Wimple
an old English word for hood or veil, used in the Authorized Version of (Isaiah 3:22) The same
Hebrew word is translated “veil” in (Ruth 3:15) but it signifies rather a kind of shawl of mantle.
Window
The window of an Oriental house consists generally of an aperture closed in with lattice-work.
(Judges 5:28; Proverbs 7:6) Authorized Version “casement;” (Ecclesiastes 12:3) Authorized Version
“window;” (Song of Solomon 2:9; Hosea 13:3) Authorized Version “chimney.” Glass has been
introduced into Egypt in modern times as a protection against the cold of winter, but lattice-work
is still the usual, and with the poor the only, contrivance for closing the window. The windows
generally look into the inner court of the house, but in every house one or more look into the street.
In Egypt these outer windows generally project over the doorway. [House]
Winds
That the Hebrews recognized the existence of four prevailing winds as issuing, broadly speaking,
from the four cardinal points, north, south, east and west, may be inferred from their custom of
using the expression “four winds” as equivalent to the “four quarters” of the hemisphere. (Ezekiel
37:9; Daniel 8:8; Zechariah 2:6; Matthew 24:31) The north wind, or, as it was usually called “the
north,” was naturally the coldest of the four, Ecclus. 43:20 and its presence is hence invoked as
favorable to vegetation in (Song of Solomon 4:16) It is described in (Proverbs 25:23) as bringing
rain; in this case we must understand the northwest wind. The northwest wind prevails from the
autumnal equinox to the beginning of November, and the north wind from June to the equinox.
The east wind crosses the sandy wastes of Arabia Deserts before reaching Palestine and was hence
termed “the wind of the wilderness.” (Job 1:19; Jeremiah 13:14) It blows with violence, and is
hence supposed to be used generally for any violent wind. (Job 27:21; 38:24; Psalms 48:7; Isaiah
27:8; Ezekiel 27:26) In Palestine the east wind prevails from February to June. The south wind,
which traverses the Arabian peninsula before reaching Palestine, must necessarily be extremely
hot. (Job 37:17; Luke 12:55) The west and southwest winds reach Palestine loaded with moisture
gathered from the Mediterranean, and are hence expressly termed by the Arabs “the fathers of the
rain.” Westerly winds prevail in Palestine from November to February. In addition to the four
regular winds, we have notice in the Bible of the local squalls, (Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23) to which
the Sea of Gennesareth was liable. In the narrative of St. Paul’s voyage we meet with the Greek
term Lips to describe the southwest wind; the Latin Carus or Caurus, the northwest wind (Acts
27:12) and Euroclydon, a wind of a very violent character coming from east-northeast. (Acts 27:14)
Wine
The manufacture of wine is carried back in the Bible to the age of Noah, (Genesis 9:20,21) to
whom the discovery of the process is apparently, though not explicitly, attributed. The natural
history and culture of the vine are described under a separate head. [Vine] The only other plant
whose fruit is noticed as having been converted into wine was the pomegranate. (Song of Solomon
8:2) In Palestine the vintage takes place in September, and is celebrated with great rejoicing. The
ripe fruit was gathered in baskets, (Jeremiah 6:9) as represented in Egyptian paintings, and was
carried to the wine-press. It was then placed in the upper one of the two vats or receptacles of which
the winepress was formed, and was subjected to the process of “treading,” which has prevailed in
all ages in Oriental and south European countries. (Nehemiah 13:15; Job 24:11; Isaiah 18:10;
Jeremiah 25:30; 48:33; Amos 9:13; Revelation 19:15) A certain amount of juice exuded front the
ripe fruit from its own pressure before treading commenced. This appears to have been kept separate
frankie
(Frankie)
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