five silver shekels (c. $2.38).—Num. 18:15, 16; see FIRSTBORN, FIRSTLING.

Many times the Scriptures use terms relating to natural birth in a figurative sense. (Ps. 90:2; Prov. 27:1; Isa. 66:8, 9; Jas. 1:15) The severity of labor pangs well describes inescapable suffering coming from other sources. (Ps. 48:6; Jer. 13:21; Mic. 4:9, 10; Gal. 4:19; 1 Thess. 5:3) In the sense of regeneration and a spiritual birth, Jesus said that one must be “born from water and spirit” in order to enter the Kingdom. (John 3:3-8; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23) Revelation, in symbolic language, describes the “birth of a son, a male,” in heaven after a period of agonizing pain.—Rev. 12:1-5; see LABOR PAINS.

BIRTHDAY

The day or anniversary of one’s birth. The Hebrews kept a record of birth dates, as the Bible’s genealogical and chronological data reveal, (Num. 1:2, 3; Josh. 14:10; 2 Chron. 31:16, 17) The ages of Levites, priests and kings were not left to guesswork. (Num. 4:3; 8:23-25; 2 Ki. 11:21; 15:2; 18:2) This was also true in the case of Jesus. (Luke 2:21, 22, 42; 3:23) According to the Scriptures, the day the baby was born was usually one of rejoicing and thanksgiving on the part of the parents, and rightly so, for “look’ sons are an inheritance from Jehovah; the fruitage of the belly is a reward.” (Ps. 127:3; Jer. 20:15; Luke 1:57, 58) However, there is no indication in the Scriptures that faithful worshipers of Jehovah ever indulged in the pagan practice of annually celebrating birthdays. Josephus wrote that Herod Agrippa I celebrated his birthday, like his uncle Antipas, but these supposed Jewish proselytes were notorious for imitating pagan customs instead of conforming to the Hebrew Scriptures.—Antiquities of the Jews, Book XIX, chap. VII, par. 1.

The Bible makes direct reference to only two birthday celebrations, those of Pharaoh of Egypt (eighteenth century B.C.E.) and Herod Antipas (first century C.E.). These two accounts are similar in that both occasions were marked with great feasting and granting of favors; both are remembered for executions, the hanging of Pharaoh’s chief baker in the first instance, the beheading of John the Baptist in the latter.—Gen. 40:18-22; 41:13; Matt. 14:6-11; Mark 6:21-28.

While the expression “on the day of our king,” at Hosea 7:5, may possibly indicate a birthday party for the apostate king of Israel when the princes “sickened themselves . . . because of wine,” it could as easily be the anniversary day of his accession to the throne when similar festivities were held.

When Job’s sons “held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day” it should not be supposed that they were celebrating their birthdays. (Job 1:4) “Day” in this verse translates the Hebrew word yohm, possibly from a root meaning “to be hot,” and therefore meaning a period of time from sunrise to sunset. On the other hand, “birthday” is a compound of the two Hebrew words yohm (day) and hul·leʹdheth, from ya·ladhʹ, a Hebrew root meaning “to bear young,” hence referring to the day of one’s birth. This distinction between “day” and one’s birthday may be noted in Genesis 40:20, where both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·leʹdheth) of Pharaoh”].” So it is certain that Job 1:4 does not refer to a birthday, as is unquestionably the case at Genesis 40:20. It would seem that Job’s seven sons held a family gathering (possibly a spring or harvest festival) and as the feasting made the week-long circuit, each son hosted the banquet in his own house “on his own day.”

With the introduction of Christianity the viewpoint of birthday celebrations did not change. Jesus inaugurated a binding Memorial, not of his birth, but of his death, saying: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) If early Christians did not celebrate or memorialize the birthday of their Savior, much less would they celebrate their own day of birth. Historian Augustus Neander writes: “The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period.” (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the First Three Centuries, translated by Henry John Rose, New York, 1848, p. 190) “Origen [a writer of the third century C.E.] . . . insists that ‘of all the holy people in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born into this world below.’”—The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911, Vol. X, p. 709.

Clearly, then, the festive celebration of birthdays does not find its origin in either the Hebrew or the Greek Scriptures. Additionally, M’Clintock & Strong’s Cyclopœdia (Vol. I, p. 817) says the Jews “regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship. . . , and this probably on account of the idolatrous rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded as the patron gods of the day on which the party was born.”

Astrology teaches that the life and fortune of a person largely depend on the position of the heavenly bodies at the time of birth, hence the need to observe annually the return of the stars to that position. The horoscope is accordingly consulted by such cultists to learn of one’s future. Astrology, however, is emphatically condemned by the Scriptures.—Deut 18:10-12; Job 31:26-28; Isa. 47:13.

Certain primitive societies view birthdays as danger periods when one is susceptible to attack by evil spirits. Hence, parties and good wishes of friends, bringing gifts to appease the evil spirits, and offering sacrifices to “their protective spirits” are all part of the birthday celebration. (Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, Vol. One, p. 144) “Every Egyptian attached much importance to the day, and even to the hour of his birth; and it is probable that, as in Persia . . . each individual kept his birthday with great rejoicings, welcoming his friends with all the amusements of society, and a more than usual profusion of delicacies of the table.”—M’Clintock & Strong’s Cyclopœdia, Vol. I, p. 817.

BIRTHRIGHT

The right that naturally belonged to the father’s firstborn son. Under the patriarchal system the oldest son became the head of the family upon the death of the father, with authority over the others as long as they were in the household. He was responsible to care for the members of his father’s household. He also succeeded to the father’s position in representing the family before Jehovah. The firstborn generally received the father’s special blessing. (Gen. 27:4, 36; 48:9, 17, 18) Moreover, he was entitled to two parts of the father’s estate; that is, he received twice as much as each of his brothers. Under the Mosaic law a man with more than one wife could not take the birthright from the oldest son and give it to the son of a specially loved wife.—Deut. 21:15-17.

In patriarchal times the birthright could be transferred by the father to another son for a cause, as in the case of Reuben, who lost his right as firstborn due to fornication with his father’s concubine. (1 Chron. 5:1, 2) The firstborn could sell his birthright to one of his brothers, as did Esau, who despised his birthright and sold it to his brother Jacob in exchange for something to eat. (Gen. 25:30-34; 27:36; Heb. 12:16) There is no record that Jacob asserted his purchased birthright in getting a double share of Isaac’s property (which was movable or personal property, for Isaac owned no land, except the field of Macpelah, in which was a cave for a burial place). Jacob was interested in the passing on of spiritual things to his family, that is, the promise given to Abraham concerning the seed.—Gen. 28:3, 4, 12-15.

With respect to the kings of Israel, the birthright seems to have carried with it the right of succession to the throne. (2 Chron. 21:1-3) However, Jehovah as Israel’s real King and their God, set aside such right when it suited his purposes, as in the example of Solomon.—1 Chron. 28:5.

Jesus Christ, as the “first-born of all creation,” always faithful to his Father Jehovah God, has the birthright through which he has been appointed “heir of all things.”—Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:2; see INHERITANCE.

BIRZAITH

(Birʹza·ith) [well of the olive tree].

A name in the genealogy of Asher of the family of Malchiel. (1 Chron. 7:30, 31) Some commentators suggest it to be the name of a woman; however, women were rarely included in Jewish genealogies and, when they were for special reasons, they were generally clearly identified as women. (1 Chron. 7:24, 30, 32) Because Birzaith is the only name of those listed in 1 Chronicles 7:30, 31 that is not found in the parallel genealogical record of Genesis 46:17, and also because of the meaning of the name, others consider Birzaith to refer to a site around which the descendants of Malchiel settled, or an area in which Malchiel was a chief inhabitant, even as Shobal is spoken of as the “father of Kiriath-jearim” and Salma as the “father of Bethlehem.” (1 Chron. 2:51, 52) Supposing Birzaith to have been the name of a place, some would identify it with Birzeit (4.3 miles [6.9 kilometers] N of Ramallah); but, despite the similarity of the names, Birzeit’s location near the southern border of Ephraim (instead of in the territory of Asher) does not lend much support to such a conclusion.—See ATROTH-BETH-JOAB.

BISHLAM

(Bishʹlam) [possibly, son of peace].

An opposer of the postexilic temple rebuilding who shared in writing a letter of false accusation against the Jews to Persian King Artaxerxes.—Ezra 4:6, 7.

BITHIAH

(Bi·thiʹah) [daughter (that is, worshiper) of Jehovah].

Daughter of a Pharaoh and wife of Mered of the tribe of Judah.—1 Chron. 4:1, 18.

BITHYNIA

(Bi·thynʹi·a).

A Roman province in the northern part of Asia Minor. It was located in what is now NW Turkey, extending eastward from Istanbul along the southern shore of the Black Sea. On Paul’s second missionary journey, after he and Silas had been joined by Timothy at Lystra, they endeavored to travel into Bithynia, but “the spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” (Acts 16:7) The area if not mentioned as being the scene of apostolic preaching, but there obviously were Christians there when Peter wrote his first canonical letter about 62-64 C.E. (1 Pet. 1:1) Pliny the Younger, writing from Bithynia to the Roman emperor while Pliny was special commissioner, makes mention of numerous Christians in the province, stating that at the beginning of the second century Christianity was “not confined to the cities only, but has spread its infection among the neighbouring villages and country.”

In pre-Christian times the area was governed by a line of independent kings, the last of whom, Nicomedes III, bequeathed it to the Roman Republic in 74 B.C.E. In the days of the apostles it was bounded by Propontis and Mysia on the W, by Asia and Galatia on the S and by Pontus on the E, although the latter territory had been added to it by the Romans to make the one province of Pontus and Bithynia (65-63 B.C.E.). Bithynia contains fertile, generally mountainous country that lends itself to the cultivation of the vine. The southern “Mysian” Olympus range is thickly wooded with oak, beech, chestnut and walnut trees.

At later times Bithynia was accorded some prominence by professed Christians, two of its cities, Nicaea and Chalcedon, being selected as centers for notable councils. The former was the site of the formulation of the Nicene Creed in 325 C.E.

BITTER GREENS

[Heb., m^ero·rimʹ].

Along with the roasted lamb and unleavened bread, the Israelites were to eat bitter greens or herbs on the Passover night (Ex. 12:8), and this continued to be the arrangement in all future Passover celebrations. (Num. 9:11) Nothing specific is stated as to the kind or kinds of bitter greens. The significance of the bitter greens is thought by some as intended to remind the Israelites of the bitterness of the experience during the Egyptian bondage.

The same Hebrew term (m^ero·rimʹ) occurs at Lamentations 3:15 and is usually rendered “bitterness,” or “bitter things,” though some suggest “bitter herbs (or greens)” as a suitable translation to correspond with the mention of wormwood in the same verse.

BITUMEN

(Bi·tuʹmen).

The same black or brownish mineral asphaltum is referred to by three Hebrew words. Two of these describe the difference in hardness: pitch (zeʹpheth), its liquid form; bitumen (hhe·marʹ), its solid state. The third word, tar (koʹpher), describes its usage: how it is applied in overlaying woodwork.

Neither the discoveries of the centuries nor the technology of modern science have found a natural substance more waterproof and verminproof. Because of these qualities its usefulness to man predates the flood, for Noah, on being instructed to build the Ark, was told to “cover it inside and outside with tar.”—Gen. 6:14.

The papyrus ark in which the baby Moses floated among the Nile reeds was watertight because it had been impregnated with both “bitumen and pitch” (Ex. 2:3) The Egyptians used bitumen for sealing their boats and perhaps in embalming. The word “mummy” is from the Persian mumiai, meaning asphalt.

The city builders of Babylon learned that bitumen’s waterproof characteristics were combined with adhesive qualities that made it a most useful mortar for their kiln-dried bricks.—Gen. 11:3.

At one time the Valley of Siddim, located near Sodom and Gomorrah at the southern end of the Dead Sea, was noted for its “pits upon pits of bitumen” (slimepits, AV). (Gen. 14:10) Even today bitumen is occasionally washed ashore, suggesting that Siddim is presently located beneath the waters of the Dead Sea. Bitumen is also a flammable material and is so described by Isaiah, who prophesied that the land of Edom would “become as burning pitch.”—Isa. 34:9.

BIZIOTHIAH

(Biz·i·o·thiʹah).

Listed after Beer-sheba as one of the towns in Judah’s tribal inheritance in the Negeb region. (Josh. 15:21, 28) The location is unknown. The Septuagint here reads “and their villages” instead of the proper name Biziothiah.

BIZTHA

(Bizʹtha) [possibly, eunuch, or, bound].

One of seven court officials whom King Ahasuerus sent to bring Queen Vashti.—Esther 1:10, 11; see COURT OFFICIAL.

BLACK

See COLORS.

BLACK CUMMIN

See CUMMIN.

BLACK MULBERRY TREE

[Gr., sy·kaʹmi·nos].

This tree is mentioned but once, in Jesus’ statement to the apostles relative to their faith. (Luke 17:5, 6) The Greek word used was regularly applied to the mulberry tree, and the black mulberry (Morus nigra) is commonly cultivated in Palestine. It is a sturdy tree growing to a height of about twenty feet (6 meters), with large heart-shaped leaves and dark-red or black fruit resembling the blackberry. The white mulberry (Morus alba) is used to feed silkworms, and their culture was evidently introduced into Syria during Roman times and continues there.