Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
size.” Although two or three species of whale are found in the Mediterranean Sea, yet the “great
fish” that swallowed the prophet cannot properly be identified with any Cetacean, for, although the
sperm whale has a gullet sufficiently large to admit the body of a man, yet, it can hardly be the fish
intended, as the natural food of Cetaceans consists of small animals,such as medusae and crustacea.
The only fish, then, capable of swallowing a man would be a large specimen of the white shark
(Carcharias vulgaris), that dreaded enemy of sailors, and the most voracious of the family of
Squalidae . This shark, which sometimes attains the length of thirty feet, is quite able to swallow
a man whole. The whole body of a man in armor has been found in the stomach of a white shark:
and Captain King, in his survey of Australia, says he had caught one which could have swallowed
a man with the greatest ease. Blumenbach mentions that a whole horse has’ been found in a shark,
and Captain Basil Hall reports the taking of one in which, besides other things, he found the whole
skin of a buffalo which a short time before had been thrown overboard from his ship (p. 27). The
white shark is not uncommon in the Mediterranean.
Wheat
the well-known valuable cereal, cultivated from the earliest times, is first mentioned in ((Genesis
30:14) in the account of Jacob’s sojourn with Laban in Mesopotamia. Egypt in ancient times was
celebrated for the growth of its wheat; the best quality was all bearded; and the same varieties
existed in ancient as in modern times, among which may be mentioned the seven-eared quality
described in Pharaoh’s dream. (Genesis 41:22) Babylonia was also noted for the excellence of its
wheat and other cereals. Syria and Palestine produced wheat of fine quality and in large quantities.
(Psalms 81:16; 147:14) etc. There appear to be two or three kinds of wheat at present grown in
Palestine, the Triticum vulgare, the T. spelta, and another variety of bearded wheat which appears
to be the same as the Egyptian kind, the T. compositum . In the parable of the sower our Lord
alludes to grains of wheat which in good ground produce a hundred-fold. (Matthew 13:8) The
common Triticum vulgare will sometimes produce one hundred grains in the ear. Wheat is reaped
to ward the end of April, in May, and in June, according to the differences of soil and position; it
was sown either broadcast and then ploughed in or trampled in by cattle, (Isaiah 32:20) or in rows,
if we rightly understand (Isaiah 28:25) which seems to imply that the seeds were planted apart in
order to insure larger and fuller ears. The wheat was put into the ground in the winter, and some
time after the barley; in the Egyptian plague of hail, consequently, the barley suffered, but the wheat
had not appeared, and so escaped injury.
Widow
Under the Mosaic dispensation no legal provision was made for the maintenance of widows.
They were left dependent partly on the affection of relations, more especially of the eldest son,
whose birthright, or extra share of the property, imposed such a duty upon him, and partly on the
privileges accorded to other distressed classes, such as a participation in the triennial third tithe,
(14:29; 26:12) in leasing, (24:19-21) and in religious feasts. (16:11,14) With regard to the remarriage
of widows, the only restriction imposed by the Mosaic law had reference to the contingency of one
being left childless in which case the brother of the deceased husband had a right to marry the
widow. (25:5,6; Matthew 22:23-30) In the apostolic Church the widows were sustained at the public
expense, the relief being daily administered in kind, under the superintendence of officers appointed
for this special purpose, (Acts 6:1-6) Particular directions are given by St.Paul as to the class of
persons entitled to such public maintenance. (1 Timothy 5:3-16) Out of the body of such widows
a certain number were to be enrolled, the qualifications for such enrollment being that they were
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William Smith