affluent of the Tigris, flowing into it a little below Kurnah. Recent surveys show that the Choarspes
once divided into two streams about 20 miles above Susa. The eastern was the Ulai. This bifurcation
explains (Daniel 8:16)
Ulam
(porch).
•A descendant of Gilead, the grandson of Manasseh and father of Bedan. (1 Chronicles 7:17) (B.C.
1450.)
•The first-born of Eshek, a descendant of the house of Saul. (1 Chronicles 8:39,40) (B.C. 588.)
Ulla
(yoke), an Asherite, head of a family in his tribe. (1 Chronicles 7:30) (B.C. about 1014.)
Ummah
(union), one of the cities of the allotment of Asher. (Joshua 10:30) only. Probably ’Alma, in
the highlands of the coast, about five miles east-northeast of Ras en-Nakhura.
Unclean Meats
These were things strangled, or dead of themselves or through beasts or birds of prey; whatever
beast did not both part the hoof and chew the cud; and certain other smaller animals rated as
“creeping things;” certain classes of birds mentioned in Levi 11 and Deuteronomy 14 twenty or
twenty-one in all; whatever in the waters had not both fins and scales whatever winged insect had
not besides four legs the two hindlegs for leaping; Besides things offered in sacrifice to idols; and
ail blood or whatever contained it (save perhaps the blood of fish, as would appear from that only
of beast and bird being forbidden,) (Leviticus 7:26) and therefore flesh cut from the live animal;
as also all fat, at any rate that disposed in masses among the intestines, and probably wherever
discernible end separable among the flesh. (Leviticus 3:14-17; 7:23) The eating of blood was
prohibited even to “the stranger that sojourneth among you.” (Leviticus 17:10; 12:14) As regards
blood, the prohibition indeed dates from the declaration to Noah against “flesh with the life thereof,
which is the blood thereof” in (Genesis 9:4) which was perhaps by Moses as still binding upon all
Noah’s descendants. It is noteworthy that the practical effect of the rule laid down is to exclude all
the carnivora among quadrupeds, and, so far as we can interpret the nomenclature the raptores
among birds. They were probably excluded as being not averse to human carcasses, and in most
eastern countries acting as the servitors of the battle-field and the gibbet. Among fish those which
were allowed contain unquestionably the most wholesome varieties, save that they exclude the
oyster. Practically the law left among the allowed Meats an ample variety. As Orientals have minds
sensitive to teaching by types, there can be little doubt that such cere menial distinctions not only
tended to keep Jew and Gentile apart (and so prevented the Jews from becoming contaminated with
the idolatry of the Gentiles), but were a perpetual reminder to the former that he and the latter were
not on one level before God. Hence, when that ceremony was changed we find that this was the
very symbol selected to instruct St. Peter in the truth that God was not a “respecter of persons.” It
remains to mention the sanitary aspect of the case. Swine are said to peculiarly liable to disease in
their own bodies. This probably means that they are more easily led than other creatures to the foul
feeding which produces it. As regards the animals allowed for food, comparing them with those
forbidden, there can be no doubt on which side the balance of wholesomeness lies.
Uncleanness
The distinctive idea attached to ceremonial uncleanness among the Hebrews was that it cut a
person off for the time from social privileges, and left his citizenship among God’s people for the
frankie
(Frankie)
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