Spice spices (Hastings' Dictionary)

Three Heb. words are so translated in OT. 1. D-sp sammim. This is a treneric word (peril, loan-word from Arabic) for Odoriferous substances. It is used alone in Ex SO*- (LXX 7,SiV/«ira), and with n-ap ;.c<(/re<A= 'incense' in Ex 30' (<rw9eTos) 40", Lv 4' 16'». Nu4"'etc. i<Tvi'eeai.i = ' composition ). In tlie nrst na^sa-e cited is a list of three of the substances included under this heading.

Of these, two are known, qalbanum, a gum resin, and onycha, the operculum of a Strombus: for the third see 2. D^= basam (Ca 5^ RVm ' balsam ' LXX dpu- adro), cVa bosem, c^ bescm, pi. o-^p besaimm. A list of some of the aromatics included under this .generic name is given in Ex 30^ (LXX 7,6.»7.

aTa) : nivrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia, and mtn two of them, cinnamon and calamus, besem and bosem are construed as adjectives, to denote swee^ ness Such are spoken of as a sign of wealth (2 It '>0'* 2 Ch 32-''), and were given as tokens ot royal favour (1 K 10^ etc.) They were objects of com- merce (Ezk 27=2). Asa was laid in a bed of spices ('>Ch IG" AV- RV 'sweet odours').

Some nave supiiosed that the expression ' and they made a vev "reat burning for him' mdicates that Asa was cremated. As the previous part of the verse says, however, that they buried hmi in t e sepulchre, and laid him in a bed of spices, the better explanation of the burning is that it was a bonlire m his honour. Such hres are favourite expressions of popular enthusiasm on least days m Bible lands.

Spices were stored in the temple (1 Ch 9-n, and used for the purifying of wonien (Esf^'- Ca4"'etc.) ' Mountains ot spices (La, 8 ) may refer to the hillsides around Jerusalem, ^vhere were Solomons Botanical Gardens, containing beds of spices (5" 6;). Bcscn and bosem m^y have signified originally the same as their Arab. cogn.ate 6«^AAm = the Balsam ot ^I<^;>^.«'-V t-^^e .^„f : saZwdendron Opobalsamum, Kth.

, which is defined in the Arab, lexicons as ' a certain kind of odor- iferous tree, of sweet taste, t''^ ''^•'^y;!;«„f. ^'^'?^. pounded and mixed with henna, blacken the hair 'Phis confines it to a single tree or group of trees (see Balm). But the analysis of the use of bosem and 6escm given above, with the fact that a specia word =5ri is used for Mecca Bals.

aui, makes it evident that these two words are not to be taken L any such restricted sense, but to be understood crenerally of aromatics, which would be a better translation than that of our Eng. VSS '^Piees. 3. n«Dj nekijth. This w.as a substance or sub- stances carried by the Ishmaelite traders from GU^ad't^ Egyptian 37-). -^ a1"rM'is':^^' sent some as a present to Joseph 43"). It is asso- ciated ^n both^^^ages with balm and ladanum (see artt.

on tbese words), and, in the latter, with honey, pistachio nuts, and almonds, which were products of Gilead proper. Some have sup- posed «.^-<5'M to be the same as the Arab 7UT^a a A posed neKum w uc ui.<= =».", . — 'iVJ-V .,;„,ilQr tn or vakdath. This is defaned as a plant similar to the turthith. The latter is defined by Avicenna as-' Pieces of rotten wood, with an astringent ta.te it is said that they are brought from the desert.

Its medicinal properties are astringent iisl) The plant is defined in the dictionaries as 'a slender, oblong plant, inclining to redness, servingtrastomachfc'included among medicines a plant of the sands, similar to a fun-us . . iiavin.' no leaves.' ThU corresponds, with con- sSde accuracy, to the characteristics of Cyno- ZTum coccineuni, L., a parasitic, leathery plant. oT the order Balanophoracea:, with a crinison. club-shaped spadix, 3-4 in. long, and i in. to 1 in. l,Ud<!

borne on a cylindrical stalk. It grows xn SPIDER SllKlT 611 »and on the coast, and in tlie salt marshes of the inferior. We have been unable to lind in the Arab, dictionaries sulliiient authority for the tr. ' f;uiu tragacanth ' (UVni On 37-^) for nnkd'nih and nakdnth. Moreover, the tragacanth bears no resemblance to the ahove description of tlie turthith. It has also a special name kcthtrd, ■which is defined as 'a liquid exuding from a tree in the mountains of BeirQt and Lebanon.'

This is undoubtedly the qum tragacanth, which exudes from a number of the mountain species of Astra- jalus in Syria and other parts of the Orient as A. gummifi'r, Lab., A. echinus, DC, etc. The genus Astragalus is represented by over 120 species in Palestine and Syria. We are inclined to reject the idea of any connexion between naka'ath, naka'ath, and nik6'th. If by the former two were meant the Cynomorium coccineum, it would not have been an article of commerce important in the Egyptian trade.

Could it be proved, wliich we believe impossible, that they meant tragacanth, the same remark would apply. The quantity exuded from all the Astragali of Lebanon and Hernion would not load a dozen camels. We have no reason to lielieve that it was ever more abundant. We incline, on the authority of the LXX in both the aliove passages (Sc^uiti.ua), to render the word nckoth ' (jerfumcs ' or ' aromatics,' which better expresses the Gr.

than ' spices,' and corresponds to the grouping of articles enumer- ated. See, further, Ox/. Heb, Lex. s.v., and Literature there cited. As to ni) nek6th (2 K 20" = Is 39'), the meaning is uncertain, although the context dcnianil.s some- thing like 'treasure.' Possibly the word is of Assyr. origin (see Oxf. Heb. Lex. s.v.): read then Spices (apiiiaTo.) are mentioned in NT in con- nexion with the burial of our Lord (' Mk' 16^ Lk 23'« 24', Jn IQ"). In Rev 18" AV tr.

d/iuMO" by 'odours,' RV ' spice,' m. ' Gr. atnomum.' G. E. Post.