and weapons” (John 18:1-3). Although it was the time of full moon, yet in
the valley of the Kidron “there fell great, deep shadows from the declivity
of the mountain and projecting rocks; there were there caverns and grottos,
into which a fugitive might retreat; finally, there were probably a
garden-house and tower, into whose gloom it might be necessary for a
searcher to throw light around.” Lange’s Commentary. (Nahum 2:3,
“torches,” Revised Version, “steel,” probably should be “scythes” for
war-chariots.)
- TORMENT Gr. basanos (Matthew 4:24), the “touch-stone” of justice;
hence inquisition by torture, and then any disease which racks and tortures
the limbs. - TORTOISE (Hebrews tsabh). Ranked among the unclean animals
(Leviticus 11:29). Land tortoises are common in Syria. The LXX. renders
the word by “land crocodile.” The word, however, more probably denotes
a lizard, called by the modern Arabs dhabb. - TOW (Judges 16:9). See FLAX.
- TOWER OF THE FURNACES (Nehemiah 3:11; 12:38), a tower at the
north-western angle of the second wall of Jerusalem. It was probably so
named from its contiguity to the “bakers’ street” (Jeremiah 37:21). - TOWERS of Babel (Genesis 11:4), Edar (Genesis 35:21), Penuel (Judges
8:9, 17), Shechem (9:46), David (Cant. 4:4), Lebanon (7:4), Syene (Ezekiel
29:10), Hananeel (Zechariah 14:10), Siloam (Luke 13:4). There were
several towers in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 26:9; Psalm 48:12). They were
erected for various purposes, as watch-towers in vineyard (Isaiah 5:2;
Matthew 21:33) and towers for defence. - TRACHONITIS a rugged region, corresponds to the Hebrews Argob
(q.v.), the Greek name of a region on the east of Jordan (Luke 3:1); one of
the five Roman provinces into which that district was divided. It was in
the tetrarchy of Philip, and is now called the Lejah. - TRADITION any kind of teaching, written or spoken, handed down from
generation to generation. In Mark 7:3, 9, 13, Colossians 2:8, this word
refers to the arbitrary interpretations of the Jews. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15;
3:6, it is used in a good sense. Peter (1 Peter 1:18) uses this word with
reference to the degenerate Judaism of the “strangers scattered” whom he
addresses (comp. Acts 15:10; Matthew 15:2-6; Galatians 1:14).