Tanhumeth (Hastings' Dictionary)

The father (?) of Seraiah, one of the Heb. captains who joined Uedaliah at Miz-pah. He is called in 2 K 2o-^the Netophath- ITli, but in Jer 40 [Gr. 47]"* the words 'and the sons of Ephai' come between 'Tanhumeth' and 'the Netopliathite' both in MT and LXX. The form of the name Tanhumeth (LXX in 2 K 25^ B iiavifiaB, A Qavituii', Luc. Qapf^/iaB ; in Jer 47' B ticLf^naiS, A Qava^i^ed) looks like a feminine (cf. Lagarde, llild. d. Num. 126 f.) TANIS (Tdws), Jth !'».— See Zoan.

TANNER i^vpfftvs) occurs only in Ac 9" 10^ «" of the Simon at whose house St. Peter lodged in Joppa ; but tanning was a trade that the Jews carried on in OT times (Ex 25', Lv 13*"). It was, however, regarded with aversion (see the citations from Talm. in I'arrar, i>t. Paid, i. 264 n.), as it necessitated more or less of ceremonial unclean- ness, esjiecially if the skins of unclean animals were dealt with. The fact that St. Peter did not hesitate to lo<lge in the hou.

se of a tanner indicates that he had already become .somewhat liberal in his views regarding the ceremonial law. Simon's house was by the seaside, which accords with the custom to-day in towns by the sea. In ancient times tanneries were usually without the walls of towns, beeau.se of the unclean character of the trade, and the disagreeable odours caused by the work. Tlie process of preparing skins for use by the Jews may be inferred from what is kno^vn of it among the Egyptians and Arabs.

The hair of the skins was removed by lime or the acrid juice of the Periploca semmine, a desert plant(\Vilkinson,^4jK;. E(ji/;i. ii. 186, ed. 1878) ; the skins were liist treated with Honr and salt for three days, and cleansed from fat and other extraneous matter. The stalks of the above plant were pounded and jilaced in water, and then applied to the inner surface of the skin. Tliis caused the hair to loo.

sen, after which the skin was left to dry for two or three days, and then subjected to the further processes of tanning. In these they used the jiods of the Sunt or Ar.iicia Nilotica, which is common in the desert, or the bark or leaves of certain species of Sumac, lihus Coriaria or Ii. oxycanthoidcs, the former of which is common throughout the country (see Post's Flora of Syr. and I'al.)

Though the trade of the tanner in general was disliked by the Jews, the preparation of skins for liarcliiuent was regarded as an honourable calling. H. Porter.