and the prophets, the basis of the Christian doctrine of the atonement: yet comp. (Genesis 15:2) In
connection with the Old Testament Scriptures, the book, as a whole, may be regarded as carrying
on one step farther the great problem of life contained in Ecclesiastes and Job. Date.—From internal
evidence it seems most reasonable to believe that the work was composed in Greek at Alexandria
some time before the time of Philo-about 120-80 B.C. It seems impossible to study this book
dispassionately and not feel that it forms one of the last links in the chain of providential connection
between the Old and New Covenants. It would not be easy to find elsewhere any pre-Christian
view of religion equally wide, sustained and definite.
Wise Men
[Magi]
Witch, Witchcrafts
[Divination; Magic, Magicians]
Witness
Among people with whom writing is not common the evidence of a transaction is given by
some tangible memorial or significant ceremony: Abraham gave seven ewe-lambs to Abimelech
as an evidence of his property in the well of Beersheba. Jacob raised a heap of stones, “the heap of
witness.” as a boundary-mark between himself and Laban. (Genesis 21:30; 31:47,52) The tribes
of Reuben and Gad raised an “altar” as a witness to the covenant between themselves and the rest
of the nation. Joshua set up a stone as an evidence of the allegiance promised by Israel to God.
(Joshua 22:10,26,34; 24:26,27) But written evidence was by no means unknown to the Jews. Divorce
was to be proved by a written document. (24:1,3) In civil contracts, at least in later times documentary
evidence was required and carefully preserved. (Isaiah 8:16; Jeremiah 32:10-16) On the whole the
law was very careful to provide and enforce evidence for all its infractions and all transactions
bearing on them. Among special provisions with respect to evidence are the following:
•Two witnesses at least are required to establish any charge. (Numbers 35:30; 17:6; John 8:17; 2
Corinthians 13:1) comp. 1Tim 5:19
•In the case of the suspected wife, evidence besides the husband’s was desired. (Numbers 5:13)
•The witness who withheld the truth was censured. (Leviticus 5:1)
•False witness was punished with the penalty due to the offence which it sought to establish.
•Slanderous reports and officious witness are discouraged. (Exodus 20:16; 23:1; Leviticus 18:16,18)
etc.
•The witnesses were the first executioners. (15:9; 17:7; Acts 7:58)
•In case of an animal left in charge and torn by wild beasts, the keeper was to bring the carcass in
proof of the fact and disproof of his own criminality. (Exodus 22:13)
•According to Josephus, women and slaves were not admitted to bear testimony. In the New
Testament the original notion of a witness is exhibited in the special form of one who attests his
belief in the gospel by personal suffering. Hence it is that the use of the ecclesiastical term
(“martyr.” the Greek word for “witness,” has arisen.
Wizard
[Divination; Magic, Magicians]
Wolf
There can be little doubt that the wolf of Palestine is the common Canis lupus, and that this is
the animal so frequently mentioned in the Bible. (The wolf is a fierce animal of the same species
as the dog, which it resembles. The common color is gray with a tinting of fawn, and the hair is
frankie
(Frankie)
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