Talmai - abounding in furrows. (1.) One of the Anakim of Hebron, who were slain by the men of Judah under Caleb ( Num. 13:22; Josh. 15:14; Judg. 1:10).

(2.) A king of Geshur, to whom Absalom fled after he had put Amnon to death (2 Sam. 3:3;2 Sam 13:37). His daughter, Maachah, was one of David's wives, and the mother of Absalom (1 Chr. 3:2).

Talmon - oppressed. (1.) A Levite porter (1 Chr. 9:17; Neh. 11:19).

(2.) One whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem ( Ezra 2:42; Neh. 7:45); probably the same as (1).

Tamar - palm. (1.) A place mentioned by Ezekiel Neh 47:19; Neh 48:28), on the southeastern border of Palestine. Some suppose this was "Tadmor" (q.v.).

(2.) The daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she was married ( Gen. 38:6). After her husband's death, she was married to Onan, his brother (8), and on his death, Judah promised to her that his third son, Shelah, would become her husband. This promise was not fulfilled, and hence Tamar's revenge and Judah's great guilt ( Gen 38:12-30).

(3.) A daughter of David (2 Sam. 13:1-32; 1 Chr. 3:9), whom Amnon shamefully outraged and afterwards "hated exceedingly," thereby illustrating the law of human nature noticed even by the heathen, "Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris", i.e., "It is the property of human nature to hate one whom you have injured."

(4.) A daughter of Absalom (2 Sam. 14:27).

Tamarisk - Heb. 'eshel ( Gen. 21:33; 1 Sam. 22:6;1 Sam 31:13, in the R.V.; but in A.V., "grove," "tree"); Arab. asal. Seven species of this tree are found in Palestine. It is a "very graceful tree, with long feathery branches and tufts closely clad with the minutest of leaves, and surmounted in spring with spikes of beautiful pink blosoms, which seem to envelop the whole tree in one gauzy sheet of colour" (Tristram's Nat. Hist.).

Tammuz - a corruption of Dumuzi, the Accadian sun-god (the Adonis of the Greeks), the husband of the goddess Ishtar. In the Chaldean calendar there was a month set apart in honour of this god, the month of June to July, the beginning of the summer solstice. At this festival, which lasted six days, the worshippers, with loud lamentations, bewailed the funeral of the god, they sat "weeping for Tammuz" ( Ezek. 8:14).

The name, also borrowed from Chaldea, of one of the months of the Hebrew calendar.

Tanhumeth - consolation, a Netophathite; one of the captains who supported Gedaliah (2 Kings 25:23; Jer. 40:8).

Tanis - ( Ezek. 30:14, marg.). See ZOAN.

Tappuah - apple-region. (1.) A town in the valley or lowland of Judah; formerly a royal city of the Canaanites ( Josh. 12:17;Josh 15:34). It is now called Tuffuh, about 12 miles west of Jerusalem.

(2.) A town on the border of Ephraim ( Josh. 16:8). The "land" of Tappuah fell to Manasseh, but the "city" to Ephraim ( Josh 17:8).

(3.) En-tappuah, the well of the apple, probably one of the springs near Yassuf ( Josh. 17:7).

Tarah - stopping; station, an encampment of the Hebrews in the wilderness ( Num. 33:27,Num. 33:28).

Tares - the bearded darnel, mentioned only in Matt. 13:25-30. It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine.

Target - (1 Sam. 17:6, A.V., after the LXX. and Vulg.), a kind of small shield. The margin has "gorget," a piece of armour for the throat. The Revised Version more correctly renders the Hebrew word (kidon) by "javelin." The same Hebrew word is used in Josh. 8:18 (A.V., "spear;" R.V., "javelin"); Job 39:23 (A.V., "shield;" R.V., "javelin" Job ; 41:29 (A.V., "spear;" R.V., "javelin").

Tarshish - a Sanscrit or Aryan word, meaning "the sea coast." (1.) One of the "sons" of Javan ( Gen. 10:4; 1 Chr. 1:7).

(2.) The name of a place which first comes into notice in the days of Solomon. The question as to the locality of Tarshish has given rise to not a little discussion. Some think there was a Tarshish in the East, on the Indian coast, seeing that "ships of Tarshish" sailed from Eziongeber, on the Red Sea (1 Kings 9:26;1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chr. 9:21). Some, again, argue that Carthage was the place so named. There can be little doubt, however, that this is the name of a Phoenician port in Spain, between the two mouths of the Guadalquivir (the name given to the river by the Arabs, and meaning "the great wady" or water-course). It was founded by a Carthaginian colony, and was the farthest western harbour of Tyrian sailors. It was to this port Jonah's ship was about to sail from Joppa. It has well been styled "the Peru of Tyrian adventure;" it abounded in gold and silver mines.

It appears that this name also is used without reference to any locality. "Ships of Tarshish" is an expression sometimes denoting simply ships intended for a long voyage ( Isa. 23:1,Isa. 23:14), ships of a large size (sea-going ships), whatever might be the port to which they sailed. Solomon's ships were so styled (1 Kings 10:22;1 Kings 22:49).

Tarsus - the chief city of Cilicia. It was distinguished for its wealth and for its schools of learning, in which it rivalled, nay, excelled even Athens and Alexandria, and hence was spoken of as "no mean city." It was the native place of the Apostle Paul ( Acts 21:39). It stood on the banks of the river Cydnus, about 12 miles north of the Mediterranean. It is said to have been founded by Sardanapalus, king of Assyria. It is now a filthy, ruinous Turkish town, called Tersous. (See PAUL.)

Tartak - prince of darkness, one of the gods of the Arvites, who colonized part of Samaria after the deportation of Israel by Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:31).

Tartan - an Assyrian word, meaning "the commander-in-chief." (1.) One of Sennacherib's messengers to Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:17). (2.) One of Sargon's generals ( Isa. 20:1).

Tatnai - gift, a Persian governor (Heb. pehah, i.e., "satrap;" modern "pasha") "on this side the river", i.e., of the whole tract on the west of the Euphrates. This Hebrew title pehah is given to governors of provinces generally. It is given to Nehemiah ( Isa 5:14) and to Zerubbabel ( Hag. 1:1). It is sometimes translated "captain" (1 Kings 20:24; Dan. 3:2, Dan. 3:3), sometimes also "deputy" ( Esther 8:9;Esther 9:3). With others, Tatnai opposed the rebuilding of the temple ( Ezra 5:6); but at the command of Darius, he assisted the Jews ( Ezra 6:1-13).

Taverns, The three - a place on the great "Appian Way," about 11 miles from Rome, designed for the reception of travellers, as the name indicates. Here Paul, on his way to Rome, was met by a band of Roman Christians ( Acts 28:15). The "Tres Tabernae was the first mansio or mutatio, that is, halting-place for relays, from Rome, or the last on the way to the city. At this point three roads run into the Via Appia, that from Tusculum, that from Alba Longa, and that from Antium; so necessarily here would be a halting-place, which took its name from the three shops there, the general store, the blacksmith's, and the refreshment-house...Tres Tabernae is translated as Three Taverns, but it more correctly means three shops" (Forbes's Footsteps of St. Paul, p.20).

Taxes - first mentioned in the command ( Ex. 30:11-16) that every Jew from twenty years and upward should pay an annual tax of "half a shekel for an offering to the Lord." This enactment was faithfully observed for many generations (2 Chr. 24:6; Matt. 17:24).

Afterwards, when the people had kings to reign over them, they began, as Samuel had warned them (1 Sam. 8:10-18), to pay taxes for civil purposes (1 Kings 4:7;1 Kings 9:15;1 Kings 12:4). Such taxes, in increased amount, were afterwards paid to the foreign princes that ruled over them.

In the New Testament the payment of taxes, imposed by lawful rulers, is enjoined as a duty ( Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13,1 Pet. 2:14). Mention is made of the tax (telos) on merchandise and travellers ( Matt. 17:25); the annual tax (phoros) on property ( Luke 20:22;Luke 23:2); the poll-tax (kensos, "tribute," Matt. 17:25; Matt 22:17; Mark 12:14); and the temple-tax ("tribute money" = two drachmas = half shekel, Matt. 17:24-27; comp. Ex. 30:13). (See TRIBUTE.)

Taxing - ( Luke 2:2; R.V., "enrolment"), "when Cyrenius was governor of Syria," is simply a census of the people, or an enrolment of them with a view to their taxation. The decree for the enrolment was the occasion of Joseph and Mary's going up to Bethlehem. It has been argued by some that Cyrenius (q.v.) was governor of Cilicia and Syria both at the time of our Lord's birth and some years afterwards. This decree for the taxing referred to the whole Roman world, and not to Judea alone. (See CENSUS.)

Tebeth - ( Esther 2:16), a word probably of Persian origin, denoting the cold time of the year; used by the later Jews as denoting the tenth month of the year. Assyrian tebituv, "rain."

Teil tree - (an old name for the lime-tree, the tilia), Isa. 6:13, the terebinth, or turpentine-tree, the Pistacia terebinthus of botanists. The Hebrew word here used (elah) is rendered oak (q.v.) in Gen. 35:4; Judg. 6:11, Judg. 6:19; Isa. 1:29, etc. In Isa. 61:3 it is rendered in the plural "trees;" Hos. 4:13, "elm" (R.V., "terebinth"). Hos. 4:13, "elm" (R.V., "terebinth"). In 1 Sam. 17:2,1 Sam. 17:19it is taken as a proper name, "Elah" (R.V. marg., "terebinth").

"The terebinth of Mamre, or its lineal successor, remained from the days of Abraham till the fourth century of the Christian era, and on its site Constantine erected a Christian church, the ruins of which still remain."

This tree "is seldom seen in clumps or groves, never in forests, but stands isolated and weird-like in some bare ravine or on a hill-side where nothing else towers above the low brushwood" (Tristram).

Tekel - weighed ( Dan. 5:27).

Tekoa, Tekoah - pitching of tents; fastening down, a town of Judah, about 12 miles south of Jerusalem, and visible from the city. From this place Joab procured a "wise woman," who pretended to be in great affliction, and skilfully made her case known to David. Her address to the king was in the form of an apologue, similar to that of Nathan (2 Sam. 12:1-6). The object of Joab was, by the intervention of this woman, to induce David to bring back Absalom to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 14:2,2 Sam. 14:4,2 Sam. 14:9).

This was also the birth-place of the prophet Amos 2 Sam 1:1).

It is now the village of Teku'a, on the top of a hill among ruins, 5 miles south of Bethlehem, and close to Beth-haccerem ("Herod's mountain").