senses alone concern us, the fairest involving an inquiry into the opinions of the Hebrews on
cosmogony, the second on geography.
•cosmogony.— (1) The Hebrew cosmogony is based upon the leading principle that the universe
exists, not independently of God, nor yet co-existent with God, nor yet in opposition to him as a
hostile element, but dependently upon him, subsequently to him and in subjection to him. (2)
Creation was regarded as a progressive work—a gradual development from the inferior to the
superior orders of things.
•Geography.—There seems to be traces of the same ideas as prevailed among the Greeks, that the
world was a disk, (Isaiah 40:22) bordered by the ocean, with Jerusalem as its centre, like Delphi
as the navel, or, according to another view, the highest point of the world. As to the size of the
earth, the Hebrews had but a very indefinite notion.
Earthenware
[Pottery]
Earthquake
Earthquakes, more or less violent, are of frequent occurrence in Palestine. The most remarkable
occurred in the reign of Uzziah. (Zechariah 14:5) From (Zechariah 14:4) we are led to infer that a
great convulsion took place at this time in the Mount of Olives, the mountain being split so as to
leave a valley between its summit. An earthquake occurred at the time of our Saviour’s crucifixion.
(Matthew 27:51-54) Earthquakes are not unfrequently accompanied by fissures of the earth’s
surface; instances of this are recorded in connection with the destruction of Korah and his company,
(Numbers 16:32) and at the time of our Lord’s death, (Matthew 27:51) the former may be paralleled
by a similar occurrence at Oppido in Calabria A.D. 1783, where the earth opened to the extent of
five hundred and a depth of more than two hundred feet.
East
The Hebrew term kedem properly means that which is before or in front of a person, and was
applied to the east form the custom of turning in that direction when describing the points of the
compass, before, behind, the right and the left representing respectively east, west, south and north.
(Job 23:8,9) The term as generally used refers to the lands lying immediately eastward of Palestine,
viz., Arabia, Mesopotamia and Babylonia; on the other hand mizrach is used of the far east with a
less definite signification. (Isaiah 42:2,25; 43:5; 46:11)
Easter
(Acts 12:4) In the earlier English versions Easter has been frequently used as the translation of
pascha (passover). In the Authorized Version Passover was substituted in all passages but this; and
in the new Revision Passover is used here. [Passover]
Ebal
(stone, bare mountain).
•One of the sons of Shobal the son of Seir. (Genesis 36:23; 1 Chronicles 1:40)
•Obal the son of Joktan. (1 Chronicles 1:22) comp. Genesis 10:28
Ebal, Mount
a mount in the promised land, on which the Israelites were to “put” the curse which should fall
upon them if they disobeyed the commandments of Jehovah. The blessing consequent on obedience
was to be similarly localized on Mount Gerizim. (11:26-29) Ebal and Gerizim are the mounts which
form the sides of the fertile valley in which lies Nablus, the ancient Shechem-Ebal on the north and
Gerizim on the south. (They are nearly in the centre of the country of Samaria, about eight hundred
frankie
(Frankie)
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