MASHAL

sponding to the ' desert of Mash ' of the Assyrian inscrip-tions. J. F. M'CnRDT.

MASHAL (1 Ch 6").— See Mishal.

MASIAS.— One of 'Solomon's servants' (1 Es 5"); is absent from the parallel list in Ezra.

UASON. — See Arts and Crafts, § 3.

MASREKAH. — Mentioned as the homeof an Edomite Idng, Samlah (Gu 36» = 1 Ch 1"). The locality has not been identified.

MASSA.— A son of Ishmael (Gn 25" = 1 Ch 1»"), representing a North Arabian tribe. Its exact location is unknown, but it seems to be mentioned in an inscrip-tion containing a report to king Ashurbanipal of Assyria (e.g. 668-626) of an attack made by the Massorites upon the people of Nebaloth (wh. see). The tribe of Massa would therefore seem to have lived not very far east of Palestine. This view is confirmed by the fact that Pr SI'-'" is addressed to 'Lemuel, king of Massa' (see RVm), since Pr 30 and 31 belong to the border-land wisdom of Israel. It is probably not to be read in Pr 30', where the word ' Massa' (RVm) is presu-mably a gloss. Cf. Mbsha, p. 607». J. F. M' Curdy.

MASSAH AND MERIBAH.— Ex 17'-' (JE) teUs of a miraculous gift of water at a spot near Horeb, which was called Massah and Meribah ('testing' and 'contention ') because the people tested Jahweh by doubting His providence and contended with Moses. It is implied that this occurred about a year after the Exodus. Nu 20'-", a later narrative (P), gives a similar account, but puts it thirty-seven years later, and with important variations. The scene is now laid at Eadesh, which receives the name Meribah from the contention of Israel with Jahweh. Moses and Aaron also sin against Him. There are references to the first passage in Dt 6" 9'', Ps 958; and to the second in Dt 32", Ps 10632; in ps si' the two are apparently confused. Dt 33' regards the events at Kadesh in a peculiar light: here Jahweh proves Levi at Massah and strives with (or for) him at Meribah. The tendency of recent criticism is to consider Ex 17 and Nu 20 as duplicate records of the same event, the locaUty of which must be fixed at Kadesh, where the spring 'Ain Kadis creates a fertile oasis. There the tribes were blended into a strong unity. Meribah, on this interpretation, originally signified 'the place of judgment,' because Moses delivered there his oracular sentences; cf. 'waters of Meribah' and 'En-mishpat' (Gn 14').

Massah never stands alone, save at Dt 6" 9^. As variants of 'Meribah' we find 'waters of Meribah,' • waters of Meribah -kadesh,' and, at Ezk 47", ' waters of Meriboth -kadesh,' if the reading be correct. Ezk 47" 48^' place Meribah on the southern border of the restored nation. It has been plausibly suggested that MeribBth-kadesh is the correct reading instead of ' ten thousands of holy ones' in Dt 33^. J. Taylor.

MASSIAS (1 Es 9^2) =Maaseiah Ezr W.

MASSORAH, MASSORETES.— See Text of OT.

MASTER. — The Greek word for teacher is tr. ' master ' in 2 Mac 1>», Ja 3', and in all its occurrences in the Gospels except Lk 2", where it is 'doctor,' and Jn 3^ 'teacher.' See Lord and Slave.

MASTIC (tsori, Gn 372= RVm, EV 'balm' (wh. see), schinos, Sus "). — A dioecious shrub (the pistacia lentiscus L.), found in thickets on the Mediterranean seaboard. The gum obtained through cuttings in the bark is chewed as a dentifrice, and also for its pleasant taste and perfume. It is sometimes used as a flavouring by confectioners.

W. EWING.

MATHELAS (1 Es 9") =Maaseiah, Ezr 10".

MATRED. — The mother-in-law (7) of Hadar (Gn.) or Hadad (Ch.), one of the kings of Edom, Gn 36'» = 1 Ch 1™. In Gn. the LXX and Pesh. make Matred the son not the daughter of Me-zahab (wh. see).

MATTHEW (APOSTLE)

MATRITES.— A family of the tribe of Benjamin to which Saul belonged (1 S 10"). MATTAN,— 1. Priest of Baal (2 K 11", 2 Ch 23").

2. Father of Shephatiah, a contemporary of Jeremiah (Jer 38').

MATTAKAH.— A 'station' of the IsraeUtes (Nu 2118. ig). No satisfactory identification has been made.

MATTANIAH.— 1. The original name of king Zede-kiah (2 K 24"). 2. An Asaphite (1 Ch 9'*), leader of the Temple choir (Neh 11" 12^), door-keeper (12^- 's).

3. Mattaniah in 2 Ch 20" should probably be identified with the preceding. 4. 6. 6. 7. Four of those who had married foreign wives, Ezr lO'' (called in 1 Es 9" Matthanias), v." (called in l Es 9^' Othonias), v.'" (called in 1 Es 9" Matthanias) , v." (combined in 1 Es 9« with the following Mattenai into Mamnitanemus). 8. A Levite who had charge of the offerings (Neh 13"). 9. A Hemanite(lCh25''«). 10. An Asaphite (2 Ch 29").

MATTATHA.— An ancestor of Jesus (Lk 3^').

MATTATHIAS.— 1. A Jew, who had married a foreign wife (1 Es 9=3); called in Ezr W Mattattah. 2. One of the men who stood at the right hand of Ezra during the reading of the Law (1 Es 9"); in Neh 8' Mattithiah. 3. The father of the five Maccabffian brothers (1 Mao 2'- '*■ "'• "■ m- 2'- =»■ «• " 142s). gee Maccabees, § 1. 4. A captain in the army of Jonathan theMaccabffian(l Macll'i). 5. A son of Simon the high priest, who was murdered, together with his father and brother Judas, at a banquet at Dok, by Ptolemy the son of Abubus (1 Mac 16'<-'6). 6. One of three envoys sent by Nicanor to treat with Judas Maccabjeus (2 Mac 14"). 7. 8. Two ancestors of Jesus (Lk S'^- ^).

MATTATTAH.— See Mattathias, No. 1.

MATTENAI.— 1. 2. Two of those who had married foreign wives, Ezr 10" (called in 1 Es 9" Maltamieus), V." (combined in 1 Es 9" with the preceding Mattaniah into Mamnitanemus). 3. Representative of the priestly house of Joiarib in the days of Joiakim (Neh 12").

MATTHAN.— Grandfather of Joseph (Mt 1»); perhaps to be identified with Matthat, who occupies the same place in Lk 3".

MATTHANIAS.— 1. 1 Es 9" =Mattaniah, Ezr 10"-2. 1 Es ga =Mattaniah, Ezr 10».

MATTHAT.— 1. SeeMATTHAN. 2. Another ancestor of Jesus (Lk 32' ■ 2»).

MATTHEW (APOSTLE).— Two sets of paraUel pas-sages, both from the Petrine tradition, tell us of this chosen companion of our Lord. The first (Mt 9', Mk 2", Lk 52') narrates his call. He was named both ' Matthew ' (Mt.) and 'Levi' (Mk. [where some Western MSS read 'James'] and Lk.), and was the son of Alphaeus (Mk.). He was a publican (Lk.), and was 'sitting at the place of toll' (Mt., Mk., Lk.) near Capernaum, which lay on the road from Damascus to the Mediterranean; here he collected dues for Herod the tetrarch. No doubt he was only an agent, notoneofthe wealthy farmers of the taxes. Nevertheless he must have been fairly rich, and had much to give up in following Jesus. The call is followed by a meal (Mt., Mk.), a great feast given to Jesus by Matthew himself (Lk.), which roused the anger of the 'scribes of the Pharisees.' The name 'Matthew' probably means 'Gift of Jahweh' (cf. 'Theodore'), and is another form of 'Matthias'; though some take it as meaning 'strong.' 'manly.' It was doubtless given to Levi as an additional name, perhaps (like 'Peter') by our Lord Himself.

The second set of passages gives the list of the Twelve (Mt 10', Mk 3", Lk 6", Ac 1"). In afl these the sur-name 'Matthew' is given, not 'Levi,' just as 'Bartholo-mew' and 'Thomas' are surnames; and in all four Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the (son) of Alphffius are mentioned together, though not always in the same order. In two lists (Mt., Ac.) Matthew comes

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