Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
in the solid rock, perfectly round, 9 feet in diameter, with the sides hewn smooth and regular. Of
all the special localities of our Lord’s life, this is almost the only one absolutely undisputed. The
tomb of Joseph lies about a quarter of a mile north of the well, exactly in the centre of the opening
of the valley. It is a small between Gerizim and Ebal. It is a small, square enclosure of high
whitewashed walls, surrounding a tomb of the ordinary kind, but with the peculiarity that it is
placed diagonally to the walls, instead of parallel as usual. A rough pillar used as an altar and
black with the traces of fire is at the head and another at the foot of the tome. In the walls are two
slabs with Hebrew inscriptions, and the interior is almost covered with the names of pilgrims in
Hebrew Arabic and Samaritan. Beyond this there is nothing to remark in the structure itself. The
local tradition of the tomb, like that of the well is as old as the beginning of the fourth century.
•The son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivite settlement of Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
(Genesis 33:19; 34:2-26; Joshua 24:32; Judges 9:28)
•A man of Manasseh, of the clan of Gilead. (Numbers 26:31)
•A Gileadite, son of Shemida, the younger brother of the foregoing. (1 Chronicles 7:19)
Shechemites, The
the family of Shechem son of Gilead. (Numbers 26:31) comp. Josh 17:2
Shechinah
(dwelling). This term is not found in the Bible. It was used by the later Jews, and borrowed by
Christians from them, to express the visible majesty of the divine Presence especially when resting
or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercyseat. In the tabernacle and in the temple of Solomon,
but not in the second temple. The use of the term is first found in the Targums, where it forms a
frequent periphrasis for God, considered its dwelling among the children of Israel. The idea which
the different accounts in Scripture convey is that of a most brilliant and glorious light, enveloped
in a cloud, and usually concealed by the cloud, so that the cloud itself was for the most part alone
visible but on particular occasions the glory appeared. The allusions in the New Testament to the
shechinah are not unfrequent. (Luke 2:9; John 1:14; Romans 9:4) and we are distinctly taught to
connect it with the incarnation and future coming of the Messiah as type with antitype.
Shedeur
(darter of light), the father of Elizur, chief of the tribe of Reuben at the time of the exodus.
(Numbers 1:5; 2:10; 7:30,35; 10:18) (B.C. 1491.)
Sheep
Sheep were an important part of the possessions of the ancient Hebrews and of eastern nations
generally. The first mention of sheep occurs in (Genesis 4:2) They were used in the sacrificial
offering,as, both the adult animal, (Exodus 20:24) and the lamb. See (Exodus 29:28; Leviticus 9:3;
12:6) Sheep and lambs formed an important article of food. (1 Samuel 25:18) The wool was used
as clothing. (Leviticus 13:47) “Rams skins dyed red” were used as a covering for the tabernacle.
(Exodus 25:5) Sheep and lambs were sometimes paid as tribute. (2 Kings 3:4) It is very striking to
notice the immense numbers of sheep that were reared in Palestine in biblical times. (Chardin says
he saw a clan of Turcoman shepherds whose flock consisted of 3,000,000 sheep and goats, besides
400,000 Feasts of carriage, as horses, asses and camels.) Sheep-sheering is alluded to (Genesis
31:19) Sheepdogs were employed in biblical times. (Job 30:1) Shepherds in Palestine and the East
generally go before their flocks, which they induce to follow by calling to them, comp. (John 10:4;
Psalms 77:20; 80:1) though they also drive them. (Genesis 33:13) The following quotation from
Hartley’s “Researches in Greece and the Levant,” p. 321, is strikingly illustrative of the allusions
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William Smith