SICYON

a specimen was found by Bliss at Lachish. Similar flint sickles, witti bone liafts, have been found in Egypt. The ancient sickles were of two kinds, according as the cutting edge was plain or toothed ; the modern Palestinian reaping-hook is of the latter kind and somewhat elabo-rately curved (illust. Benzinger, Heb. Arch.' 141). In Jer SO" the reaper is described as " he that handleth the sickle' {maggal, AVm 'scythe,' which is also wrongly given as an alternative in AVm of Is 2', Mic 4' for 'pruning hooks'). The same word is rendered 'sickle' in Jl 3" 'put ye in the sickle, for the vintage is ripe' (RVm), where the context, the LXX rendering, and the same figure in Rev 14"- ™ all show that the reference is to the smaller but similarly shaped grape-knife, expressly named maggSl in the Mishna, with which the grape- gatherer cut off the bunches of ripe grapes.

A. R. S. Kennedy. SIOTON. — This was one of the numerous places written to by the Romans on behalf of the Jews in e.g. 139 (1 Mac 1523). it was situated on the Gulf of Corinth, about 18 miles W. of Corinth. It was distinguished in plastic art, and was in early times very important and wealthy, but sank to insignificance early in the Christian era. A. Souter.

8IDDIDI, VALE OF.— The scene of the defeat of the five Canaanite kings by Amraphel and his three allies (Gn 14™). It is described as full of 'slime pits' or bitumen wells, i.e. holes in the ground from which there issued petroleum, which, when exposed to the air, hardened into solid bitumen. In the rout of the five kings by the four, these holes proved disastrous to the forces of the former, hampering them in their efforts to escape (Gn W). The battlefield is doubtless thought of as being in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea, where bitumen is still abundant, masses of it, which have been detached from the bottom, being often found floating on the surface after shocks of earthquake; and the Vale of Siddim is expressly identified in Gn 14' with the Dead Sea by the explanatory insertion, ' the same is the Salt Sea.' It by this is meant that the vale was co-ex-tensive with the Dead Sea, the statement must be errone-ous, for the greater part of the Dead Sea (the N. half of which has in places a depth of 1300 feet) is the remains of an inland sea which existed 'long before the appear-ance of man on the earth,' and consequently long before the age of Abraham. But it is possible that the Vale of Siddim is intended to be identified with only a portion of the Dead Sea; and those who consider Sodom and the other four ' cities of the plain ' to have been situated at the S. end of the Dead Sea (where the morass of es- Sebkha now is) have taken the site of Siddim to be the southern portion of the Sea itself, which is very shallow and may once have been dry ground that has been covered by water through subsidence (cf. art. 'Siddim' in Hastings' DB). By other observers, however, the shallows at the southern extremity of the lake are thought to be the result of elevation rather than of submersion; and if Sodom and the other four cities associated with it were situated at its N. end, a barren plain, in its N.W. corner, may have been the scene of the engagement recorded in Gn 14. G. W. Wade.

SIDS, a Greek colony, was situated on the coast of Pamphylia, on a low promontory about 10 miles E. of the river Eurymedon. It had two harbours and was well fortified. The remains are extensive and interesting (,Eski Adalia). It was one of the cities addressed on behalf of the Jews by the Romans in b.c. 139 (1 Mac IS^").

A. SonTER.

SIDON.— See Zidon.

SIEGE. — See Fortification and Sieoechaft.

SIEVE. — See Aqricdlture, 3.

SIGN. — Any outward tact which serves as a pledge of a Divine word or a proof of a Divine deed is a sign, whether it be natural or supernatural in its character. The

SILAS

rainbow served as the sign of the Noahic, as the rite of circumcision ot the Abrahamic, covenant (Gn 9'* 17" 'token,' Ro 4"). That God was with, and worked for, the Israelites was shown in the plagues of Egypt (Ex 10') . Gideon asks for and receives a sign that it is Jehovah who speaks with him (Jg 6"), and Saul also receives signs to confirm the words ot Samuel (1 S 10'). The prophetic word is thus proved from God (Is 7" 38', Jer 44^", Ezk 14'). The sign need not be supernatural (1 S 2", Is 8" 20=); but the Jews in the time ot Christ desired miracles as proofs of Divine power (Mt 12'* 16', Jn 4", 1 Co 1^2), a request which Jesus refused and condemned. The message of the Baptist, though not confirmed by any sign, was seen to be true (Jn 10"). It is Jonah's preaching that is probably referred to when Jesus speaks of him as a sign to his generation (Mt 12"). The 'babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger,' is the simple and humble sign to the shepherds of the birth ot a Saviour, Christ the Lord (Lk 2'2); and He is welcomed by Simeon as 'a sign which is spoken against' (v."). The Fourth Gospel frequently describes the miracles of Jesus as signs (32 4"), and attributes to them an evidential value which is not prominent in Jesus' own intention. This confirmation of the gospel was found in the Apostolic Church (Mk lO'", Ac 418 6s S*- " IS'', 2 Co I212). The last things will be ushered in by extraordinary signs (Mt 243», Lk 21a, 2 Th 29— the working ot Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Rev 12' 13" etc.). The faith that depends on signs, if not altogether con-demned (Jn 6''), is by Jesus deprecated (4*', cf . 1 Co 1^). Cf. also p. sesi". Alfred E. Gahvie.

SIGNET.— See Seal.

SIHON. — A king of the Amorites at the tune of the conquest of Canaan. His dominion lay beyond the Jordan, between Jabbok on the N. and Arnon on the S., extending eastward to the desert (Jg II22). He refused to allow Israel to pass through his land, and was defeated at Jahaz (Nu 21"-", Dt Z^-^, Jg ll's-'z). Heshbon, his capital, was taken; and his land, along with that of Og king of Bashan, became the possession of Reuben, Gad, and the halt tribe ot Manasseh. Frequent refer-ence is made to his defeat (Nu 32», Dt 1* 32- « 4«- " 29' 31<, Jos 2'" 9'» 122 IS'"- 21. 27, 1 K 4", Neh 922, Ps 135" 13619). Sihon in Jer 48« stands for Heshbon, the city of Sihon. W. F. Boyd.

SILAS (Acts) and SILVANtrS (Epistles).— There can be little doubt that the Silvanus ot the Pauline Epistles (2 Co l'», 1 Th 1', 2 Th 1') is the same as the Silas ot Acts.

Probably Silas is an abbreviation, like Lntcas (Luke), Hernias, ATnplias, Efiaphras, Nymphas, etc. In Acts we find many such famiUar names (cf . esp. Prisdlla in Acta = Prisca Ro 16' RV, Sopater Ac 20* = Sosipater Ro 162'). We might indeed have expected ' Silvas ' not ' Silas,' but these abbreviations are very irregular. It has been suggested that Silas was the real name, and of Semitic origin, while Silvanus was adopted for a Roman name as being similar in sound; but then we should have expected for the latter 'Silanus,' not Silvanus.

Silas was a Christian prophet (Ac 15'2), one of the 'chief men among the brethren' (therefore doubtless of Jewish birth), who with 'Judas called Barsabbas' was sent as a delegate from the Apostolic Council with Paul and Barnabas, to convey the decision of the Council (1522ff). He was also probably a Roman citizen (16"), though this inference is denied by some. It is un-certain if he returned from Antioch to Jerusalem (15" is of doubtful authenticity), but in any case he was soon after chosen by Paul to go with him on the Second Journey, taking Barnabas' place, while Timothy after-wards took John Mark's. For this work Silas' double qualification as a leading Jewish Christian and a Roman citizen would eminently fit him. He accompanied Paul through S. Galatia to Troas, Philippi (where he was imprisoned), Thessalonica, and Beroea. When Paul

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