MANASSEH

MANNA

ment, includes Ephraim and Manasseh in the phrase 'sons of Joseph' (Jos 16'-*), 'house of Joseph' (17" t'Ephr. and Man.' is a gloss] 18», Jg 1^- <"■ ^). One lot only is consequently assigned to them, the limits of which are roughly sketched in Jos 16'-'. Jos 17 gives Gilead and Bashan to Machir (making no mention of Jalr and Nobah), and v.^ begins to tell of the assignments to the remainder of the Manassite clans, but fails to do so. But the 'clan' names, Abiezer, Shechem, and the names of the cities appended show that they were on the West. It is clear from what is said of the cities which were in Issachar and Asher (v."") that they were oiUy ideally in Manasseh's territory, and that the latter was confined on the north to the hiU-country. Like the rest of the tribes, they 'were not able to drive out the Canaanites.' When they made their complaint to Joshua (vv."-'*) that they were too cramped in their abode to better themselves, he sententiously replied that being a great people as they boasted, they could clear out the mountain forests and develop in that way, and so ultimately get the upper hand of the Canaanites in the plains. It should be said that the names of the rest of the sons of Manasseh, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, Shemida, as well as the five daughters of Zelophehad, the great-grandson of Machir, are probably all place-names, as some of them certainly are, and not personal names.

Whether Joseph was a tribe has been doubted, because there is no mention of it in Jg 5, and the fact that the name Machir appears to be from the root mOcliar, 'to sell,' has raised the question whether the story of Joseph's sale into Egypt did not arise in connexion with it.

For the clans see Jos 17">-2 (J), Nu 262'-" (P), 1 Ch 714-ig 2^'-^.

The tribe, owing to its situation, had much to endure during the Syrian wars (Am 1^ 2 K 10''), and, according to 1 Ch 6™, the eastern halt was deported (b.o. 743) by Tiglath-pileser in. (see Gad). See also Thibes of ISBABL. James A. Craio.

MANASSEH, son of Hezekiah, reigned longer than any king of his line — flfty-flve years, according to our sources (2 K 21'). His reign was remarkable for the religious reaction against the reforms which had been made by Hezekiah. The record (vv.^-') is that he built again the altars which Hezekiah had destroyed, and erected altars for Baal, and made an asherah, as Ahab Icing of Israel had done, and that he worshipped the host of heaven and served them. In restoring the old altars he doubtless thought he was returning to the early reUgion of the nation, and the Baal whom he worshipped was probably identified in the minds of the people with the national God Jahweh. The ashSrah was a well-known accompaniment of the altars of Jahweh down to the time of Hezekiah. In all this Manasseh's measures may be called conservative, while his worship of the 'host of heaven' was no doubt a State necessity owing to the Assyrian rule. The sacrifice of his son and the practice of witchcraft and magic, of which he is accused, were also sanctioned by ancient Israelitish custom. 'The reaction was accom-panied by active persecution of the prophetic party, which can hardly surprise us, toleration being an un-known virtue. On account of these sins, Manasseh is represented by later writers as the man who filled the cup of Judah's iniquity to overflowing, and who thus made the final catastrophe of the nation inevitable.

H. P. Smith. MANASSES.-l. 1 Es 9" =Manasseh, No. 3 (Ezr 10"). 2. Judith's husband (Jth 8'). 3. An unknown person mentioned in the dying words of Tobit (To 14"). 4. For 'Prayer of Manasses' see Apocbypha, § 11.

MANDRAKE (.duda'lm, Gn 30'"-, Ca 7"; RVm "love apples,' cf. root dsdlm, 'love'). — Although other plants have been suggested, the mandrake {Mandragora

676

otficinarum), of the Solanacece or Potato order, is most probable. It is a common plant in all parts of S. Palestine. Its long and branched root is very deeply imbedded in the earth, and an old superstition sur-vives to-day that he who digs it up will be childless — but at the same time the effort of pulling it up will cure a bad lumbago. When the last fibres give way and the root comes up,'a semi-human scream is supposed to be emitted (cf. also Jos. BJ vii. vi. 3). Occasionally the root resembles a human figure, but most of those exhibited have been ' doctored ' to heighten the resem-blance. The leaves are dark green, arranged in a rosette, and the flowers dark purple. The fruit, which ripens about May, about the time of the wheat harvest, is somewhat like a small tomato, and orange or reddish in colour: it is called by the natives baid el-jinn, 'the eggs of the jinn.' It has a heavy narcotic smell and sweetish taste. It is still used medicinally, but is known to be poisonous, especially the seeds. The mandrake was known to the ancients as an aphrodisiac (see p. 569'>). E. W. G. Mastekman. MANEH. — See Weiohts and Measdhes, III.

MANES. — One of those who agreed to put away their 'strange' wives (1 Es 9" [Ezr 10*' Maaseiah]).

MANGER (Lk 2'- '«• '« 13'" RVm).— EV tr. of phatnS, the LXX equivalent of Heb. 'ebus, 'a place where cattle are fattened' (Job 39' etc.). It also represents 'urwah (2 Ch 322'), and repheth (Hab 3"), EV stall. In Job 39', Pr 14' 'ibm may mean the stall or shelter; in Is 1' it is probably the crib in which the food was placed. A like ambiguity attaches to 'urwah. or 'urySh, (2 Ch 32"), Ut. 'collecting place' or 'collected herd.' It probably came to mean a certain number of animals, as 'a pair' or 'team' (1 K 4» 2 Ch 9'*) [Gesenius]. The Heb. repheth (Hab 3") clearly means 'stall'; mor65g is the place where the cattle are 'tied up' (1 S 28" 'fatted calf ='calf of the stall,' Jer 46", Am 6«, Mai 4^); phaMl may therefore denote either the ' manger ' or the ' stall.'

If kataluma (Lk 2') means 'guest chamber' (see art. Hospitality, ad ;?n.), Joseph and Mary may have moved into the side of the house occupied by the cattle, from which the living-room is distinguished by a higher floor, with a little hollow in the edge, out of which the cattle eat. The present writer has seen a child laid in such a ' manger.' Or, in the crowded khSn, only the animals' quarters may have afforded shelter. We do not now know. Ancient tradition places Jesus' birth in a cave near Bethlehem. Caves under the houses are exten-sively used in Palestine as stables. The midhwad, 'manger,' cut in the side, is an excellent 'crib' for a baby. w. Ewing.

MANI (1 Es 9") =Bani of Ezr lO"' and 1 Es 5'«.

MANIUS. — According to 2 Mac ll'«, Titus Manius was one of two Roman legates who, being on their way to Antioch after the campaign of Lysias against Judsea in the year b.c. 163, sent a letter to the Jews confirming the concessions of Lysias, and offering to undertake the charge of their interests at Antioch in concert with their own envoy. This action would be in accord with the policy the Romans were following towards the Syrian kingdom, and is probable enough. But we have no knowledge from any other source of the presence In the East of any legate called Titus Manius.

A. E. HiLLABD.

MANNA.— The food of the Israelites during the wanderings (Ex 16'- ", Jos 5'2), but not the only food available. Documents of various dates speak of (a) cattle (Ex 17' 19" 34', Nu 7'- «'■), especially in connexion with sacrifice (Ex 24« 32», Lv S^- m- " 91 10", Nu 7'"'); (&) flour (Nu 7"- "• 2' etc., Lv 10" 24'); (c) food in general (Dt 2», Jos 1").

1. The origin of the word is uncertain. In Ex 16" the exclamation might be rendered, 'It Is mdnV (note