Carnion (Hastings' Dictionary)

See Carnaim. CARPENTER (i^lij ' artificer,' f.^. 2 K 22'; f! •'^-' ' artilioiT in wood.' c i/. 2K 12"; TfKTwv. Mt Hi'*, Mk I! ).— The early use of timber structures and agricultural tools must have necessitated some form of carpentry among the Isr. in primitive times, and tne close intercourse of the Hebrews with the Egyptians who have left mural repre- sentations of carpenters at work with a variety of tools, aflbrded an opportunity for the development of the art. Nevertheless, the Jews were backward in technical skill. In the first mention of car- penters in the Bible they are foreigners imported into Pal. for builders' work, which would seem to have been beyond the capacity of the Isr. themselves. Phoen. workmen were engaged on the building of David's house, Hiram of Tyre sending carpenters to work the timber which he also furnished (2 S 5"). Similarly, the timber work as well as the masonry in Solomon's temple was executed by Phoen. artisans owing to the confessed inability of the Jews (1 K 5'), the Jewish workmen only assisting as labourers (1 K 5"). When, however, carpenters appear at the restoration of the temple by Jehoash, there is no mention of these men being foreigners (2 K 12^'). Those who repaired the temple under Josiah also seem to have been Jews (2 K 22°). Nebuchadrezzar carried the carpenters and smiths together with Jeconiah and the princes into captivity (Jer 24' 29", where, indeed, we only read bj^ij, not ('y itJ-iij ; but then the mention of 'smiths' suggests that the 'artificers' were workers in wood). In Is 44" there is a picture of a carpenter with his tools carving a wooden idol ; but this refers to a Bab. artist. At the rebuilding of the temple under Zerub. the carpenters appear to have been Phoe- nicians (Ezr 3'). Zechariah's 'carpenters' may have been any kind of artisans. According to the first Gospel, Joseph was a carpenter (Mt 13") ; according to the second, Jesus Himself (Mk 6'). Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 150) states that 'He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making ploughs and yokes' (Trypho, 88). This more definite statement is not attributed to the Memoirs of t/ie Apostles, and seems to have been derived from tradition. See Delitzsch, Jeioish Artisan Life. W. F. Adeney.