5), lions (Dt 332^), oak trees (Is 2i3, Ezk 276, Zee 112), and especially cattle, both rams (Dt 32") and bullocks (Ezk 39^»); the bulls and kine of Bashan are typical of cruelty and oppression (Ps 221^, Am 4'). The extent of the territory denoted by this name cannot be exactly defined till some important identifications can be established, such as the exact meaning of 'the region of Argob ' (included in the kingdom of Og, Dt 3* etc.), where were threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars, administered for Solomon by Ben-geber of Ramoth-gilead (1 K 41a). It included Salecah (.Salkhat, on the borders of the desert), Edrei (ed-Der'at), Ashtaroth (perhaps Tell Ashareh), and Golan, one of the cities of refuge, the name of which may be preserved in the Jaulan, the region immediately east of the Sea of Tiberias. R. A. S. Macalistee.

BASILISK.— See Serpent.

BASKET. — The names of a round score of baskets in use in NT times are known from the Mishna (see Krengel, Das Hausgerat in der Mishnah, pp. 39-45). They were made of willow, rush, palm-leaf, and other materials, and used in an endless variety ot ways, for purely domestic purposes, in agriculture, in gathering and serving fruit, and for collecting the alms in kind for the poor, etc. Some had handles, others lids, some had both, others had neither. In OT times the com-monest basket was the sal, made, at least in later times, of peeled willows or palm-leaves. It was large and flat like the Roman canistrum, and, like it, was used for carrying bread (Gn 40"") and other articles of food (Jg 6"), and for presenting the meal-offerings at the sanctuary (Ex 29^). Another (dud), also of wicker-work, probably resembled the calalhus, which tapered towards the bottom, and was used in fruit-gathering (Jer 241). In what respect it differed from Amos' 'basket of summer fruit' (Am 8') is unknown. A fourth and larger variety was employed for carrying home the produce of the fields (Dt 28' 'blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough,' RV), and for presenting the first-fruits (26").

In NT interest centres in the two varieties of basket distinguished consistently by the Evangelists in their accounts of the feeding of the SOOO and the 4000 re-spectively, the kophinos and the sphyris. The kophinos (Mt IV) is probably to be identified with the exceed-ingly popular kapha of the Mishna, which ' was provided with a cord for a handle by means of which it was usually carried on the back' (Krengel), with provisions, etc., and which, therefore, the disciples would naturally have with them. The Jews of Juvenal's day carried such a provision basket (cophinus). The sphyris or spyris (Mt 15^', Mk 8'), from its use in St. Paul's case (Ac 92*), must have been considerably larger than the other, and might for distinction be rendered 'hamper.' A. R. S. Kennedy.

BASON (Amer. RV 'basin').— Chiefly the large bowl of bronze used by the priests to receive the blood of the sacrificial victims (Ex 27' 29", 1 K 7« etc.). It is only once found in secular use, if the text is correct (Am 6«, otherwise LXX, see Bowl). Similar bowls or basins of silver were presented by the princes of the congregation (Nu 7""-); those destined for Solomon's Temple were of gold (1 K 7"). The basins of Ex 12", 2 S IT' were probably of earthenware. A special wash-basin was used by Jesus for washing the disciples' feet (Jn 13'). A. R. S. Kennedy.

BAYITH

BASSAI (AV Baasa), 1 Es Si«=Bezai, Ezr 2",

Neh 723.

BASTHAI (AV Bastai), 1 Es 5"=Besai, Ezr 2*», Neh 7«.

BAT Catalleph). — The bat is a familiar object in Palestine, where no fewer than seventeen varieties have been identified. The two commonest are the horse-shoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrum equinum) and the long-eared bat (Plecotus aurilus). All varieties in Palestine are insectivorous except one, the Xantharpyia mgyptiaca, which eats fruit. Bats flit about on noiseless wings by the score on warm summer evenings, especially in the Jordan Valley, and they are to be found in great numbers in ruins, old tombs, and caves all over the land, giving rise to many tales ot ghostly habitation (Is 2"). They are counted as unclean 'fowl,' though a little separate from the birds, in Lv ll'", Dt 14".

E. W. G. Masterman.

BATH. — A liquid measure; see Weights and Measdhes.

BATH, BATHING.— The latter term is most frequently used in our EV in connexion with purification from ceremonial defilement — contact with holy things, with the dead, etc. (see article Clean and Unclean) — and in this sense denotes the washing of the body vyith water, not necessarily the total immersion of the body in water. Hence RV has rightly introduced 'wash' in many cases for 'bathe.' Bathing in the modern and non-religious sense is rarely mentioned (Ex 25 Pharaoh's daughter, 2 S 11^ [RV] Bathsheba, and the curious case 1 K 2238). Public baths are first met with in the Greek period — they were included in the 'place of exercise' (1 Mac 1") — and remains of such buildings from the Roman period are fairly numer-ous. Recently a remarkable series of bath-chambers have been discovered at Gezer in connexion with a building, which is supposed to be the palace built by Simon Maocabseus (illust. in PEFSt, 1905, 294 t.).

The Hebrews were well acquainted with the use of mineral and vegetable alkalis for increasing the cleansing properties of water (Jer 2^2, RV 'soap,' 'lye'). In the History of Susanna v." is a curious reference to ' washing-balls.' A. R. S. Kennedy.

BATH-BABBIM ('daughter of multitudes').— The name of a gate of Heshbon, near which were pools, to which the Shulammite's eyes are compared (Ca 7').

R. A. S. Macalisteb.

BATHSHEBA (1 Ch 3' Bathshua: this may be a mere textual error). — Wife of Uriah the Hittite, seduced by David (2 S ll^-i), and afterwards married to him (v."). The child died (12"), but another son, Solomon, was subsequently born (12*'). Bathsheba, instigated and supported by Nathan, successfully combated Adonijah's attempt to secure the throne (1 K 1"-"). Acting as Adonijah's intercessor in the matter of Abishag, she was most respectfully received b,y Solomon, but her unwise request was refused (1 K 2i3-2s).

J. Taylor.

BATHSHUA.— 1. See Bathsheba. 2. See Shua.

BATTEEING-RAM.— See Fortification and Siege-craft.

BATTLE — See War, also names of places where the chief battles were fought.

BATTLE AXE.— See Armour, 1 (f).

BATTLE BOW.— See Armour, 1 (d).

BATTLEMENT.— See Fortification, House.

BAWAI.— The son of Henadad (Neh 3i«); rebuilt a portion ot the wall of Jerusalem; called In v.^* Binnui.

BAY. — See Colours, 3.

BAYITH ('house'). — Occurs as a proper name la Is 152, but the true sense is uncertain.

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