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Bible Encyclopedias
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Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
the rendering in the Auth. Vers. of the following words:
1. SAL, סִל (Sept. usually κόφινος or σπυρίς , as in the N.T.), the most general term, so called from the twigs of which it was originally made; specially used, as the Greek κανοῦν (Hom. Od. 3, 442) and the Latin canistrum (Virg. En. 1:701), for holding bread (Genesis 40:16 sq.; Exodus 29:3; Exodus 29:23; Leviticus 8:2; Leviticus 8:26; Leviticus 8:31; Numbers 6:15; Numbers 6:17; Numbers 6:19). The form of the Egyptian breadbasket is delineated in Wilkinson's Anc. Egypt. 3, 226, after the specimens represented in the tomb of Rameses III. These were made of gold (comp. Hom. Od. 10:355), and we must assume that the term sal passed from its strict etymological meaning to any vessel applied to the purpose. In Judges 6:19, meat is served up in a sal, which could hardly have been of wicker-work. The expression "white baskets," הֹרַי סלֵּי (Genesis 40:16), is sometimes referred to the material of which the baskets were made (Symmachus, κανᾶ βαϊνά ), or the white color of the peeled sticks, or lastly to their being "full of holes" (A. V. margin), i.e. open-work baskets. The name Sallai (Nehemiah 11:8; Nehemiah 12:20) seems to indicate that the manufacture of baskets was a recognised trade among the Hebrews.
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