Bridge

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The only hint of bridges in Scripture is the proper name Geshur, in Bashan, N.E. of the sea of Galilee. The Israelites forded their rivers, but had no bridges to cross over them. A bridge of planks on stone piers was constructed by Nitocris, 600 B.C., to connect the parts of Babylon together ( Jeremiah 51:31-32; Jeremiah 50:38). The arch was known in Egypt 15 centuries B.C., yet the Romans were the first to construct arched bridges. Remains of their bridges over the Jordan and the Syrian rivers, notably at Beyrut, still exist. The most remarkable one is Jacob's Bridge over the upper Jordan near lake Hooleh.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BRIDGE . Only 2Ma 12:13 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , where RV [Note: Revised Version.] reads the proper name Gephyrun . For the extreme antiquity of the arch see Arch.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

brij ( γέφυρα , géphura , 2 Macc 12:13 the King James Version; the Revised Version (British and American) Gephyrun ): Does not occur in the canonical Scriptures, unless it be indirectly in the proper name Geshur ( גּשׁוּר , geshūr , 2 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 13:37; 2 Samuel 15:8; 1 Chronicles 2:23 , and others). The so-called Jacob's bridge is said to mark the site where Jacob crossed the upper Jordan on his return from Paddan-aram, but, of course, does not date from the time of the patriarch. There are traces of ancient bridges across the Jordan in the vicinity of the Lake of Gennesaret, over the Arnon and over other rivers which enter the Jordan from the east; but none of them seem to date farther back than the Roman period. Nahum 2:6 , in which the Chaldaic paraphrase renders "bridges," evidently refers to dikes or weirs. Judas Maccabeus is said to have planted a bridge in order to besiege the town of Casphor (2 Macc 12:13). Josephus ( Ant. , V, i, 3) tells us that the Jordan, before the passage of the Israelites, had never been bridged, evidently implying that in his own time bridges had been constructed over it, which was the case, under the Romans. The bridge connecting the temple with the upper part of the city of which Josephus speaks ( War , VI, vi, 2; Ant , XV, xi, 5) probably was a viaduct.