STONE-SQUARERS

stones and the arts of cutting and graving and setting them (Ex 28»- " 31^ etc.); see, further, Jewels and Pkecious Stones. The profusion of stones made it natural to use them as missiles. Stone-throwing might be a mark of hatred and contempt (2 S 16«- "), or the expedient of murderous intentions against which pro-vision had to be made in legislation (Ex 21'*, Nu 35"). In war, stones were regular weapons of offence. Usually they were hurled with slings (1 S 17«, 1 Ch 122), but, later, great stones were discharged by means of ' engines ' (2 Ch 26", 1 Mac 6"). Stoning to death was a natural and convenient method of execution. At first an expression of popular fury (Jos 7^), it was afterwards regulated by law as an appointed means of capital punishment (Dt IT^-'; cf. Ac 7"'-). See, further, Grimes and Ponishments, § 10. The use of stones as memorials was common. Sometimes a single large stone, at other times a heap of stones, was raised (Gn 31*^*-, Jos 82' 24'*). Akin to this was their employment to mark a boundary (Jos 15* etc.). Stones would be the ordinary landmarks between the fields of one person and another, the removal of which was strictly forbidden (Dt 19" etc.). In religious worship stones were employed in the forms of the pillar (Gn 28' s. a 31'= 36") and the altar. The latter was at first a single great stone (1 S 6"'-). but afterwards was built of several stones,[which must be unhewn (Ex 202=, Dt 27'- '). See, further, ]?illar and Altak. The use of stone for literary purposes (cf . the Moabite Stone) is illustrated by the tables of stone on which the Decalogue was written (Ex 24'^ etc.) and the inscribed stones of the altar on Mt. Ebal (Dt 27"-, Jos 8^<^-).

2. Stones -testicles (Lv 212», Dt 23", Job 40").

II. In NT. — Here litiws is the ordinary word, and is found in most of the connexions already referred to. Noteworthy is the fact that Jesus, after quoting Ps 1 18^^ took the rejected and exalted stone as a symbol of Him-self (Mt 21<™-, Lk 20"'-). St. Peter adopts the symbol in his address to the Sanhedrin (Ac 4"), and enlarges it, with further reference to Is 8" 28", in his figure of the 'living stone,' which is at once the foundation of God's spiritual house and a stone of stumbling to the dis-obedient (1 P 2'-*). The stone (.petros) of Jn 1« should be ' rock,' or still better ' Peter ' (RV) ; ' stony ' (.petrSdSs) in Mt 135, Mk 4=- " should be 'rocky.' The 'white stone' of Rev 2" represents Gr. psephos, 'a pebble,' and the ref . perhaps is to the tessara gladiatoria bestowed on the victorious young gladiator. J. C. Lambekt.

STONE-SQUARERS.-Only 1 K 5" AV; RVhas Geba-lites as Jos 13' RV, that is, men of the Phoenician city of Gebal, mentioned Ezk 27°, where the ancients and wise men of Gebal are referred to as calkers of ships. It has recently been suggested that the gentilic name had become an appellative in the sense of ' stonecutter' iSBOT, 'Kings,' 83 f.), which is the meaning of AV. Others would emend to read 'did hew them and border them,' i.e. provide the stones with marginal drafts or with bevels. Cf. Arts and Cbafts, § 3. A. R. S. Kennedy.

STONES, PRECIOUS.— See Jewels and Pbecious Stones.

STOOL.— 'In older English (including AV) "stool" was used freely for any kind of seat' (.DB iv. 621); similarly the Heb. kissd' includes both chairs and stools, see House, § 8. In the difficult passage Ex 1" the word rendered 'stools' in the sense of birth-stools (sella parturientis) must be pointed to read 'stones' I'abndyim for 'obndyim., bothjdual number), the reference being to the two stones or bricks on which a woman sat during her accouchement. This widely spread custom has been conclusively shown to have existed in ancient Egypt by Spiegelberg (JEgypt. Randglossen, 19-25), from the realistic representation preserved in an early hieroglyphic sign for birth, confirmed by literary references. A. R. S. Kennedy.

STORAX.— See Spice, Stacte.

878

STRANGER

STORK (.chdsidah, Lv 11", Dt 14'8, Job 39", Ps 104", Jer 8', Zee 5'). — The stork (Arab, abu said 'father of good luck ') is a bird much loved in Palestine, where in its migration northwards it arrives in the spring (Jer 8'); it does great good by clearing the crops of caterpillars and locusts: when the storks arrive plentifully, it is anticipated that the harvests will be unusually good. These birds may be seen walking through the grain or circling round and round in groups high in the heavens. No doubt this powerful flight caused its wings to be noted (Job 39", Zee 5^). No native would dream of harming it; its sacred character may have caused it to be an 'unclean' bird (Lv 11", Dt 14i8). Its Heb. name, implying 'lovingkindness,' was given because of its tender care of its young. The above remarks apply specially to the white stork (Ciconia alba); a black stork (C nigra) has also been identified in the Holy Land. E. W. G. Masteeman.

STORM. — See Galilee [Sea of], 3; Whielwind.

STORY (EV for' 'storey'). — See House, § 6.

STRAIT. — This Eng. word is used in AV in the literal sense of 'narrow,' and in the figurative sense of 'strict' (of which it is simply another form). Once the verb 'strait' occurs, Sus a 'I am straited on every side.'

STRANGE FIRE.— See Nadab.

STRANGER. — This seems, on the whole, the most suitable English word by which to render the Heb. zar, which is a participle denoting primarily one who turns aside, one who goes out of the way, i.e. for the purpose of visiting or dwelling in another country. It has fre-quently the meaning foreigner, in contrast to ' Israelite,' especially with the added notion of hostility (cf. 'estranged'), and in antithesis to 'Israel' (.e.g. Hos T 8', Is 1', Ezk 7^ 11», Jl 3", Ob", Ps 543 etc.). In P the word takes on a technical meaning found nowhere outside the Hexateuch, and exclusively post-exilic. It means 'layman' (which might with advan-tage be substituted for EV 'stranger'), as opposed to a Levite (see Nu 1" 18'), or to a priest proper, or Aaronite (see Ex 29" 30» Nu 3"- »» 18^, Lv 22i»- '"• (H)).

The 'strange woman' of Pr 2" etc. has the same technical sense as ' foreign woman ' with which it stands in parallelism, viz. harlot.

Sojourner (sometimes tr. of tSsfidb, 'settler' [see below]) is frequently substituted by RV for the AV 'stranger,' as tr. of ffSr. The ger was originally a man who transferred himself from one tribe or people to another, seeking, and usually obtaining, some of the rights of natives. A whole clan or tribe might be girim, in Israel, as e.g. the Gibeonites (Jos 9), the Beerothites (2 S 4^). The Israelites are themselves often spoken of as 'sojourners' in the land of Egypt (see Gn 16", Ex 222' 23», Lv IQM (H), Dt 10" 23' etc.). In the oldest Israelitish code (the Book of the Covenant, Ex 21' to 23"), the ffSr is protected against injustice and violence (21™ 23'). The D code (c. b.c. 620) goes much further, for, besides making more explicit and urgent the duty of defending, helping, and even loving the 'sojourner' (Dt 10" 142' 24"- "), and also secur-ing to him his rights (24" 27'-'), the ger was to be allowed to participate in the three great annual feasts (Dt 16"ff-; cf. 6'« and Ex 23'2). He is not, however, compelled, though allowed, to follow his protector's religion (Dt 14m, 1 K 11'). That he occupies a status inferior to that of the bom Israelite is indicated by the fact that he is classed with the widow and orphan as needing special consideration (lO's 142' 29"- "), and that the right of intermarrying is denied him (7'«- 23<). When, however, we come to P and to other parts of the OT which belong to the same stage of history and religion, we find the 'sojourner' almost on an equal footing with the native Israelite, — he is fast becoming, and is almost become, the proselyte of NT and Rab-binical times. His position has now religious rather