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  • 8/13/2019 Cedar, Jewish Encyclopedia

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    635 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA CavesCedar

    BIBLIOGRAPHY : Miguel Levi de Barrios, Gcrvierno PopularJudayco, p. ~8; Essai Historique sier Ui Colonic Surinam,ii. 113 122, Paramaribo, 1788; Geschieden HandelkuncligTafereel vim de Bataafuche Wcst-tndiscJie Colcmien,ii. 41-42,93-100, Amsterdam, 1802; Thomas Southey, Ctirono-logical History o f the Went Indies, ii. 49 50, London, 1827;Ii. .1. Koenen, Geschiedenis der Joden in Nederland,pp. 283-284, 400 4lif> Utrecht, 1843; M KayserlinK, Se)ihardim,pp. 205-200, IJerlin, 1859; Publications o f the AmericanJewish Historical Society, No. 2, pp. 94.95, 99; No. 3, pp.18. 104, 136 137; No. 4, ]). 2; (i. A. KohUt, in Simon WolfsAmerican Jar as Patriot, Soldier, and Citizen, pp.449,454-455. Philadelphia., 1895. Full text of the Charter is givenin the second, third, and fourth books in the above list.A. Q. A. K.

    CAZES DAVID: .Moroccan educator und writer; bornat Tetuan in 1851. Sent to Paris in hisearly youth, he was educated by the Alliance Is-

    In 1878 Gazes was appointed an officer of theOrder of Nishan Iftikhar of Tunis: and the Frenchgovernment in 1886 awarded him academic laurels,and in 1880 the rosette of Chevalier of the Legionof Honor.

    Cazes is the author of the following works:Essai sur l'llistoii'o des Israelites de Tunisie,

    Paris, 1889; "Notes Bibliographiques sur la Literature Judeo-Tunisienne," Tunis, 1893, giving anexact, picture of the literary life of the Jews ofTunis. He also contributed a large number of articles to the Revue des Etudes Jttives" and otherJewish periodicals.

    s. M. Fn.

    CEDARS OF LEBANON.(From a photograph by Hourils.)

    raelite Universelle, and at the age of eighteen wascommissioned to establish and direct several primaryschools in the East; namely, at Volo in Thessaly(1809), at Smyrna(187: ), andat Tunis (1878-93). Ineach of these places lie took part also in the organization of the communities. At Tunis especially theofficial organization of Judaism by the governmentof I lie French protectorate was his work. Since1893 lie has been in Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic, serving as a member of the administrative committee of the colonization fund founded by theBaron Maurice de Hirsch under the name of theJewish Colonization Association.

    CEDAR nx) : A tree of the pine family frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, where the" cedar of Lebanon " is generally meant. The cedar-tree grows best in a high, dry, and sandy region,and it found these requirements in the northern partof Palestine in the Lebanon district. In this district there are to be seen trees that reach a girthmeasurement of no less than forty-two feet. Thetree spreads its roots among the rocks, and thussecures a strong hold. From this hold the treesometimes grows to a height, of ninety feet, but thisscarcely gives an idea of its size, for the cedar usually grows horizontally, the limbs out from the

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    CedarCemetery THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA 6 6

    stem as well as the branches out from the limbs.The leaves are dark green, about an inch in length,and are evergreen; the shade they make is broadand dense. The wood of the cedar-tree is valuablefor building purposes, since the oil in it preventsdestruction by dry-rot and worms. Cedar-oil wasused by the Romans for the protection of theirmanuscripts.

    Various were the uses to which cedar was put inBiblical times. It was used by Solomon in buildingthe Temple (I Kings vi. 18), the inside of which wasall of cedar, no stone being visible. On the outside,also, cedar was used (I Kings vii. 12). The a ltarwas made of the same wood (I Kings vi. 20). Later onit was employed in building the Second Temple (Ezraiii. 7). From Ezek. xvxii. 5 it is clear tha t cedar wasused in the making of masts. In religious serviceit was used in cleansing the leper (Lev. xiv. 4, 49, 51,52) and in the ceremony of the Red Heifer (Num.xix. 6).

    It is na tural to find so striking a tree introduced

    as a favorite figure of the Biblical writers. Amaiden describes her lover as a choice cedar (Cant.v. 15). Oftentimes a strong nation is compared tothe cedar; for example, the Amorite (Amos ii. 9) andAssyrian (Ezek. xxxi. 3). In Zech. xi. 2 it is a synonym of powerful. The strength of the cedar aswell as of the leviathan is brought out in Job xl.17. Another favorite figure is based on the luxuriance of the growth of the cedar. A flourishing landis evidenced by the presence of the cedar (Isa. xii.19); and the prosperity of the righteous is comparedto it (Ps. xcii. 13 [A. V. 12]).

    In Num. xxiv. 0 cedar is mentioned as growingbeside water. This seems to be impossible; but itis to be noticed tha t the term " cedar " was appliedvery often to trees that were really not cedars. InRosh ha-Shanah 23a the statement is made thatthe inhabitants of Palestine called ten different treescedar.BIBLIOGRAPHY : H. B. Tristran, Natural History of the Bible,

    pp. 341-344.J. Jit. G. B. L.CEDRON: 1. Name of the brook Kidron as

    given in John xviii. 1. Near the stream was thegarden in which Jesus was taken by the officialsafter he had been betrayed by Judas (see KIDRON).,

    2. A place mentioned in connection with Jamnia

    (the " Jabneh " of II Chron. xxvi. 6) and fortified byCendebeus at the command of Antiochus (I Mace.xv. 39). From Cedron as a base, Cendebeus beganto ravage Judea. According to the account of Josephus ( An t. xiii. 7, 3), Simon Maccabeus, although at this time quite old, himself led the attackand drove back Cendebeus; but, according toI Mace. xv. 39-41, xvi. 9, Simon delegated the command to his sons Juda s and John. Judas waswounded, but John continued the pursuit to Cedronand thence to Azotus (Ashdod). Cedron is perhapsthe same as Gederoth (Josh. xv. 41; II Chron.xxviii. 18), and to be identified with the modernKatra, three and one-half miles southwest of Ekron,

    the modern'Akir.BIBLIOGRAPHY: Buhl, Geoqraphie des Alten Paldstina, p.

    188; Guerin, Juclee, ii. 35 et seq.E. c. G. B. L.

    CELIBACY : Deliberate renunciation of marriage. In the Old Testament there is no direct reference to the subject. The prophet Jeremiah was acelibate (Jer. xvi. 2). He seems to have regardedit as futile to beget offspring doomed to death in

    the impending national catastrophe ib. iii. 4). Thepessimistic author of Eeclesiastes, although no admirer of woman (Eccl. vii. 26, 28), counsels enjoying life with a woman whom thou lovest" (ib.ix. 9).

    In post-Biblical literature Jewish opinion standsout clear and simple: marriage is a duty, and celibacy a sin. " The world was created to produce life;He created it not a waste, lie formed it to be inhabited " (Isa. xiv. 18; Git. iv. 5 = 'Eduy. i. 13). Befruitful, and multiply " (Gen. i. 28) is taken as acommand; marriage with a view to that end is aduty incumbent upon every male adult (accordingto some the duty devolves also upon woman; Yeb.vi. 8; Maimonides, Yad, Ishut, xv .; Shulhan'Aruk,.Eben lia-'Ezer, 1, 13).

    Abstention from marital intercourse on the partof the husband exceeding a legitimate limit, whichvaries with the different occupations, may be takenby the wife as ground for a divorce (Ket. v. 6, 7).A single man who is past twenty may be compelledby the court to many (Shulhan 'Aruk, I.e. i. 3).Isserles adds tha t this custom is obsolete. Exception is made ,in favor of a student, who may postpone marriage until a time when his education iscomplete and beyond the possibility of being endangered by the cares incident to procuring a livelihood(ib.; the source is Kid. 29b). "He who is without awife is without joy, without blessing, without happiness, without learning, without protection, without peace; indeed, he is no m an; for it is written(Gen. v. 2), ' Male and female created He them, andcalled their name Man [A. V., " Adam "J'" (Yeb. 02b,63a; Shulhan 'Aruk, I.e. 1. 1, note). He who isnot married is, as it were, guilty of bloodshed anddeserves death: he causes the image of God to bediminished and the divine presence to withdrawfrom Israel " (Yeb. 63b, 64a).

    The only known celibate among the rabbis ofTalmudic times is Ben 'Azzai, who preached marriage to others, but did not practise it himself.My soul is fond of the Law, he is reported as

    having said; the world will bo perpetuated byothers " (Yeb. 63b). Regarding the passages whichappear to indicate that Ben 'Azzai was married(Ket. 63a; Sotah 4b), see Tosef., Ket. s.v. nTTD, andYeb. 63b, s.v. D prVB*. The excuse is recognizedby the Shulhan 'Aruk I.e. i. 4); it is by no meansrecommended to follow an example which, at best,is considered exceptional. According to Josephus( B. J. ii. 8, 2) marriage was repudiated by someof the Essenes. Inasmuch as intercourse withwoman was regarded as polluting, the aspiration tothe highest degree of Levitical purity and sanctitymay have led them to the rejection of marriage.There is nothing in Jewish literature to parallelMatt. xix. 12 in phraseology or motive (Dalman,

    "Worte Jesu, p. 100). Pa ul's views on celibacymay be found in I Cor. vii. See ASCBTICIS.M, ESSENES.

    K. M. L. M.