THE AGES DIGITAL LIBRARY REFERENCE CYCLOPEDIA of BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL and ECCLESIASTICAL LITERATURE Threshing- Tongues, Gift of by James Strong & John McClintock To the Students of the Words, Works and Ways of God: Welcome to the AGES Digital Library. We trust your experience with this and other volumes in the Library fulfills our motto and vision which is our commitment to you: MAKING THE WORDS OF THE WISE AVAILABLE TO ALL — INEXPENSIVELY. AGES Software Rio, WI USA Version 1.0 © 2000 2 Threshing (prop. vWh; but sometimes Ëyræd]hæ, to tread out, ajloa>ein; and occasionally fbij;). The Hebrews made use of three different-processes for separating the grain from the stalk (comp. <232827>Isaiah 28:27 sq.), an operation always carried on in the open air. SEE STRAW. 1. In the earliest period, and even later for small quantities, especially in the former part of the harvest season, and for the frailer kinds of grain, the seed was beaten out with sticks (fbij;, Sept. rJabdi>zein). This was a process applied to other agricultural products (Jerome, ad Isaiah loc. cit.), as well as to field grain (<070611>Judges 6:11;. Ruth 2, 17; <232827>Isaiah 28:27; comp. Columel. 2, 21; Strabo, 4:201). It is a method still in use in the East (Robinson, 2, 650; 3, 233). SEE HARVEST. 2. Usually, however, horned cattle (Mishna, Shebiith, 5, 8, as still in Egypt, Arabia, and Syria), seldom asses or (in modern times) horses (Shaw, p. 124; Buckingham, p. 288), were driven around, usually yoked in pairs or several abreast, and these, by means of their hoofs (<330413>Micah 4:13), cut up and separated the chaff and straw from the grain (<232828>Isaiah 28:28; <245011>Jeremiah 50:11; <281011>Hosea 10:11; comp. Varro, De Re Rust. 1, 51; Homer, 11. 20:495 sq.; Pliny, 18:72). So also in ancient Egypt (Wilkinson, 2nd ser. 1, 87, 90). SEE THRESHING-FLOOR. 3. The most, effectual method of threshing was by means of threshing- machines (/Wrji gri/m [Arab. noraj], or simply /Wrj;, <232827>Isaiah 28:27; 41:15; <184122>Job 41:22; also ˆq;r]Bi, <070807>Judges 8:7,16; see Gesen. Thesaur. p. 244; tri>bolon, tribulum, Pliny, 18:72; Talm. lbyrf). These consisted sometimes of a wooden plank (trahea, or traha) set with sharp stones or iron points, which was dragged over the sheaves (Rashi, on <234115>Isaiah 41:15; comp. Varro, 1, 52; Columel. 2, 21; Virgil, Georg. 1, 164), sometimes of a sort of cart or wheeled sledge (plostellum Phanicum; comp. Jerome, ad <232510>Isaiah 25:10, and 28:27). Such a wagon is mentioned in <232827>Isaiah 28:27 sq. (hl;g;[} ˆpiwoa and hl;g;[} lGil]Gi). SEE THRESHING- INSTRUMENT. Cattle were used for this vehicle, as usually still among the Arabians (Wellsted, 1, 194); and the Mosaic law forbade the yoking-together of various kinds of beasts, as well as the muzzling of the animals 3 (<052504>Deuteronomy 25:4; Josephus, Ant. 4:8, 21; <460909>1 Corinthians 9:9; Talmud, Kelim, 16:7; comp. Elian, Anim. 4:25), a usage prevalent among the ancient Egyptians and other nations (Bochart, Hieroz. 1, 401; comp. Michaelis, Mos. Recht, 3, 130). SEE MUZZLE. Threshing is frequently employed by the Hebrew poets as a figure of the divine or providential chastisements, especially national invasion (<234115>Isaiah 41:15; Jeremiah 51: 33; <330413>Micah 4:13; <350312>Habakkuk 3:12). In one passage (<232110>Isaiah 21:10), the bruised grain is made an image of the captive Jews. See generally Schöttgen, Triturce et Fullonice Antiquitates (Tr. ad Rh. 1727; Lips. 1763); Paulsen, Ackersbau, p. 110 sq. SEE AGRICULTURE. Threshing-floor Picture for Threshing-floor (ˆr,Go, goren, a{lwn; Chald. rDiaæ, idddr, <270235>Daniel 2:35), a level and hard- beaten plot in the open air (<070637>Judges 6:37; <100606>2 Samuel 6:6), on which the sheaves of grain (<330412>Micah 4:12) were threshed (<232110>Isaiah 21:10; <245133>Jeremiah 51:33;.: Matthew 3, 12; the Mishna remarks that the threshers wore gloves, Kelim, 16:6), so that the wind had free play (<281303>Hosea 13:3; <240404>Jeremiah 4:41; comp. Varro, De Re Rust. 1, 51,1, “Aream esse oportet in agro sublimiore loco, quam perflare possit ventus”). The top of a rock is a favorite spot for this purpose. The sheaves were carried straight from the field either in carts, or, as more commonly happens in the present day, on the backs of camels and asses, to the threshing-floor. On this open space the sheaves were spread out, and sometimes beaten with flails-a method practiced especially with the lighter kinds of grain, such as fitches or cumin (<232827>Isaiah 28:27) but more generally by means of oxen. For this purpose the oxen were yoked tide by side, and driven round over the corn, by a man who superintended the operation, so as to subject the entire mass to a sufficient pressure; or the oxen were yoked to a sort of machine (what the Latins called tribulunm or trahea) which consisted of a board or block of wood, with bits of stone or pieces of iron fastened into the lower surface to make it rough, and rendered heavy by some weight, such as the person of the driver, placed on it; this was dragged over the corn, and hastened the operation (ver. 27; 41, 15). The same practices are still followed, only mules and horses are occasionally employed instead of oxen, but very rarely. Dr. Robinson describes the operation as he witnessed it near 4 Jericho: “Here there were no less than five floors, all trodden by oxen, cows, and younger cattle, arranged in each case five abreast, and driven round in a circle, or rather in all directions, over the floor. The sled, or sledge, is not here in use, though we afterwards met with it in the north of Palestine. By this process the straw is broken up and becomes chaff. It is occasionally turned with a large wooden fork having two prongs; and, when sufficiently trodden, is thrown up with the same fork against the wind, in order to separate the grain, which is then gathered up and winnowed. The whole process,” he adds, “is exceedingly wasteful, from the transportation of the corn on the backs of animals to the treading-out upon the bare ground” (Researches, 2, 277). During this operation the Mohammedans, it seems, generally observe the ancient precept of not muzzling the oxen while treading out the corn; but the Greek Christians as commonly keep them tightly muzzled. SEE THRESHING. As in the East there is no rain during the harvest season (Hesiod, Opp. 558), the threshing-floors were in the open field, and were carefully selected and managed (Virgil, Georg. 1, 178 sq.; Pallad. 7:1; Pliny, Hist. Nat. 12:32; 15:8; 17:14; 18:71, etc.). The farmers remained on the corn- floor all night in order to guard the product (Ruth 3, 4, 6, 14).’The threshing-place was of considerable value, and is often named in connection with the wine-press (<051613>Deuteronomy 16:13; <120627>2 Kings 6:27; <280902>Hosea 9:2; Joel 2, 24), since wheat and wine and oil were the more important products of the land (Mishima, Baba Bathra, 2, 8). They often bore particular names, as that of Nachon (<100606>2 Samuel 6:6) or Chidon (<131309>1 Chronicles 13:9), of Atad (Genesis 1, 10), of Ornan, or Araunab (<102418>2 Samuel 24:18,’20; <132115>1 Chronicles 21:15; Josephus, Ant. 7:13, 4). See Thomson, Hand Book, 2, 314; Hackett, Illustr. of Script. p. 160; Van Lennep, Bible Lands, p. 79; Conder, Tent-Work in Palestine, 2, 259. SEE AGRICULTURE. Threshing-instrument Picture for Threshing-instrument 1 was a sledge for driving over the sheaves and separating the grain. These sledges, called among the Hebrews by the general term ynæq;r]Bi, badrkanim, rendered “briers” in<070807>Judges 8:7, 16, were of two kinds, corresponding respectively with two words, the first of which alone is rendered as above in the, A.V. SEE THRESHING. 5 Picture for Threshing-instrument 2 1. Morag (gri/m, so called from triturating; <102422>2 Samuel 24:22; <132123>1 Chronicles 21:23; <234115>Isaiah 41:15; by ellipsis charults, pointed. <184122>Job 41:22; <192802>Psalm 28:27; Amos 1, 3) was a threshing instrument still in use in the north of Palestine. Prof. Robinson, who frequently saw this rustic threshing-sledge, says, “It consists chiefly of two planks fastened together side by side, and bent upwards in front; precisely like the common stone- sledge of New England. Many holes are bored in the bottom underneath, and into these are fixed sharp fragments of hard stone. The machine is dragged by oxen as they are driven round upon the grain; sometimes a man or a boy sits upon it. The effect of it is to cut up the straw quite tine” (Researches, 2, 306). 2. Agalah (hl;g;[}, rendered “cart” or “wagon”) was a threshing-sledge with wheels or rollers of wood, iron, or stone, made rough and joined together in the form of a sledge (<232827>Isaiah 28:27, 28). Mr. Lane found it still in use in Egypt, perhaps somewhat improved. He says, For the purpose of separating the grain of wheat or barley, etc., and cutting the straw, which serves as fodder, the Egyptians use a machine called morag, in the form of a chair, which moves upon small iron wheels, or circular plates, generally eleven, fixed to three thick axle-trees; four to the foremost, the same number to the hindmost, and three to the intermediate axle-tree.