Wall
Wall
The explorations of recent years have yielded a rich store of materials for reconstructing the fashion of the walls of cities in ancient times. It can now be said with a great measure of definiteness to what period the remains of walls belong. This is of much importance as a test of the reliability of tradition. An instance falling within the Apostolic Age is found in the wall of Damascus, referred to in Act 9:25 (cf. 2Co 11:33). Examination of the wall as it now stands reveals three kinds of masonry-Turkish, Arabic, and Roman, the last in the lowest courses. The window shown as that by which St. Paul was let down is above the Turkish wall (cf. art. Basket), so that the tradition has little value.
The walls of Jericho are mentioned in Heb 11:30 (cf. Joshua 6). The allusion is to the narrative of the OT, and gives no insight into the local conditions during apostolic times. The recent excavations of Sellin, following previous surveys of other explorers, enable us to trace the history of Jericho, both in OT times and in the time of Christ. The walls, outer and inner, of the Canaanite Jericho have now been laid bare for a considerable part of their circuit, and much insight has been gained into the life of the ancient city. The first conclusions drawn after excavation have been somewhat modified (see PEFSt xlii. [1910] 54 ff., 234; cf. ExpT xxi. [1909-10] 353ff.). The remains of the Roman or Herodian Jericho are a mile or two south of the ancient city.
The remaining examples of , a city wall, are grouped in Revelation 21, where there are six occurrences of the word (Rev 21:12; Rev 21:14-15; Rev 21:17-19). Although fully 200 ft. in height (or in breadth), the wall is insignificant compared with the height of the city itself (12,000 furlongs). The foundations are represented as monoliths of precious stone, filling the interval between adjoining gateways. See, further, art. Gate.
Walls of houses () are referred to only metaphorically. The whited wall of Act 23:3 is usually explained in the light of Mat 23:27, where there is a reference to the practice of whitewashing the cippus (cf. Deu 27:2; Deu 27:4), or memorial stone, which marked the presence of graves (or rather, ossuaria). The practice extended to the stone door leading into underground tombs (see EBi , art. Tomb), and to monuments on a large scale, if they chanced to contain graves. Apart from the reference to the dead, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the practice of treating the walls of houses with a coating of whitewash in order to freshen the exterior would suggest such a figure of speech. It would be most pointed in the case of Ananias, the high priest, if he sat to judge in a white robe, which clothed a character that was not white (see W. M. Furneaux, The Acts of the Apostles, Oxford, 1912, p. 360).
The middle wall of partition, (. in the NT) of Eph 2:14, is a metaphor having its origin in the practice of building dividing walls, which were found between the rooms of ordinary houses, or between adjoining properties. While the figure of speech may well stand apart from the chel, or barrier, which marked off the Temple precincts in the narrower sense, and gave the limit not to be passed by any Gentile, we can imagine that this fence would be the in especial to the Jewish mind. Some commentators think it did suggest the figure (Westcott); others think any kind of fence would serve the purpose (Meyer). Alford thinks the primary allusion is to the rending of the veil at the Crucifixion.
W. Cruickshank.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
Wall
(prop., as a defense, or , as a barrier; sometimes , perhaps from its rocky character; also various forms from the root , to enclose; occasionally , from its strength; , from its exterior position; , from being dug, etc.; Gr. ). The walls of ancient cities and of houses were generally built of earth, or of bricks of clay mixed with reeds or straw and hardened in the sun.. When any breach took place in such a mass of earth, either by heavy rains or by some defect in the foundation, the consequences were serious (Gen 49:6; Psa 62:3; Isa 30:13). It is not surprising that walls which were often made in such a rude and perishable manner could be easily destroyed by fire (Amo 1:7; Amo 1:10; Amo 1:14). The extensive mounds on the plains of Mesopotamia and Assyria, marking the sites of ancient cities, show that the walls were principally constructed of earth or clay. The thickness of the wall surrounding the palace of Khorsabad is fixed by Botta at 48 feet 9 inches; a very close approximation to the width of the wall of Nineveh, upon Which three chariots could be driven abreast. The wall of Babylon was 87 feet broad, and six chariots could be driven together upon it. Not infrequently stone walls, with towers and a fosse, surrounded fortified cities (Isa 2:15; Isa 9:10; Isa 26:1; Neh 4:3; Zep 1:16). SEE FORTIFICATION.
Houses abutting on the city wall frequently had windows which communicated with the exterior (Jos 2:15; 1Sa 19:12; Act 9:24-25; 2Co 11:33; see Hackett, Illust. of Script. p. 67 sq.). SEE WINDOW.
In Scripture language a wall is the symbol of resistance or separation. SEE FENCE. The Lord tells the prophet Jeremiah, (Jer 1:18; Jer 15:20) that he will make him as a wall of brass, to withstand the house of Israel. Paul says (Eph 2:14) that Christ, by his death, broke down the partition-wall that separated us from God, or rather the wall that separated Jew and Gentile; so that these two people, when converted, may make but one. SEE PARTITION.
Only a few other points need here be noticed in addition to what has been said elsewhere on wall construction, whether in brick, stone, or wood. SEE BRICK; SEE HANDICRAFT; SEE MORTAR.
1. The practice was common, in Palestine, of carrying foundations down to the solid rock (Luk 6:48), as in 10:28 the case of the Temple, and in the present day with structures intended to be permanent (Josephus, Ant. 15:11, 3; Robinson, 2, 338; Col. Ch. Chronicles [1857], p. 459), The pains taken by the ancient builders to make good the foundations of their work may still be seen, both in the existing substructions and in the number of old stones used in more modern constructions. Some of these stones- ancient, but of uncertain date-are from 20 feet to 30 feet 10 inches long, 3 feet to 6 feet 6 inches broad, and 5 feet to 7 feet 6 inches deep (Robinson, 1, 233, 282, 286; 3, 228). As is the case in numberless instances of Syrian buildings, either old or built of old materials, the edges and sometimes the faces of these stones are beveled in flat grooves. This is commonly supposed to indicate work at least as old as the Roman period (ibid. 1, 261, 286; 2, 75, 76, 278, 353; 3, 52, 58, 84, 229, 461, 493, 511; Fergusson, Handb. of Archaeol. p. 288). On the contrary side, see Col. Ch. Chron. (1858), p.350.
But the great size of these stones is far exceeded by some of those at Baalbek, three of which are each about 63 feet long; and one, still lying in the quarry, measures 68 feet 4 inches in length; 17 feet 2 inches broad, and 14 feet 7 inches thick. Its weight call scarcely be less than 600 tons (Robinson, 3, 505, 512; Volney, Trav. 2, 241). See STONE.
2. A feature of some parts of Solomon’s buildings, as described by Josephlus, corresponds remarkably to the method adopted at Nineveh of encrusting or veneering a wall of brick or stone with slabs of a more costly material, as marble or ababaster (Josephus, Ant. 8:5, 2; Fergusson, Handb. of Archaeol. p. 202, 203).
3. Another use of the walls in Palestine is to support mountain roads, or terraces formed on the sides of hills for purposes of cultivation (Robinson, 2, 493; 3, 14, 45). Hence the path of the vineyards (Num 22:24) is illustrated by Robinson as a pathway through vineyards, with walls on each side (bibl. Res. 2, 80; Stanley, Siam. and Pal. p. 102, 420; Lindsay, Trav. p. 239; Maundrell, Early Trav. p. 437). SEE VINE.
Wall Arcading, a series of niches added as an ornameit in, the interior walls of aisles. At Leuchars, Scotlalnd, andn at All-Saints, Stamford, it adorns the exterior of the Church. At Battle, Merton, Rochester, and Brecon there is a very lofty series of arcading.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Wall
Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See FENCE)
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Wall
This word is used in Scripture, not unfrequently figuratively. Sometimes the Lord speaks of himself as “a wall of fire round about his people.” (Zec 2:5) And as a fence of safety in his salvation, which are Israel’s walls and bulwarks. (Isa 26:1) And the church describes Jesus as standing behind our wall and looking forth at the windows, when representing the wall of our mortal flesh, obscuring the otherwise glorious views the soul would have of his beauty, and which the soul will have when the spirit shall be disembodied. (Son 2:9)
Fuente: The Poor Mans Concordance and Dictionary to the Sacred Scriptures
Wall
wol. See ARCHITECTURE; CITY; FORTIFICATION; HOUSE; JERUSALEM; VILLAGE.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
WALL
Wall is the strength of a city; and by consequence signifies the stability and safety of those that are therein. So in Isa 26:1, “Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.” So in Zec 2:5, “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and be the glory in the midst of her;” that is, I will defend her from all enemies without, and rule her within with my glory and majesty.
A high wall. According to the notions and way of the ancients, before the use of cannon, the height of the walls was thought to contribute to the strength of the town; and therefore a high wall denotes still a greater stability and safety of the inhabitants.
A wall of brass is used by Horace as a symbol of the greatest strength and defence.f1
F1 Hor. Epist. i. L. i. ver. 60.
Fuente: A Symbolical Dictionary
Wall
“a wall,” especially one around a town, is used (a) literally, Act 9:25; 2Co 11:33; Heb 11:30; (b) figuratively, of the “wall” of the heavenly city, Rev 21:12, Rev 21:14-15, Rev 21:17-19.
“a wall,” especially of a house, is used figuratively in Act 23:3, “(thou whited) wall.”
“a partition wall” (mesos, “middle,” and No. 2), occurs in Eph 2:14, figuratively of the separation of Gentile from Jew in their unregenerate state, a partition demolished by the Cross for both on acceptance of the Gospel. Cp. PARTITION.