Badger, badgers' skins

LXX. tr. ti'luUhim by vaKlvBiiia. and vivdiva, and Vulg. by ianthinm, whicli signifies sky-blue. Some ancient VSS translate the word black. There is, however, no etymo- logical rea-son for tliis. Tlie badger, Melcs tnxus, L., is found in moderate numbers throughout Syria ami I'al., and p()ssil>ly in the Sin. desert. But it is not found in KuHicient numbers to make it probable that it could furnish material enough for the ujiper covering of the tabernacle (Ex 25' 20'^ 3."i'- " etc.)

Such skins would be too light for the purpose, still more so for sandals (ICzk ItJ'". In tliis passage the Heb. has inJUlth alone, without 'Crolh. The AV has added ' skins' without italics. The RV has ' sealskins ' [m. ' porpoise-skins '] in all the passages). There is, moreover, no philological warrant in Heb. or cog- nate languages for the translation of theAVfiarfi/ers' skins. The Arab, for badger is ghureir, an&lcel- ard, and fanjal. None of these names has any connexion with tlh/ishim,.

Tlie Arab, word tuhas signifies the dolphin. The Arabs of the Sin. desert use the skin of the Halicore Hemprichii, Ehr., a cetacean found in the Red Sea, for making sandals. This is called tiin, and the flesh of it is eaten. It is quite likely that the skin of the dolphin would be similarly used. It is no objection to the use of this hide for making ladies' sandals that it was coarse.

Its firm texture would fit it for the use intended, and the currier's art would adorn it suit- ably for the high-bom wearers. Such durable and waterproof skins as those of the dolphin and halicore would be eminently appropriate for cover- ings of the tabernacle. Another species of the same genus, Halicore Tabemaculi, Russ., is also met with in the Red Sea, and could have furnished its quota of skins.

It is clear that the '6r6th tlh&shim, whatever their colour, were procurable in Sinai in quantities sufficient for making coverings to the tjibernacle, and were at the same time suitable for sandals. It is unlikely that seal skins (so the RV) were found in sufficient quantities, if indeed the word tih&shhn means that animal. It may be, how- ever, that it covers not only the dolphin, but tlie halicore, porpoise, seal, and other marine animals having a generaj resemblance to the dolphin type.

In any case we may safely reject the badr/er. (See Davidson on Ezk 16'" and Dillm. on Ex 25°.) G. E. Post. B.SAN {viol Baidi-).— The name of a tribe other- wise unknown, which on account of its hostility to the Jews was utterly destroyed by Judas Mac- cabajus (1 Mac 5*).