Difference between revisions of "Drink-Offering"

<p> (נֶסֶךְ, ne'sek, or נָסַיךְ, nasik'; σπονδή, compare σπένδεσθαι, &nbsp;Philippians 2:17). One form of this consisted, according to the ritual law, of wine (&nbsp;Numbers 15:5; &nbsp;Hosea 9:4; &nbsp;Sirach 1:15 [17]; compare Curt. 7:8, 18; Pliny, 14:14; Iliad, 1:463; 10:579; Odys. 12:362; on the best sorts of wine for this purpose, see the Mishna, Menach. 8:6 sq.), which, according to [[Josephus]] (Ant. 3:9, 4), was poured around the altar (rept (περὶ τὸν βωμόν; i.e., the burnt altar, &nbsp;Exodus 30:9), and not, as the Jews understand it (Mishna, Succah, 4:9), in a channel or tube of it. Drink- offerings were commonly joined with meatofferings (&nbsp;Numbers 6:15; &nbsp;Numbers 6:17; &nbsp;2 Kings 16:13; &nbsp;Joel 1:9; &nbsp;Joel 1:13; &nbsp;Joel 2:14), an addition to the burnt and thank offerings (not the sin and trespass offering), which consisted of quadrupeds (&nbsp;Numbers 6:17; &nbsp;Numbers 15:5; &nbsp;Numbers 15:10; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 29:21; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 29:35), and were, like these, presented, sometimes by private persons and sometimes in the name of the people, daily (&nbsp;Exodus 29:40; &nbsp;Numbers 28:7), on the [[Sabbath]] (&nbsp;Numbers 28:9), and on feast-days (&nbsp;Numbers 28:14; &nbsp;Numbers 29:6; &nbsp;Numbers 29:16; &nbsp;Numbers 29:24), in such proportion that one lamb was reckoned to require one fourth of a bin of wine, one ram a third of a hin, and one bullock a half hin (&nbsp;Numbers 15:5 sq.; &nbsp;Numbers 28:7; &nbsp;Numbers 28:14). In the (second) [[Temple]] liquors were kept ready for drink-offerings (Joseph; War, 10:13, 6), and were dispensed (Mishna, Shekal. 5:1, 3 and 4) by the praefect of libations (עִל הִנְּסָכַים ). The [[Israelites]] frequently devoted drink-offerings also to foreign deities (&nbsp;Isaiah 57:6; &nbsp;Isaiah 65:11; &nbsp;Jeremiah 7:18; &nbsp;Jeremiah 19:13; &nbsp;Jeremiah 44:17; &nbsp;Ezekiel 20:28), as throughout antiquity libations of wine were made to heathen gods (see Smith's Dict. of Class. Antiq. s.v. Sacrificium, page 846). On the water-libation at the festival of booths, see TABERNACLES, FEAST OF. Libations of water occur in individual cases even prior to the exile (&nbsp;2 Samuel 23:16; &nbsp;1 Samuel 7:6). On the other hand, [[Elijah]] poured water on the altar (&nbsp;1 Kings 18:34 sq.) merely to heighten the effect of his miracle in contrast with his idolatrous competitors (Josephus, Ant. 8:13, 5). On the oillibation of &nbsp;Genesis 35:14, (See [[Stone]]). &nbsp;Psalms 16:6 (but probably not &nbsp;Zechariah 9:7) appears to contain an allusion to heathenish drink-offerings consisting of wine mingled with blood (vinum assiratum), which, especially when persons bound themselves to a fearful undertaking, it was customary to drink (Sallust, Catil. 22:1; Sil. Ital. 2:426 sq.). (See [[Offering]]). </p>