- WORSHIP homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to
render to any created being (Exodus 34:14; Isaiah 2:8). Such worship was
refused by Peter (Acts 10:25,26) and by an angel (Revelation 22:8,9). - WORSHIPPER (Gr. neocoros = temple-sweeper (Acts 19:35) of the
great goddess Diana). This name neocoros appears on most of the extant
Ephesian coins - WRESTLE (Ephesians 6:12). See GAMES.
- WRITING The art of writing must have been known in the time of the
early Pharaohs. Moses is commanded “to write for a memorial in a book”
(Exodus 17:14) a record of the attack of Amalek. Frequent mention is
afterwards made of writing (28:11, 21, 29, 36; 31:18; 32:15, 16; 34:1, 28;
39:6, 14, 30). The origin of this art is unknown, but there is reason to
conclude that in the age of Moses it was well known. The inspired books
of Moses are the most ancient extant writings, although there are written
monuments as old as about B.C. 2000. The words expressive of “writing,”
“book,” and “ink,” are common to all the branches or dialects of the
Semitic language, and hence it has been concluded that this art must have
been known to the earliest Semites before they separated into their various
tribes, and nations, and families.
“The Old Testament and the discoveries of Oriental archaeology alike tell
us that the age of the Exodus was throughout the world of Western Asia an
age of literature and books, of readers and writers, and that the cities of
Palestine were stored with the contemporaneous records of past events
inscribed on imperishable clay. They further tell us that the kinsfolk and
neighbours of the Israelites were already acquainted with alphabetic
writing, that the wanderers in the desert and the tribes of Edom were in
contact with the cultured scribes and traders of Ma’in [Southern Arabia],
and that the ‘house of bondage’ from which Israel had escaped was a land
where the art of writing was blazoned not only on the temples of the gods,
but also on the dwellings of the rich and powerful.”, Sayce. (See DEBIR;
PHOENICIA.)
The “Book of the Dead” was a collection of prayers and formulae, by the
use of which the souls of the dead were supposed to attain to rest and
peace in the next world. It was composed at various periods from the
earliest time to the Persian conquest. It affords an interesting glimpse into
the religious life and system of belief among the ancient Egyptians. We