Fuller–Galal

The trade of the fullers, so far as it is mentioned in Scripture, appears to have consisted chiefly in cleansing garments and whitening them. The process of fulling or cleansing clothes consisted in treading or stamping on the garments with the feet or with bats in tubs of water, in which some alkaline substance answering the purpose of soap had been dissolved. The substances used for this purpose which are mentioned in Scripture are natron, (Proverbs 25:20; Jeremiah 2:22) and soap. (Malachi 3:2) Other substances also are mentioned as being employed in cleansing, which, together with alkali, seem to identify the Jewish with the Roman process, as urine and chalk. The process of whitening garments was performed by rubbing into them calk or earth of some kind. Creta cimolia (cimolite) was probably the earth most frequently used. The trade of the fullers, as causing offensive smells, and also as requiring space for drying clothes, appears to have been carried on at Jerusalem outside the city.

a spot near Jerusalem, (2 Kings 8:17; Isaiah 7:3; 36:2) so close to the walls that a person speaking from there could be heard on them. (2 Kings 18:17,26) One resort of the fullers of Jerusalem would seem to have been below the city on the southeast side. But Rabshakeh and his “great host” must have come from the north; and the fuller’s field was therefore, to judge from this circumstance, on the table-land on the northern side of the city.

[Burial, Sepulchres]

[Weights And Measures AND Measures]

Various kinds of furnaces are noticed in the Bible, such as a smelting or calcining furnace, (Genesis 19:28; Exodus 9:8,10; 19:18) especially a lime-kiln, (Isaiah 33:12; Amos 2:1) a refining furnace, (Proverbs 17:3) Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, a large furnace built like a brick-kiln, (Daniel 3:22,23) with two openings one at the top for putting in the materials, and another below for removing them; the potter’s furnace, Ecclus. 27:5; The blacksmith’s furnace. Ecclus. 38:28. The Persians were in the habit of using the furnace as a means of inflicting punishment. (Daniel 3:22,23; Jeremiah 29:22)

(contempt), son of Ebed, aided the Shechemites in their rebellion against Abimelech. (Judges 9:1) ... (B.C. 1206.)

(earthquake), a hill of Ephraim, where Joshua was buried. The brooks or valley of Gaash, (2 Samuel 23:30; 1 Chronicles 11:32) were probably at the foot of the hill.

The same name as Geba, which see.

(Esther 12:1) [Bigthan, Or Bigthana]

(tax gatherer), apparently the head of an important family of Benjamin resident at Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 11:8) (B.C. before 536.)

(elevated; a platform) the Hebrew or Chaldee appellation of a place, also called “Pavement,” where the judgment-seat or bema was planted, from his place on which Pilate delivered our Lord to death. (John 19:13) It was a tessellated platform outside the praetorium, on the western hill of Jerusalem, for Pilate brought Jesus forth from thence to it.

(man of God), an angel sent by God to announce to Zacharias the birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary the birth of Christ. He was also sent to Daniel to explain his visions. (Daniel 8:16; 9:21)

(a troop).

The country allotted to the tribe of Gad appears, speaking roughly, to have lain chiefly about the centre of the land east of Jordan. The sought of that district—from the Arnon (Wady Mojeb), about halfway down the Dead Sea, to Heshbon, nearly due east of Jerusalem—was occupied by Reuben, and at or about Heshbon the possessions of Gad commenced. They embraced half Gilead, (3:12) or half the land of the children of Ammon, (Joshua 13:25) probably the mountainous district which is intersected by the torrent Jabbok, including, as its most northern town, the ancient sanctuary of Mahanaim. On the east the furthest landmark given is “Aroer that is before Rabbah,” the present Amman . (Joshua 13:25) West was the Jordan. ver. (Joshua 13:27) The character of the tribe is throughout strongly marked—fierce and warlike.

a strong city situated near the river Hieromax, six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, over against Scythopolis and Tiberias, and 16 Roman miles distant from each of those places. Josephus calls it the capital of Peraea. The ruins of this city, now called Um Keis, are about two miles in circumference. The most interesting remains of Gadara are its tombs, which dot the cliffs for a considerable distance around the city. Godet says there is still a population of 200 souls in these tombs. Gadara was captured by Vespasian on the first outbreak of the war with the Jews, all its inhabitants were massacred, and the town itself, with the surrounding villages, was reduced to ashes.

(These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. The first two are in the Authorized Version. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. But as Gergesa was a small village, and little known, the evangelists, who wrote for more distant readers, spoke of the event as taking place in the country of the Gadarenes, so named from its largest city, Gadara; and this country included the country of the Gergesenes as a state includes a county. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. “It became one of the proudest cities of Syria.” It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given.—ED.)

(fortunate), son of Susi; the Manassite spy sent by Moses to explore Canaan. (Numbers 13:11) (B.C. 1490.)

(fortune of God) a Zebulunite, one of the twelve spies. (Numbers 13:10) (B.C. 1490.)

A Gadite, father of Menahem a king of Israel. (2 Kings 15:14,17)

the descendants of Gad, and members of his tribe.

(sunburnt), son of Nahor Abraham’s brother, by his concubine Reumah. (Genesis 22:24) (B.C. about 1900.)

(hiding-place) The Bene-Gahar were among the families of Nethinim who returned from the captivity with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:47; Nehemiah 7:49) (B.C. before 536.)

or Cai’us (lord)—

the Greek form of the word Gilead.

(influential)