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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMcClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Dwelling
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( àֹäֶì , æְáåּì , îָâåּø , îåֹùָׁá , îָëåֹï , îָòåֹæ , îַùְׁëָּï , etc.; êáôïßêçóéò , etc.). The dwelling houses of Palestine (see generally Harmer, 1:152 sq.; Faber, Archaeol. 1:365; on Egyptian architecture, Rosellini, Monum. 104:2:378 sq.) were usually (Harmer, 1:165) built of burnt or merely dried bricks, ìְáֵðַéí . (Niebuhr, Trav. 2:287; Pococke, East, 2:173; Tavernier, Trav. 1:167, 287; Robinson, Res. 2:631-637; 3:514, 580), and therefore very perishable (Mat_7:25; comp. Eze_12:5; Eze_12:7; Eze_13:13 sq.; Tavernier, 1:287; Wellsted, 1:280); but frequently of stone (Lev_14:40; Lev_14:42; comp. Robinson's Res. 3:316, 420, 496, 720), and palaces of squared stone (1Ki_7:9; Isa_9:9; Josephus, Ant. 8:5, 2; compare Robinson, 1:354), or even of marble ( ùִׁéַùׁ , ùֵׁùׁ , comp. 1Ch_29:2; Josephus, Ant. 15:11, 3; War, 5:4, 4; of different building stone, see the Mishna, Baba-bathra, 1:1; the laying the foundation was an occasion of ceremony and festival, Zechaniah 4:7; compare Ezr_3:10; Job_38:7); These were held together by a cement (mortar, îֶìֶè , Jer_43:9; see Rosenmuller in loc.) of lime ( âַּø , Isa_27:9) or plaster of Paris (gypsum, ùַׁéã , Isa_33:12; comp. Deu_27:4; Theoph. Lapid. 68 sq.), perhaps also bitumen (asphaltum, çֵîָø , compare Gen_11:3; Faber, 1:393 sq.). The exterior (and probably also the interior over the plaster) was usually whitewashed ( úָּôֵì , êïíßá , Lev_14:41 sq.; Eze_13:10 sq. ; Dan_5:5 ; Mat_23:27; Sir_22:17), bright wall-colors being used for royal residences (Jer_22:14). The beams (2Ch_34:11; on ëָּôַéñ , Hab_2:11, see Gesen. Thesaur. page 705, and Delitzsch in loc.) were of sycamore (Isa_9:9), sometimes of olive-wood, sandal, or cedar (1Ki_7:2 sq.; Isa_9:9; Jer_22:14). Elegant mansions were adorned externally with columns (of marble, Son_5:15; 1Ki_7:15 sq.; 2Ki_25:13; Faber, Archeol. 1:414 sq.), and often whole porticoes ( àåּìָí , óôïÜ , l Kings 7:6; comp. Josephus, War, 4:4). SEE TEMPLE.
The houses of the gentry (Niebuhr, Trav. 2:293; Shaw, Trav. page 182 sq.) were of several stories (1Ki_7:2 sq.; comp. Act_20:9; but see Korte, Suppl. page 177), generally built in a quadrangle (comp. Kampfer, Amoen. p. 194; Burckhardt, Trav. 1:120), and enclosing (Luk_5:19) a spacious court-yamd ( çָöֵø . 2Sa_17:18; Neh_8:16; comp. Est_1:5; Est_5:1; the impluvium or áὐëή , Mat_26:69; see Harmer, 1:177), which, surrounded by colonnades and galleries (Shaw, p. 353), paved (Harmer, 1:175), and containing fountains (2Sa_7:18; comp. Joseph. Ant. 12:4, 11; Harmer, 1:175), baths (2Sa_11:2), and trees (Harmer, 1:175), formed the guest-chamber or drawing-room for the reception of visitors (Shaw, Trav. page 183; Fabet, 1:401; Harmer, 1:174; comp Est_1:5 sq.), being often screened from the sun's rays by an awning (Rosenmiller, Morg. 3:297). The flat roof, covered on the top with tiles, earth, or stone, and surrounded by a low parapet, was used sometimes for household or religious purposes, at others as a place of meeting or recreation. SEE ROOF.
In connection with it (2Ki_23:12) was an upper room ( òֲìַéָּä , ὑðåñ ù ïí ), which was used (comp. Niebuhr, Trav. 1:380, 400; Shaw, page 188 sq.) as a private chamber (2Sa_18:33; Dan_6:11; Jdt_8:5); also as a spare bedroom (2Ki_23:12; Tob_3:12; Act_1:13; Act_20:8), a sleeping apartment especially for guests (2Ki_4:10), and as a sick-chamber (1Ki_17:19; Joseph. Ant. 18:8, 2), or room for laying out a corpse (Act_9:37; Act_9:39), but in summer resorted to for fresh air (Jdg_3:20); and was often furnished with two modes of exit, one leading within the house, the other by a staircase directly to the street. Larger residences had an additional front court ( çָöֵø , ðñïáýëéïí , ðñüèõñïí , ðõëώí , áὐëή ; Jer_32:2; Mar_14:33; Luk_16:20; Joh_18:16; Act_10:17, etc.), which served as an anteroom (so the Rabbins understand îַñְãְּøåֹï , Jdg_3:23; see Faber, page 440), and from which, by means of stairs ( îְñַìָּä , 2Ch_9:11; a winding staircase, ìåּì , 1Ki_6:8), often finished with costly wood (2Ch_9:11), persons passed to the roof or upper story. A door led from the fore-court to the inner court, and from the latter was the entrance to the rooms on the ground floor of the house proper. These last were variously decorated with wainscoting (1Ki_7:7; Jer_22:14; Hag_1:4), ivory (1Ki_22:39; Amo_3:15; compare Psa_45:9; Homer, Odyss. 4:72 sq.; Horace, Od. 2:18, 1 sq.; Pliny, 36:5; Harmer, 1:168 sq.; 2:171 sq.; Faber, page 399 sq.; also with precious metals inlaid or plated, Tibull. 3:3, 16; Horace, Od. 2:18, 1 sq.; Cicero, Parad. 6:3; comp. 1Co_3:12), and carving (Josephus, Ant. 8:5, 2; comp. Tavern. 1:168) since the splendor of Oriental houses was lavished rather upon the interior than the exterior (Pococke, East, 1:49); the floor was laid sometimes with a coating of gypsum, at others with tesselated blocks of variegated marble (Tibull. 3:3, 16; Cicero, Parad. 6:3) or other kinds of stone (Harmer, 1:172 sq.; compare Est_1:6). The doors (Deu_6:9), seldom high in private houses (Pro_17:19), sometimes of stone (Burckhardt, 1:122), swung (comp. Shaw, Trav. page 185) on morticed pivots ( öַéø , Pro_26:14; in sockets, ôֹúåֹú , 1Ki_7:50; comp. cardo foenuria, Vitruv. 9:6), and were commonly fastened with wooden bolts ( îַðְòָì , îִðְòåּì ), which were opened (Jdg_3:25; Isa_22:22; comp. Harmer, 1:188) by means of a key ( îִôְúֵּçִ ), but only from the inside (Son_5:5; Luk_12:7; comp. Faber, page 427).
In the better class of houses there was a door- keeper (Joseph. Ant. 17:5, 2) or female porter (Joh_18:16 sq.; Act_12:13; comp. Plant. Curcul. 1:1, 76; Sept. 2Sa_4:6), who, in case any one knocked outside (Luk_12:36; Luk_13:25; Act_12:13; compare Mat_7:7; Rev_3:20; Thilo, Apocryph. page 218; see Becker, Charicles, 1:230), and gave their name (Act_12:14; Rev_3:20; comp. Plutarch, Genesis Soc. page 31; Lucian, bis. Accuso page 29; Apul. Asin. 1, page 19 Bip.), opened the door to them (Act_12:13; comp. Athen. 14:614). (See Stuck, Antiq. conviv. page 249; Sagittar. De januis vett. Jen. 1694, chapter 16; also Elsner, Observ. 1:411 sq., in Graevii Thesaur. 6) Princes, however, had guards at the palace gates (1Ki_14:27). The windows ( çִìּåֹï ), on account of the street dust, generally face the court-yard (Schubert, 3:291), although anciently this rule does not appear to have so extensively prevailed (Jdg_5:28; Pro_7:6); they were closed by a lattice (Jdg_5:28). The most interior, or back rooms of all, were devoted to the special occupancy of the female members of the household, as is still universally the case in the East, under the name "harem," and no male dares intrude within their precincts (Chardin, 6:6 sq.; Hartmann, Hebr. 2:399 sq.; Hoffmann in the Hall. Encyclop. 2:1, page 396 sq.). The more distinguished Hebrews early had separate summer and winter residences ( áֵּéú äִ÷ִּéַå ֹ and äçֹøֶ áּéú , Amo_3:15; Jer_36:22; comp. Jdg_3:20; see Harmer, 1:200; Prosp. Alp. Med. Egypt. 1:6; Niebuhr, Trav. 2:394). The latter were warmed (of which they had the more need, as glass windows are unknown in the East) by means of a fire-pot ( àָç , Jer_36:32), which is merely a vessel of burnt clay (Niebuhr, Beschr. page 56) placed in a round hole in the middle of the room, over which, when the fire is burnt down, the inmates place a four-cornered frame, and next a carpet over this, and then gather around to enjoy the warmth (Tavernier, 1:276; Niebuhr, Trav. 1:154; 2:394). The furniture of the rooms (2Ki_4:10) consisted of a sofa or couch ( îַèָּä , compare Eze_23:41; òֶøֶùׁ , Amo_6:4; compare Josephus, Ant. 15:9, 3), which luxury was often adorned gorgeously (Amo_6:4; Song of Solomon 7:16), and furnished with pillows (Eze_13:10); and besides this, only chairs ( ëַּñֵּà ) a table ( ùֻׁìְçָï ), and lanterns or lamp-stands (2Ki_4:10). See all the above parts and articles in their alphabetical order. Compare House.
The house leprosy described in Lev_14:33-57 was a corrosion of the saltpetre found in the lime used as mortar and the limestone used for building (see Michaelis, Mos. Reckt, 4:264 sq.; Mishna, Negaim, 12), and is still common in walls in Egypt (Volney, Trav. 1:55). SEE LEPROSY.