Teach; Teacher; Teaching – Tell

Teach; Teacher; Teaching

tech, tech'-er, tech'-ing:

I. OLD TESTAMENT TERMS

1. Discipline

2. Law

3. Discernment

4. Wisdom

5. Knowledge

6. Illumination

7. Vision

8. Inspiration

9. Nourishment

II. NEW TESTAMENT TERMS

1. Instruction

2. Acquisition

3. Presentation

4. Elucidation

5. Exposition

6. Authority

7. Care

8. Supervision

III. OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY

1. In the Home

2. In Public

IV. EXTRA-BIBLICAL TEACHING

V. NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY

1. Christ's Life

2. Apostolic Labors

3. General Considerations

A rich variety of words is employed in the Bible to describe the teaching process. The terms do not so much indicate an office and an official as a function and a service, although both ideas are often expressed or implied.

I. Old Testament Terms.

1. Discipline:

lamadh, "to beat": A very common word for "to teach"; it may have meant "to beat with a rod," "to chastise," and may have originally referred to the striking and goading of beasts by which they were curbed and trained. By a noble evolution the term came to describe the process of disciplining and training men in war, religion and life (Isaiah 2:3; Hosea 10:11; Micah 4:2). As teaching is both a condition and an accompaniment of disciplining, the word often means simply "to teach," "to inform" (2 Chronicles 17:7; Psalms 71:17; Proverbs 5:13). The glory of teaching was its harmony with the will of God, its source in God's authority, and its purpose to secure spiritual obedience (Deuteronomy 4:5,Deuteronomy 4:14; Deuteronomy 31:12,Deuteronomy 31:13).

2. Law:

yarah, "to cast": The teaching idea from which the law was derived is expressed by a verb which means "to throw," "to cast as an arrow or lot." It is also used of thrusting the hand forth to point out or show clearly (Genesis 46:28; Exodus 15:25). The original idea is easily changed into an educational conception, since the teacher puts forth new ideas and facts as a sower casts seed into the ground. But the process of teaching was not considered external and mechanical but internal and vital (Exodus 35:34,Exodus 35:35; 2 Chronicles 6:27). The nominal form is the usual word for law, human and divine, general and specific (Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalms 19:8; Proverbs 1:8). The following are suggestive phrases: "the book of the law" (Deuteronomy 28:61; 2 Kings 22:8); "the book of the law of Moses" (Joshua 8:31; 2 Kings 14:6); "the book of the law of God" (Joshua 24:26); "the book of the law of Yahweh" (2 Chronicles 17:9). Thus even in the days of Joshua there was in the possession of the religious teachers a book of the Law of the Lord as given by Moses. This recorded revelation and legislation continued to be the divine norm and ultimate authority for priest, king and people (2 Chronicles 23:11; Nehemiah 8:1–3).

3. Discernment:

bin, "to separate": The word meaning "to separate," "to distinguish," is often used in a causative sense to signify "to teach." The idea of teaching was not an aggregation of facts bodily transferred like merchandise. Real learning followed genuine teaching. This word suggests a sound psychological basis for a good pedagogy. The function of teaching might be exercised with reference to the solution of difficult problems, the interpretation of God's will, or the manner of a godly life (Daniel 8:16,Daniel 8:26; Nehemiah 8:7–9; Psalms 119:34).

4. Wisdom:

sakhal, "to be wise": The verb from which the various nominal forms for "wisdom" are derived means "to look at," "to behold," "to view," and in the causative stem describes the process by which one is enabled to see for himself what had never before entered his physical or intellectual field of consciousness. The noun indicates a wise person or sage whose mission is to instruct others in the ways of the Lord (Proverbs 16:23; Proverbs 21:11; and often in the Wisdom literature). In Daniel 12:3 we read: "They that are wise (margin, "the teachers") shall shine as the brightness of the firmament."

5. Knowledge:

yadha', "to see" (compare oida): This verb literally means "to see" and consequently "to perceive," "to know," "to come to know," and "cause to know or teach." It describes the act of knowing as both progressive and completed. The causative conception signifies achievement in the sphere of instruction. It is used of the interpretation and application by Moses of the principles of the law of God (Exodus 18:16,Exodus 18:20), of the elucidation of life's problems by the sages (Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 22:19), and of constant Providential guidance in the way of life (Psalms 16:11).

6. Illumination:

zahar, "to shine": This verbal root signifies "to shine," and when applied to the intellectual sphere indicates the function of teaching to be one of illumination. Ignorance is darkness, knowledge is light. Moses was to teach the people statutes and laws, or to enlighten them on the principles and precepts of God's revelation (Exodus 18:20). The service rendered by the teachers--priests, Levites and fathers--sent forth by Jehoshaphat, was one of illumination in the twofold sense of instruction and admonition (2 Chronicles 19:8–10).

7. Vision:

ra'-ah, "to see": The literal meaning of this verb is "to see," and the nominal form is the ancient name for prophet or authoritative teacher who was expected to have a clear vision of spiritual realities, the will of God, the need of man and the way of life (1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Chronicles 9:22; 2 Chronicles 16:7 Isaiah 30:10).

8. Inspiration;

nabha', "to boil up": The most significant word for "prophet" is derived from the verb which means "to boil up or forth like a fountain," and consequently to pour forth words under the impelling power of the Spirit of God. The Hebrews used the passive forms of the verb because they considered the thoughts and words of the prophets due not to personal ability but to divine influence. The utterances of the prophets were characterized by instruction, admonition, persuasion and prediction (Deuteronomy 18:15–22; Ezekiel 33:1–20).

9. Nourishment:

ra`ah, "to feed a flock": The name "shepherd," so precious in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, comes from a verb meaning "to feed," hence, to protect and care for out of a sense of devotion, ownership and responsibility. It is employed with reference to civil rulers in their positions of trust (2 Samuel 5:2; Jeremiah 23:2); with reference to teachers of virtue and wisdom (Proverbs 10:21; Ecclesiastes 12:11); and preeminently with reference to God as the great Shepherd of His chosen people (Psalms 23:1; Hosea 4:16). Ezekiel 34:1–31 presents an arraignment of the unfaithful shepherds or civil rulers; Psalms 23:1–6 reveals Yahweh as the Shepherd of true believers, and John 10:1–42 shows how religious teachers are shepherds under Jesus the Good Shepherd.

II. New Testament Terms.

Further light is thrown upon religious teaching in Bible times by a brief view of the leading educational terms found in the New Testament.

1. Instruction:

didasko, "to teach": The usual word for "teach" in the New Testament signifies either to hold a discourse with others in order to instruct them, or to deliver a didactic discourse where there may not be direct personal and verbal participation. In the former sense it describes the interlocutory method, the interplay of the ideas and words between pupils and teachers, and in the latter use it refers to the more formal monologues designed especially to give information (Matthew 4:23; Matthew 5:1–7:29; Matthew 13:36 John 6:59; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 2:12). A teacher is one who performs the function or fills the office of instruction. Ability and fitness for the work are required (Romans 2:20; Hebrews 5:12). The title refers to Jewish teachers (John 1:38), to John the Baptist (Luke 3:12), to Jesus (John 3:2; John 8:4, and often), to Paul (1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11), and to instructors in the early church (Acts 13:1; Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28). Teaching, like preaching, was an integral part of the work of an apostle (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Ephesians 4:1).

2. Acquisition:

manthano, "to learn": The central thought of teaching is causing one to learn. Teaching and learning are not scholastic but dynamic, and imply personal relationship and activity in the acquisition of knowledge (Matthew 11:29; Matthew 28:19; Acts 14:21). There were three concentric circles of disciples in the time of our Lord: learners, pupils, superficial followers, the multitude (John 6:66); the body of believers who accepted Jesus as their Master (Matthew 10:42); and the Twelve Disciples whom Jesus also called apostles (Matthew 10:2).

3. Presentation:

paratithemi, "to place beside": The presentative idea involved in the teaching process is intimately associated with the principle of adaptation. When it is stated that Christ put forth parables unto the people, the sacred writer employs the figure of placing alongside of, or near one, hence, before him in an accessible position. The food or teaching should be sound, or hygienic, and adapted to the capacity and development of the recipient (Matthew 13:24; Mark 8:6; Acts 16:34; 1 Corinthians 10:27; 2 Timothy 4:3; Hebrews 5:12–14).

4. Elucidation:

diermeneuo, "to interpret": In the walk to Emmaus, Christ explained to the perplexed disciples the Old Testament Scriptures in reference to Himself. The work of interpreter is to make truth clear and to effect the edification of the hearer (Luke 24:27; 1 Corinthians 12:30; 1 Corinthians 14:5,1 Corinthians 14:13,1 Corinthians 14:17).

5. Exposition:

ektithemi, "to place out": The verb literally means "to set or place out," and signifies to bring out the latent and secret ideas of a literary passage or a system of thought and life. Thus Peter interpreted his vision, Aquila and Priscilla unfolded truth to Apollos, and Paul expounded the gospel in Rome (Acts 11:4; Acts 18:26; Acts 28:23). True teaching is an educational exposition.

6. Authority:

prophetes, "one who speaks for": A prophet was a man who spoke forth a message from God to the people. He might deal with past failures and achievements, present privileges and responsibilities, or future doom and glory. He received his message and authority from God (Deuteronomy 18:15–22; Isaiah 6:1–13). The word refers to Old Testament teachers (Matthew 5:12), to John the Baptist (Matthew 21:26), to Jesus the Messiah (Acts 3:25), and to special speakers in the Apostolic age (Matthew 10:41; Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 14:29,1 Corinthians 14:37).

7. Care:

poimen, "a shepherd": The word for shepherd signifies one who tends a flock, and by analogy a person who gives mental and spiritual nourishment, and guards and supports those under his care (Matthew 9:36; John 10:2,John 10:16; 1 Peter 2:25; Ephesians 4:11). Love is a fundamental prerequisite to the exercise of the shepherding function (John 21:15–18). The duties are to be discharged with great diligence and in humble recognition of the gifts and appointment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28).

8. Supervision:

episkopos, "an overseer": The bishop or overseer was to feed and protect the blood-bought church of God (Acts 20:28). Among the various qualifications of the religious overseers was an aptitude for teaching (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). The Lord is pre-eminently shepherd and bishop (1 Peter 2:25).

III. Old Testament History.

1. In the Home:

In the Jewish home the teaching of the law of the Lord was primarily incumbent upon the parents. The teaching was to be diligent, the conversation religious, and the atmosphere wholesome (Deuteronomy 6:7–9).

2. In Public:

Provision was also made for public instruction the law of God (Deuteronomy 31:12,Deuteronomy 31:13). This is a compact summary of early Hebrew teaching in regard to the extent of patronage, the substance of instruction, and the purpose of the process. Samuel the judge and prophet recognized that his duty was fundamentally to pray, to God for his people and to teach the nation "the good and the right way" (1 Samuel 12:23). The glory and prosperity of Judah under Jehoshaphat were due in large measure to the emphasis he laid upon religious instruction as the basis of national character and stability. His peripatetic Bible school faculty consisted of five princes, nine Levites and two priests who effected a moral and religious transformation, for "they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of Yahweh with them" (2 Chronicles 17:7–9). The most striking illustration we have of public religious instruction in the Old Testament is found in Ne 8. Ezra the priest and scribe was superintendent, and had an ample corps of teachers to instruct the multitude of men, women and children eager to hear. Prayer created a devotional atmosphere. The reading was distinct, the interpretation correct and intelligible. There was real teaching because the people were made to understand and obey the law. In Nehemiah 9:1–38 and 10 we have recorded the spiritual, ceremonial, social and civic effects of ancient religious instruction.

IV. Extra-Biblical Teaching.

The captivity gave mighty impulse to teaching. In far-away Babylon the Jews, deprived of the privilege and inspiration of the temple, established the synagogue as an institutional center of worship and instruction. During the latter part of the inter-Biblical period, religious teaching was carried on in the synagogue and attendance was compulsory, education in the Law being considered the fundmental element of national security (Deutsch, Literary Remains, 23; Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, I, 230). The Bible text alone was taught those from 5 to 10 years of age, the first lessons being taken from Le (Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, 111). From 10 to 15 years of age the pupil was taught the substance of the Mishna or unwritten tradition, and accorded the privilege of entering into the discussions of the Mishna which constitute the Gemara (Edersheim, op. cit., I, 232). Selections of Scriptures like the shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) were made for study, and lesson helps were adapted to the capacity of the pupils (Ginsburg, article "Education" in Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature). The significance of the teaching idea among the Jews is indicated by numerous expressions for school (article "Education," Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature) and the prevalence of the synagogues, there being perhaps 480 in Jerusalem in the time of Christ (Hor. Heb. I, 78). The pupil was not expected to be a passive hearer but an active participant (Ab., vi.6; Taylor, Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, 115 f). Great emphasis was laid upon audible repetition and exact memory, yet the teacher was culpable if the pupil failed to understand the prescribed lesson (Hamburger, RE, II, 672, 674). The pupil was regarded as the child of his teacher (Sanhedhrin 19), which is a familiar idea in the New Testament. The faithful teacher was considered destined to occupy a high seat among the ancients (Daniel 12:3). The scribes were secretaries or copyists of the sacred Law, and would thus acquire at least an accurate verbal knowledge of its contents. Quite naturally they would become religious teachers (Nehemiah 8:4). Hence, also their prominence in the New Testament.

LITERATURE.

Article "Torah," Jewish Encyclopedia (compare the articles "Talmud'' and "Education"); Trumbull, Yale Lectures on the Sunday-School, 3-40; Hamburger. See Hauck-Herzog, Realencyklopadie fur protestantische Theologie und Kirche.

V. New Testament History.

1. Christ's Life:

In the New Testament we find that Jesus is pre-eminently the teacher, though He was also preacher and healer (Matthew 4:23). His Sermon on the Mount was matchless teaching. He opened His mouth and "taught" (Matthew 5:2). The titles "teacher," "master," "rabbi" all indicate the most prominent function of His active ministry. Even at the age of 12 years He revealed His wisdom and affinity in the midst of the rabbis or Jewish teachers of the Law in the temple (Luke 2:41 f). In the power of the Spirit He taught so that all recognized His authority (Luke 4:14,Luke 4:15; Matthew 7:29). He explained to the disciples in private what He taught the people in public (Matthew 13:36). His principles and methods of teaching constitute the standard by which all true pedagogy is measured, and the ideal toward which all subsequent teachers have toiled with only partial success (Matthew 7:28,Matthew 7:29; John 1:49; John 3:2; John 6:46). In the Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:18,Matthew 28:19,Matthew 28:20 we have the work of Christianity presented in educational terms. We find the supreme authority (28:18), the comprehensive content--the evangelistic, the ceremonial, the educational, the practical (28:19 and 20a), and the inspiring promise (28:20b).

2. Apostolic Labors:

The emphasis laid upon teaching in the Apostolic age is a natural consequence of the need of the people and the commands of Jesus. The practice of the apostles is quite uniform. They preached or proclaimed, but they also expounded. In Jerusalem the converts continued in the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42); and daily in the temple and in the homes of the people the teaching was correlated with preaching (Acts 5:42). In Antioch, the center of foreign missionary operations, Paul, Silas, Barnabas and many others taught the word of the Lord (Acts 15:35). In Thessalonica, Paul and Silas for three weeks reasoned with the people out of the Scriptures, opening up the sacred secrets and proving to all candid minds that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 17:1–3). In Berea, instruction in the synagogue was followed by private study, and as a result many believed in the Lord (Acts 17:10–15). In Athens, Paul discussed and explained the things of the kingdom of God, both in the synagogue 3 times a week and in the market daily (Acts 17:16 f). In Corinth, Paul having been denied the use of the synagogue taught the word of the Lord for a year and a half in the house of Justus, and thus laid the foundation for a great church (Acts 18:1–11). In Ephesus, Paul taught for 2 years in the school of Tyrannus, disputing and persuading the people concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8–10). In Rome, Paul expounded the word, testified to its truth, and persuaded men to accept the gospel (Acts 28:23). His method of work in Rome under trying limitations is described as cordially receiving the people and preaching the kingdom of God, and "teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 28:30,Acts 28:31).

3. General Considerations:

The office of teacher is fundamentally related to the creation of a missionary atmosphere (Acts 13:1). Religious teaching is necessary to the development of Christian character and the highest efficiency in service (1 Corinthians 12:4–11,1 Corinthians 12:28,1 Corinthians 12:29; Ephesians 4:11,Ephesians 4:12). The qualification of the pastor is vitally connected with the teaching function of the church. He is to hold the truth, or to be orthodox (Titus 1:9), to apply the truth, or to be practical (Titus 1:9), to study the truth, or to be informed (1 Timothy 4:13,1 Timothy 4:15), to teach the truth, or to be equipped or able and tactful (2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:2), to live the truth, or to be faithful in all things (2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Timothy 4:16). The teaching function of Christianity in the 2nd century became strictly official, thereby losing much of its elasticity. A popular manual for the guidance of religious teachers was styled the "Teaching of the Twelve" '(see DIDACHE). The writings of the Apostolic Fathers give valuable information in regard to the exercise of the gifts of teaching in the early centuries (Didache xiii.2; xv. 1, 2; Barnabas 18; Ignatius to the Ephesians 31).

See CATECHIST; EDUCATION; SPIRITUAL GIFTS.

Byron H. Dement

Tear Bottle

See next article.

Tears

terz (dim`ah; dakrua): In the instances recorded in Scripture weeping is more frequently associated with mental distress than with physical pain. Eastern peoples show none of the restraint of emotion in lamentation which is characteristic of modern Occidentals, and there are many records of this manifestation of woe, even among men accustomed to hardships and warfare, such as David and his soldiers. The flow of tears is the evidence of sorrow in prospect of approaching death in Psalms 39:12; 2 Kings 20:5; Isaiah 38:5, and of the suffering consequent on oppression (Ecclesiastes 4:1), or defeat in battle (Isaiah 16:9), or hopeless remorse, as with Esau (Hebrews 12:17, probably referring to Genesis 27:34). The Psalmist describes his condition of distress metaphorically as feeding on the bread of tears and having tears to drink (Psalms 80:5; Psalms 42:3). Tears in the figurative sense of anxiety for the future are referred to in Psalms 126:5; Mark 9:24 the King James Version, and the tears accompanying penitence in Luke 7:38 (44 the Revised Version margin). Jeremiah is sometimes called the "weeping prophet" on account of his expressive hyperbole in Jeremiah 9:1,Jeremiah 9:18 (see also 14:7; 31:16; Lamentations 1:2; Lamentations 2:11,Lamentations 2:18 and ten other passages). Conversely the deliverance from grief or anxiety is described as the wiping away of tears (Psalms 116:8; Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4).

The expression in Psalms 56:8 in which the Psalmist desires that God should remember his wanderings and his tears has given rise to a curious mistake. There is a paronomasia in the passage as he pleads that God should record his wanderings (Hebrew, nodh) and that his tears should be put into God's no'-dh (receptacle or bottle). No'dh literally means a leathern or skin bottle, as is evident from Psalms 119:83 and Joshua 9:4–13. The request is obviously figurative, as there is no evidence that there was even a symbolical collection of tears into a bottle in any Semitic funeral ritual, and there is no foundation whatever for the modern identification of the long, narrow perfume jars so frequently found in late Jewish and Greek-Jewish graves, as "lachrymatories" or tear bottles.

See BOTTLE.

Alexander Macalister

Teat

tet (shadh (Isaiah 32:12), dadh (Ezekiel 23:3,Ezekiel 23:11)): In all these passages the Revised Version (British and American) has replaced the word by "breast" or "bosom," both of which occasionally stand in poetical parallelism. The above passages in Ezekiel are to be understood figuratively of the inclination of Israel to connive at, and take part in, the idolatry of their neighbors. To "smite upon the breasts" (Isaiah 32:12, where the King James Version translates wrongly "lament for the teats") means "to mourn and grieve in the ostentatious way of oriental women."

See PAP.

Tebah

te'-ba (tebhach): A son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham (Genesis 22:24).

Tebaliah

teb-a-li'-a, te-bal'-ya (Tebhalyahu, "Yahweh hath dipped," i.e. "purified"; Codex Vaticanus Tablai; Codex Alexandrinus Tabelias; Lucian, Tabeel): A Merarite gatekeeper. (1 Chronicles 26:11). The name should perhaps read Tobhiyahu, "Yahweh is good" (possibly from t-w-b-y-h-w misread Tebhalyahu).

See TOBIJAH.

Tebeth

te-beth', te'-beth (tebheth): The tenth month of the Jewish year, corresponding to January (Esther 2:16).

See CALENDAR.

Tehaphnehes

te-haf'-ne-hez

See TAHPANHES.

Tehinnah

te-hin'-a (techinnah, "supplication"; Codex Vaticanus Thaiman; Codex Alexandrinus Thana; Lucian, Theenna): "The father of the city Nahash" (1 Chronicles 4:12). The verse seems to refer to some post-exilic Jewish settlement, but is utterly obscure.

Teil; Tree

tel the King James Version Isaiah 6:13 = the Revised Version (British and American) TEREBINTH (which see).

Tekel

te'-kel (teqel).

See MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

Tekoa

te-ko'-a (teqoa', or teqo`ah; Thekoe; the King James Version Tekoah; one of David's mighty men, "Ira the son of Ikkesh," is called a Tekoite, te-ko'-it (teqo`i; 2 Samuel 23:26; 1 Chronicles 11:28; 1 Chronicles 27:9; the "woman of Tekoa" [2 Samuel 14:2] is in Hebrew teqo`ith; in Nehemiah 3:5 mention is made of certain Tekoites, te-ko'its teqo'im, who repaired part of the walls of Jerusalem):

1. Scripture References:

From here came the "wise woman" brought by Joab to try and make a reconciliation between David and Absalom (2 Samuel 14:2 f); it was one of the cities fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:6; Josephus, Ant, VIII, ix, 1). The wilderness of Tekoa is mentioned (2 Chronicles 20:20) as the extreme edge of the inhabited area; here Jehoshaphat took counsel before advancing into the wilderness of Judea to confront the Ammonites and Moabites. In Jeremiah 6:1, we read, "Blow the trumpet in Tekoa and raise a signal in Beth-haccherim"--because of the enemy advancing from the North. Amos 1:1, one of the "herdsmen of Tekoa," was born here.

In Joshua 15:59 (addition to verse in Septuagint only) Tekoa occurs at the beginning of the list of 11 additional cities of Judah--a list which includes Bethlehem, Ain Kairem and Bettir--which are omitted in the Hebrew. A Tekoa is mentioned as a son of Ashhur (1 Chronicles 2:24; 1 Chronicles 4:5).

Jonathan Maccabeus and his brother Simon fled from the vengeance of Bacchides "into the wilderness of Thecoe (the Revised Version (British and American) "Tekoah") and pitched their tents (the Revised Version (British and American) "encamped") by the water of the pool Asphar" (1 Macc 9:33).

2. Later History:

Josephus calls Tekoa a village in his day (Vita, 75), as does Jerome who describes it as 12 miles from Jerusalem and visible from Bethlehem; he says the tomb of the prophet Amos was there (Commentary on Jeremiah, VI, 1). "There was," he says, "no village beyond Tekoa in the direction of the wilderness." The good quality of its oil and honey is praised by other writers. In the 6th century a monastery, Laura Nova, was founded there by Saba. In the crusading times Tekoa was visited by pious pilgrims wishing to see the tomb of Amos, and some of the Christian inhabitants assisted the Crusaders in the first siege of Jerusalem. In 1138 the place was pillaged by a party of Turks from the East of the Jordan, and since that time the site appears to have lain desolate and ruined, although even in the 14th century the tomb of Amos was still shown.

3. The Site of Tequ`a:

The site is without doubt the Khirbet Tequ'a, a very extensive ruin, covering 4 or 5 acres, about 6 miles South of Bethlehem and 10 miles from Jerusalem, near the Frank Mountain and on the road to `Ain Jidy. The remains on the surface are chiefly of large cut stone and are all, apparently, medieval. Fragments of pillars and bases of good hard limestone occur on the top of the hill, and there is an octagonal font of rose-red limestone; it is clear that the church once stood there. There are many tombs and cisterns in the neighborhood of a much earlier period. A spring is said to exist somewhere on the site, but if so it is buried out of sight. There is a reference in the "Life of Saladin" (Bahaoddenus), to the "river of Tekoa," from which Richard Coeur de Lion and his army drank, 3 miles from Jerusalem: this may refer to the Arab extension of the "low-level aqueduct" which passes through a long tunnel under the Sahl Tequ`a and may have been thought by some to rise there.

The open fields around Teqa'a are attractive and well suited for olive trees (which have now disappeared), and there are extensive grazing-lands. The neighborhood, even the "wilderness" to the East, is full of the flocks of wandering Bedouin. From the site, Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives and Nebi Samuel (Mizpah) are all visible; to the Northeast is a peep of the Jordan valley near Jericho and of the mountains of Gilead, but most of the eastern outlook is cut off by rising ground (PEF, III, 314, 368, Sh XXI).

E. W. G. Masterman

Tel-Abib

tel-a'-bib (tel 'abhibh; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) ad acervum novarum frugum):

1. The Name and Its Meaining:

As written in Hebrew, Tel-abib means "hill of barley-ears" and is mentioned in Ezekiel 3:15 as the place to which the prophet went, and where he found Jewish captives "that dwelt by the river Chebar." That Tel-abib is written, as Fried. Delitzsch suggests, for Til Ababi, "Mound of the Flood" (which may have been a not uncommon village-name in Babylonia) is uncertain. Moreover, if the captives themselves were the authors of the name, it is more likely to have been in the Hebrew language. Septuagint, which has meteoros, "passing on high," referring to the manner in which the prophet reached Tel-abib, must have had a different Hebrew reading.

2. The Position of the Settlement:

If the Chebar be the nar Kabari, as suggested by Hilprecht, Tel-abib must have been situated somewhere in the neighborhood of Niffer, the city identified with the Calneh of Genesis 10:10. The tablet mentioning the river Kabaru refers to grain (barley?) seemingly sent by boat from Niffer in Nisan of the 21st year of Artaxerxes I. Being a navigable waterway, this was probably a good trading-center.

LITERATURE.

See Hilprecht and Clay, Business Documents of Murasha Sons ("Pennsylvania Exp.," Vol IX, 28); Clay, Light on the Old Testament from Babel, 405.

T. G. Pinches

Tel-Harsha

tel-har'-sha (tel-charsha'): In Ezra 2:59; Nehemiah 7:61 (the King James Version in latter, "'Telharesha," tel-ha-re'sha, -har'e-sha), a Babylonian town or village from which Jews who could not show their lineage returned with Zerubbabel. The site is unknown. In 1 Esdras 5:36 it is called "Thelersas."

Tel-Melah

tel-me'-la (tel-melah, "hill of salt"): A Babylonian town mentioned in Ezra 2:59; Nehemiah 7:61 with Tel-harsha and Cherub (see TEL-HARSHA). It possibly lay on the low salt tract near the Persian Gulf. In 1 Esdras 5:36 it is called "Thermeleth."

Telah

te'-la (telah; Codex Vaticanus Thalees, Codex Alexandrinus Thale; Lucian, Thala): An Ephraimite (1 Chronicles 7:25).

Telaim

te-la'-im (ha-tela'-im "the young lambs"; en Galgalois): The place where Saul "summoned the people, and numbered them" (1 Samuel 15:4) before his attack on Agag, king of the Amalekites. Some authorities read "Telam" for "Havilah" in verse 7 and also find this name in 1 Samuel 27:8 instead of me`olam. In Septuagint and Josephus (Ant., VI, vii, 2) Gilgal occurs instead of Telaim, on what ground is not known. Probably Telaim is identical with TELEM (which see), though the former may have been the name of a Bedouin tribe inhabiting the latter district. Compare Dhallam Arabs now found South of Tell el-Milch.

E. W. G. Masterman

Telassar

te-las'-ar (tela'-ssar (2 Kings 19:12), telassar (Isaiah 37:12); Codex Alexandrinus Thalassar; Codex Vaticanus Thaesthen; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) Thelassar, Thalassar):

1. The Name and Its Meaning:

This city, which is referred to by Sennacherib's messengers to Hezekiah, is stated by them to have been inhabited by the "children of Eden." It had been captured by the Assyrian king's forefathers, from whose hands its gods had been unable to save it. Notwithstanding the vocalization, the name is generally rendered "Hill of Asshur," the chief god of the Assyrians, but "Hill of Assar," or Asari (a name of the Babylonian Merodach), would probably be better.

2. Suggestions as to the Geographical Position:

As Telassar was inhabited by the "children of Eden," and is mentioned with Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, in Western Mesopotamia, it has been suggested that it lay in Bit Adini, "the House of Adinu," or Betheden, in the same direction, between the Euphrates and the Belikh. A place named Til-Assuri, however, is twice mentioned by Tiglath-pileser IV (Ann., 176; Slab-Inscr., II, 23), and from these passages it would seem to have lain near enough to the Assyrian border to be annexed. The king states that he made there holy sacrifices to Merodach, whose seat it was. It was inhabited by Babylonians (whose home was the Edinu or "plain"; see EDEN). Esarhaddon, Sennacherib's son, who likewise conquered the place, writes the name Til-Asurri, and states that the people of Mihranu called it Pitanu. Its inhabitants, he says, were people of Barnaku. If this be Bit Burnaki in Elam, extending from the boundary of Rasu (see ROSH), which was ravaged by Sennacherib (Babylonians Chronicles, III, 10 ff), Til-Assuri probably lay near the western border of Elam. Should this identification be the true one, the Hebrew form telassar would seem to be more correct than the Assyrian Til-Assuri (-Asurri), which latter may have been due to the popular idea that the second element was the name of the national god Assur. See French Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies? 264.

T. G. Pinches

Telem (1)

te'-lem (Telem; Telem): A city in the Negeb "toward the border of Edom," belonging to Judah (Joshua 15:24). In Septuagint of 2 Samuel 3:12 Abner is said to send messengers to David at Thelam (Thailam); this would seem to be the same place and also to be identical with the Telaim and Telam of Saul (see TELAIM). It is probably the same as the Talmia of the Talmud (Neubauer, Geog. du Talmud, 121). The site has not been recovered.

Telem (2)

(Telem; Septuagint Codex Vaticanus Telem; Codex Alexandrinus Tellem): One of three "porters" who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:24), his name appearing as "Tolbanes" in 1 Esdras 9:25; perhaps the same as TALMON (which see).

Tell

See TALE.