written in the fourth century, and is thus of about the same age as the
Vatican codex; but while the latter wants the greater part of Matthew and
sundry leaves here and there besides, the Sinaiticus is the only copy of the
New Testament in uncial characters which is complete. Thus it is the
oldest extant MS. copy of the New Testament. Both the Vatican and the
Sinai codices were probably written in Egypt. (See VATICANUS.)
- SINIM, THE LAND OF (Isaiah 49:12), supposed by some to mean
China, but more probably Phoenicia (Genesis 10:17) is intended. - SINITE an inhabitant of Sin, near Arka (Genesis 10:17; 1 Chronicles
1:15). (See ARKITE.) - SIN-OFFERING (Hebrews hattath), the law of, is given in detail in
Leviticus 4-6:13; 9:7-11, 22-24; 12:6-8; 15:2, 14, 25-30; 14:19, 31;
Numbers 6:10-14. On the day of Atonement it was made with special
solemnity (Leviticus 16:5, 11, 15). The blood was then carried into the
holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Sin-offerings were also
presented at the five annual festivals (Numbers 28, 29), and on the
occasion of the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29:10-14, 36). As each
individual, even the most private member of the congregation, as well as
the congregation at large, and the high priest, was obliged, on being
convicted by his conscience of any particular sin, to come with a
sin-offering, we see thus impressively disclosed the need in which every
sinner stands of the salvation of Christ, and the necessity of making
application to it as often as the guilt of sin renews itself upon his
conscience. This resort of faith to the perfect sacrifice of Christ is the one
way that lies open for the sinner’s attainment of pardon and restoration to
peace. And then in the sacrifice itself there is the reality of that
incomparable worth and preciousness which were so significantly
represented in the sin-offering by the sacredness of its blood and the
hallowed destination of its flesh. With reference to this the blood of Christ
is called emphatically “the precious blood,” and the blood that “cleanseth
from all sin” (1 John 1:7). - SIN, WILDERNESS OF lying between Elim and sinai (Exodus 16:1;
comp. Numbers 33:11, 12). This was probably the narrow plain of
el-Markha, which stretches along the eastern shore of the Red Sea for
several miles toward the promontory of Ras Mohammed, the southern
extremity of the Sinitic Peninsula. While the Israelites rested here for some