MICHAEL

father of Zebadlah (Ezr 8», 1 Ea 8"). 10. The archangel. See next article.

MICHAEL ('the archangel'). — Although reference to angels and their visitations is common In the OT, especially during transition periods (e.g. the period of the Judges and that of the Captivity are specially noticeable for angeUe appearances), the name Michael is not found until the later period, when the angelic ofiBce was divided into two parts, which were assigned to individual angels. In the Rabbinical traditions Michael figures considerably. He is connected with many in-cidents in the history of Moses, especially his burial (cf. Dt 34''), when he disputed with Satan, who claimed the body by reason of the murder of the Egyptian (Ex 2'2). In the OT he is alluded to several times in the Book of Daniel (10>'- " 12') as 'one of the chief princes,' 'the prince,' and 'the prince which standeth for the people,' and he is opposed to the prince-angels of Persia and of Greece. He is here regarded as the guardian of the Israelites in their opposition to poly-theism and foreign innovations.

In the NT Michael is found fighting in heaven (Rev 12') against the dragon, 'him that is called the devil and Satan,' and is typical of the warfare which is the special wor]£ of the Church on earth. In the passage in Jude (v.') a definite reference is made to the tradition already mentioned, 'Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said. The Lord rebuke thee' (cf. Zee 3' for a similar incident). T. A. Moxon.

MIOHAL.— Younger'daughter of Saul, offered to David , as a snare, on condition that he would slay one hundred Philistines. The popularity of David led Saul to seek his Ufe. He had David's house surrounded, but Michal deceived the messengers, and contrived David's escape by the window (1 S 19"-"). Saul then gave Michal to Faltiel, When Abner negotiated with David to deUver Israel to him, the king stipulated for Mlchal's return. This was accompUshed, though the record does not make it clear whether directly from Ishbaal (Ishbosheth) at the instance of David, or through Abner (2 S 3"'). Paltiel followed weeping, but was rudely dismissed by Abner. The closing scene between Michal and David is pathetic. David's dance before the ark was unseemly in the eyes of Michal, and she rebuked him. His answer was equally curt. The statement that Michal died childless may mean that she was divorced (2 S 6i«'). The estrangement was probably due to the numerous wives that now shared David's prosperity and Michal's authority. J. H. Stevenson.

MICHEAS (2 Ea 1") =the prophet Micah.

MICHMAS.— See next article.

MICHMASH. — A place (not enumerated as a town) In the territory of Benjamin, and in the mountains of Bethel. It comes into prominence in connexion with the daring raid made by Jonathan and his armour-bearer upon the Philistines there encamped (1 S 13. 14). It was one of the smaller places to which the returning exiles belonged, contributing only 122 men to the enumeration of Ezra (Ezr 2") and Nehemiah (7") [in both these last two passages Michmas]. Nehemiah further alludes to it as a border city of Benjamin (11"). Indications of its position may be obtained from the Jonathan story and also from Isaiah's picture of the course of an Assyrian raid (Is 10^8). These indications permit an identification of the site with the modern village of Mukhmaa, situated in a wild and desolate region near the head of the Wady Kelt. In 1 K 4' for Makaz the LXX erroneously reads Michmash. For a time it was the seat of the government of Jonathan Maccabseus (1 Mac 9"). R. A. S. Macalister.

MICHMETHAH.— The word occurs only in Jos 16« 17', in each case with the article, therefore probably

616

MIGDAL-GAD

not a proper name. Of the meaning of the word we are entirely ignorant. It indicated a place or some natural feature on the boundary of Mauasseh. An echo of the old name may perhaps be heard in el-Mukhneh, the plain which Ues to the east of Nablus. W. EwiNO.

MICHRI.— Eponym of a Benjamite family (1 Ch 9s).

raiCHTAM. — See Psalms, p. 772».

SUDDIN'. — A town in the wilderness of Judah (Jos 15"). The site has not been recovered.

lODIAN, nUDIANITES. — A nomadic tribe or group of tribes, said by an early genealogy (Gn 25^) to be descended from Abraham by Keturah, of which the Kenites (wh. see) were a part. They lived in ancient times in northern Arabia, but vanished at an early date from history.

According to E they were traders, who sold Joseph into Egypt (Gn 3T^- »). They roamed about Sinai (Ex 3M-, Hab 3'). Jethio (E) or Hobab (J), Moses' father-in-law, was their priest. As Jethro is also said to be a Kenite (Jg 1"), probably the Kenites were a part of the Mldianites. They were afterwards absorbed by the tribe of Judah (Jg 1", 1 S 15«). The Prophetic source (J) also shows that in an early form of the narra^ five it was Midian, not Moab, that was said to have hired Balaam to curse Israel (cf. Nu 22<- '). If this is so, it was a different branch of Mldianites from the Kenites. The same source informs us (Gn 36'') that a king of Edora smote Midian in the field of Moab. The references point to an activity of Midian in this region of which we have no other trace.

The next we hear of the Mldianites is in the period of the Judges, when they invaded the territory of central Palestine in hordes, and were put to rout by Gideon and his three hundred men (Jg 6-8) . These Mldianites seem to have lived to the east of Palestine, and to have gained access to the west Jordan lands through the valley of the Jabbok. This corresponds with the statement of Gn 25« (JE), that the sons of Abraham by Keturah, of whom Midian was one, lived to the eastward. At the time of Gideon the Mldianites were led by two chiefs, whose names J preserves as Zebah and Zalmunna (Jg 8'8), while E calls them Oreb and Zeeb (Jg T^). Gideon so completely ruined the power of the Mldianites that his victory was long remembered (cf. Is g" 10™, Ps 83»). From this blow the tribe never recovered, and disappears from history.

According to a late Priestly passage (Nu 312-"), Moses is said to have gained a great victory over the Mldianites. Perhaps, as some scholars think, this is a later version of the victory of Gideon. Possibly it is another version of the victory of the king of Edom.

The genealogy given in Gn 25' -^ calls Ephah a son of Midian. Is Wf"- mentions both Midian and Ephah in connexion with Kedar. Tiglath-pileser in. (KIB ii. 21) mentions a Khayapa in connexion with Taima, which De-Utzsch (Parodies, 304) identifies with Ephah. This would correspond with the location given in the genealogy.

Ptolemy (Geog. vi. 7) mentions a place, Modiana, on the coast of Arabia, which is probably the same as Madyan on the Haj road to Mecca. Noldeke (BBi ill. col. 3081) thinks that the name has survived from an old habitat of the Mldianites. Geobgb A. Barton.

MIDRASH.— See Commentaet.

MIDWIFE.— See Medicine; p. eOOb.

MIGDAL-EDER.— See Eder, No. 1.

MIGDAL-EL.— A town of Naphtali"(Jos 19>b) between Iron and Horem. The site is uncertain.

MIGDAL-GAD.— A town in the ShephSlah, in the territory of Judah (Jos 16"), which cannot be identi-fied with any certainty. Guthe suggests Khirbei eU Mejdeleh, about 6 miles S. of Belt Jibrin, with remains of buildings, cisterns, and rock-hewn tombs; or Khirbet el-Mejdel, about 14 miles S. of Beit Jibrin, with ex-tensive ruins, etc. Warren (Hastings' DB) suggests