Tikvah

1. The father-in-law of HuLDAH the prophetess, 2 K 22" (B OeKKouai), A OcKKoui, Luc. SeKovi), called in 2 Ch 34- Tokhath (Kere nnpij, Kcth. nnpin ; B Ka9ovd\, A ©a/coi;d9, Luc. QeKui). 2. The father of Jaiizeiah, a eontemporarv of Ezra, Ezr 10'= (B 'EUeii, A eeKov4), called in 1 Es 9" Thocanus. TILE, TILING (133^, k^/wmos)-— In Ezk 4' 'tile' is tlie rendering of nj3,, which is elsewhere tr. ' brick ' (LXX ttXMos). See Brick. In Lk 5", in the account of the healing of the para- lytic at Capernaum, the sufferer is said to have been let down Sia rCiv Kepafiuv (AV ' through the tiling,' RV 'through the tiles'). The parallel passage (Mk 2') is more detailed in its expressions (6.Tre(rTiya(rai' TT^v ar4yriv . . . Kal i^opv^avres), and a dithculty has been felt in reconciling these with Luke's phrase. The roofs of Oriental houses are usually forme<l by laying tree trunks with the branches and twigs from wall to wall. Above these is a layer of earth about a foot thick, and over this is spread a paste of clay and straw, which hardens in the sun and renders the roof impervious to rain. This upper layer needs to be renewed at the beginning of the winter season (Nowack, Heb. Arch. i. 140 ; Benzinger, Hcb. Arch. 116). Mark's account seems to suggest the breaking-up of such a roof as this, while Luke's expression does not, and various explanations of the latter have been attempted. The idea of a door or trap in the roof does not fit either nan-a- tive. It has been suggested that SA rCiv Kepdiiuv is to be understood in the general sense of 'through the roof,' though, if taken literally, the words wovSd be more applicable to Greek and Roman houses than to those of Palestine. Another explanation is that the court of the house was partly roofed over but had an opening above the centre, which was covered in wet weather by tUes, which could be easily removed (so Godet, following Delitzsch, Ein Tag in Cnpernaum, 44-46). The best view, however, is that of Tristram (Eastern Customs in Bible Lands, 34, 35), who states that ordinary Galitean houses of tlie present day have a court separated from the street by a wall on one side, while on the other three sides it is surrounded by apartments opening into it. The roofs of these apartments are always of earth and lime, firmly pressed down and whitewashed. 'J'hc roof may be supported by pillars on the side next the court, from which the rooms may be sei)arated only by movable curtains. From the roof proper, how ever, eaves stretch over the court for six feet or more. These are supported on light rafters, and are covered with matting or with shingles (wooden tiles) lightly tacked to^etlier. The principal apartment is on the side of the court away from the street. In the case before us both this and the court itself would be full of people, and Jesus, in order to be heard l)y all, would be standin" at the outer margin of the room. Access could De gained to the roof hy an outside stairway, and if the covering of the eaves were removed, as it could easily be, the paralytic could be let down from the edge of the roof proper to the very spot where Jesus was. The expressions in Mark, though applicable to the breaking through of an earthen roof, describe this proceeding equally well. James Patrick.