Difference between revisions of "Threshing-Floor"

<p> <b> [[Threshing-Floor]] </b> —See [[Agriculture]] in vol. i. p. 40a. </p>

<p> ''''' thresh´ing ''''' - ''''' flōr ''''' ( גּרן , <i> ''''' gōren ''''' </i> ; ἅλων , <i> ''''' hálōn ''''' </i> ; אדּר , <i> ''''' 'iddar ''''' </i> , occurs in &nbsp; Daniel 2:35 ): The location and method of making threshing-floors have already been described under Agriculture . These floors have come into prominence because of the Biblical events which occurred on or near them. [[Joseph]] with his kinsmen and [[Egyptian]] followers halted for seven days at the threshing-floor of [[Atad]] to lament the death of Jacob (&nbsp;Genesis 50:10 ). Probably there was a group of floors furnishing a convenient spot for a caravan to stop. Travelers today welcome the sight of a threshing-floor at their halting-place. The hard, level spot is a much preferable to the surrounding stony fields for their tents. </p> <p> David built an altar on Ornan's (Araunah's) threshing-floor (&nbsp;2 Samuel 24:18-24; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 21:18-27 ), which later became the site of the [[Temple]] (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 3:1 ). David probably chose this place for his altar because it was on an elevation, and the ground was already level and prepared by rolling. [[Uzzah]] died near the threshing-floor of [[Nacon]] for touching the ark (&nbsp;2 Samuel 6:6 ). Ruth reveals herself to [[Boaz]] on his threshing-floor (Rth 3:6-9). </p> <p> Threshing-floors are in danger of being robbed (&nbsp;1 Samuel 23:1 ). For this reason, someone always sleeps on the floor until the grain is removed (Rth 3:7). In Syria, at the threshing season, it is customary for the family to move out to the vicinity of the threshing-floor. A booth is constructed for shade; the mother prepares the meals and takes her turn with the father and children at riding on the sledge. </p> <p> The instruments of the threshing-floor referred to in &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:22 were probably: (1) the wooden drag or sledge, <i> ''''' ḥārūc ''''' </i> or <i> ''''' mōragh ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' lauḥ ''''' </i> <i> ''''' eddiras ''''' </i> ; (2) the fan (fork), <i> ''''' mizrēh ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' midrā ''''' </i> , for separating straw from wheat; (3) shovel, <i> ''''' meghrāphāh ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' mı̄rfashat ''''' </i> , for tossing the wheat into the air in winnowing; (4) broom, <i> ''''' maṭ'ăṭē' ''''' </i> , for sweeping the floor between threshing and for collecting the wheat after winnowing; (5) goad, <i> ''''' malmēdh ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' messās ''''' </i> ; (6) the yoke, <i> ''''' ‛ōl ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' ṭauk ''''' </i> ; (7) sieve, <i> ''''' kebhārāh ''''' </i> , Arabic <i> ''''' gharbal ''''' </i> ; (8) dung catcher, Arabic <i> ''''' milḳat ''''' </i> . </p>