(Deut. 27:17) Since landholders generally were dependent upon the produce of their plots of ground, moving back a boundary mark would mean depriving another person of some of his means of sustenance. Doing this was equivalent to theft and was so viewed in ancient times. (Job 24:2) But there were unscrupulous persons who were guilty of such abuses, and princes of Judah in Hosea’s time were likened to those moving back a boundary.—Hos. 5:10.

Removal of landmarks or boundary marks was viewed as a crime, not only under the Mosaic law, but according to Babylonian law. This action was also prohibited by the Egyptian ruler Amen-em-opet and in Greek and Roman legislation.

God is considerate of the widowed and fatherless. Thus it is said that Jehovah will tear down the house of the self-exalted, “but he will fix the boundary of the widow.” (Prov. 15:25) Then, too, Proverbs 23:10, 11 declares: “Do not move back the boundary of long ago, and into the field of fatherless boys do not enter. For their Redeemer is strong; he himself will plead their cause with you.”

BOW

See ARMS, ARMOR.

BOWELS

The intestines or entrails. The word may refer to the deep or remote part of anything, as the “bowels” of the earth. The Hebrew words frequently translated “bowels” in the older Bible versions are also rendered in more modern translations as “intestines,” or “entrails,” where the context clearly indicates that they have that connotation. (Compare 2 Samuel 20:10; 2 Chronicles 21:15, 18, 19; Job 20:14, in various Bible versions.) Where the Hebrew terms are not confined to “intestines” the English words “belly,” “inward parts,” “body,” “stomach,” “womb,” and related expressions are sometimes used in modern translations.—Gen. 15:4; 25:23; Ps. 71:6; Isa. 16:11; 49:1.

Physical food is assimilated by the intestines. This fact was metaphorically used to represent mental or spiritual digestion when in vision, Ezekiel was told to eat a scroll, filling his intestines or bowels with it. Ezekiel was to gain spiritual strength by meditating upon and storing in his memory the words written in the scroll. He was thereby nourished spiritually and provided with a message to speak.—Ezek. 3:1-6; compare Revelation 10:8-10.

Since deep emotions have a marked effect on one’s literal bowels, the same Hebrew words or forms of the words are sometimes used figuratively as “inward emotions,” “pity,” “inward parts,” “mercies” and the like, as at Genesis 43:14, 30; Lamentations 3:22; Isaiah 48:19.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures the word splagʹkhna literally means “bowels.” It is used once (in the plural) to refer to the literal intestines. (Acts 1:18) Elsewhere the forms of the word denote “tender affections” and similar emotions.—2 Cor. 6:12; Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Col. 3:12; 1 John 3:17.

BOWING DOWN

See ATTITUDES AND GESTURES.

BOWL

See BASIN; VESSELS.

BOWMAN

See ARCHER; ARMS, ARMOR.

BOY

See CHILD, CHILDREN; SON.

BOZEZ

(Boʹzez) [perhaps, shining].

One of two rocks or toothlike crags associated with Jonathan’s victory over the Philistines recorded at 1 Samuel 14:4-14. Jonathan, looking for a passage to cross over to attack the Philistine outpost, saw the two crags, one on the N facing Michmash (where the Philistines were encamped), the other on the S facing Geba. (1 Sam. 13:16; 14:5) Between these two cities the Wadi Suweinit descends toward the Jordan and becomes a deep gorge with nearly vertical cliffs somewhat to the E of the cities. The location of the two crags is considered to have been at the point where the wadi makes a sharp bend, though the precise identification of the crags is conjectural. Nevertheless, in the book The Romance of the Last Crusade, by Major Vivian Gilbert of the British Army, the author presents the account of a brigade major in General Allenby’s army in Palestine who, upon receiving orders to take the village of Michmash, successfully employed the information in 1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14 regarding these two crags to locate a pass up to the rocky prominence on which Michmash lay.

BOZKATH

(Bozʹkath) [elevated, stony ground].

A town in the inheritance of Judah (Josh. 15:39) and home of King Josiah’s maternal grandfather Adaiah. (2 Ki. 22:1) Listed between Eglon and Lachish, it was apparently in the lowlands or Shephelah region. Its identification is uncertain; some would place it at present-day ed-Dawaʼime, about eleven and a half miles (19 kilometers) W of Hebron, and SW of Lachish.

BOZRAH

(Bozʹrah) [fortified place].

1. A prominent city of Edom, the home of the father of Jobab, an Edomite king in the second millennium B.C.E. (Gen. 36:31, 33; 1 Chron. 1:44) Its prominence is evident from the fact that the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos under inspiration referred to it as representative of all Edom, due for desolation.—Isa. 34:5, 6; 63:1-4; Jer. 49:12, 13, 17, 22; Amos 1:11, 12.

Bozrah’s name indicates it to have been a fortress city. It is identified with modern Buseira, about twenty-four miles (39 kilometers) SE of the southern extremity of the Dead Sea, and situated on the main road to Petra. It thus occupied a fairly central position in the Edomite kingdom and guarded the approaches to the copper mines in the Arabah. The ancient ruins at Buseira show Bozrah to have been a strongly fortified city built on a narrow spur jutting out from the Jebel esh-Sheraʼ with deep wadis on either side so that its position was nearly impregnable.

The rendering of Micah 2:12 in the Authorized Version contains the name “Bozrah” but most modern translations view this as referring, not to a town, but an enclosure or “pen” for sheep.

2. In prophesying against Moab, Jeremiah 48:24 refers to Bozrah as among cities “of the land of Moab.” It is included among other cities of the tableland or “land of level country [Heb., mi·shorʹ]” (vs. 21), and the use of this same Hebrew word in connection with Bezer (Deut. 4:43) causes some scholars to view them as likely the same place. Since Jeremiah’s prophesying took place about a century after the fall of the northern kingdom, this would allow for Moab’s expansion northward to take in the cities previously held by Reuben. Others would identify this Bozrah with Bosora in the Hauran, but this site seems too far to the N and too removed from the other cities mentioned to fit the description.—See BEZER No. 2.

BRACELET

A decorative circlet worn on the wrist or upper arm, sometimes forming a complete circle, though in other instances having an opening or clasp. The term “armlet” can be applied to such a band for the upper arm, but this can also be called a bracelet. In ancient times bracelets were worn by both men and women, sometimes on just one arm, but occasionally on both. Bracelets of antiquity were made of bronze, glass, iron, silver and gold and were often highly ornamented, sometimes being studded with jewels.

Enameled bracelets of various colors were among those used in ancient Egypt. On the arms of the mummy of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen there were thirteen bracelets made of gold, glass beads and semiprecious stones, eight of these ornaments being amulets. (See AMULET.) Assyrian monarchs wore armlets and bracelets, and bracelets were also common among other peoples, such as the Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans. In Rome it was customary for women of high station to wear them for adornment and as amulets. Bracelets were sometimes given to Roman soldiers for acts of valor. The Hebrews wore bracelets and they were in general use from early times in Palestine, where archaeologists have found a number of them, made of various materials, particularly bronze.

Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah a gold nose ring and also two bracelets having a weight of ten shekels of gold. (Gen. 24:22, 30, 47) Among the items taken as war booty from the Midianites were bracelets, which were among the valuable articles the Israelites presented to God.—Num. 31:50.

Through Ezekiel, God represented himself as decking Jerusalem with bracelets and other ornaments. But since she had used such beautiful articles idolatrously and had prostituted herself, Jehovah foretold that he would punish her and would have these things taken from her.—Ezek. 16:11, 17, 38, 39.

Armlets or bracelets for the upper arm (ornaments usually decked with jewels) have been worn by monarchs as one of their insignia of regal authority or sovereign power. The bracelet King Saul of Israel wore upon his arm may have had such significance.—2 Sam. 1:10; see ORNAMENTS.

[Picture on page 256]

Bracelets found in Israelite tombs

BRAMBLE

[Heb., ʼa·tadhʹ].

There are various suggestions as to the plant referred to by the Hebrew term. In Arabic the cognate word at times is used for the buckthorn (any of the variety of thorny shrubs classified under the botanical name of Rhamnus) and this identification is supported by the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate renderings of the Hebrew word. The buckthorn of Palestine is a straggling bush, growing from two to six feet (.6 to 1.8 meters) high, its twigs lined with sharp, strong prickles. Though frequent in the lower warmer regions of the country, it is also found in mountainous regions, as at Jerusalem. Another suggestion is the Rubus sanctus or Palestine blackberry, a bushlike plant with long arching stems, armed with prickles and thorns. The third plant recommended is the boxthorn or Lycium europaeum, a thorny shrub growing three to six feet (.9 to 1.8 meters) high, blossoming with small violet flowers and bearing small, round, edible red berries.

The bramble appears most prominently in the account of Judges 9:8-15 in which the olive tree, the fig tree and the vine are contrasted with the lowly bramble. As the rest of the chapter makes evident, the valuable plants represent those worthy persons, such as Gideon’s seventy sons, who did not seek the position of kingship over their fellow Israelites, while the bramble, useful only for fuel, represents the kingship of Abimelech, the murderer of all the sons of Gideon, his brothers, except one. (Judg. 9:1-6, 16-20) Jotham’s suggestion that the other figurative “trees” seek refuge in the shadow of the bramble was doubtless ironical, as the low-growing bramble obviously could not provide shadow for trees, especially the stately cedars mentioned.

The warning was given by Jotham that fire might come out of the bramble “and consume the cedars of Lebanon,” perhaps alluding to the ease with which the dry and leafless plant might catch fire during the hot summer months. Psalm 58:9 also shows the use of brambles for fuel, and these are still used by Arabs for that purpose.

The Hebrew word ʼa·tadhʹ also appears as the name of a place at Genesis 50:10.—See BRIERS, BRIER HEDGE; THORN.

BRANCH, SPROUT

In the Bible several Hebrew and Greek words are variously translated branch, sprout, sprig, shoot, offshoot, bough, twig and treetop. Branches of trees played a part in the worship of Israel. During the Festival of Booths, in the seventh month Ethanim or Tishri, branches of trees, including palm, olive, myrtle and poplar were used in constructing booths in which the people resided for the duration of the festival.—Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:15.

At Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Nisan 9, 33 C.E., the crowd that had come to Jerusalem for the Passover and the Festival of Unfermented Cakes greeted him by waving palm branches, hailing him as the king of Israel. (John 12:12, 13) Likewise, the “great crowd” of John’s vision at Revelation, chapter 7, are shown waving palm branches as they attribute salvation to God, who is on the throne, and to the Lamb.—Rev. 7:9, 10.

FIGURATIVE USAGE

Jesus was brought up in the small town of Nazareth, meaning “Branch-town.” The apostle Matthew calls attention to Jesus’ being called a Nazarene (probably from the Hebrew neʹtser, “branch or sprout”) as a fulfillment of prophecy, likely referring to the prophecy at Isaiah 11:1.—Matt. 2:23.

The apostle Paul likens the congregation of the Jewish candidates naturally in line for the heavenly kingdom to an olive tree with a definite number of branches attached to the tree trunk. Wild olive branches (people of the nations, Gentiles) were grafted in to replace “broken off” natural branches (Jews) because only a few accepted Christ, the majority failing. Thus the full God-ordained number is completed, in its final state being composed of Jews and Gentiles.—Rom. 11:17-24.

“Offshoot” or “bough” and the related terms mentioned above are used in the Scriptures to denote a son or offspring, a descendant. In Jacob’s blessings to his sons he calls Joseph an offshoot (Heb., ben, son). (Gen. 49:22) Destruction leaving neither root nor bough symbolizes the wiping out of the family or of all of a certain kind, or complete destruction beyond possibility of revival.—Mal. 4:1; compare Isaiah 5:24; Hosea 9:16.

Sprout. Jesus Christ is prophetically spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures as Jehovah’s servant “Sprout” (NW, Le) or the “Branch” (AV, AT), “Bud” (Ro). (Zech. 3:8) At Zechariah 6:12, 13, “the man whose name is Sprout” is described as building the temple of Jehovah and sitting as a priest upon his throne. This can apply to none other than Jesus Christ, since he alone could fill the office of king and priest under God’s arrangement. Jesus Christ is promised as a righteous “sprout” raised up to David. This One will execute righteousness and justice. (Jer. 23:5; 33:15; compare Isaiah 53:2; Revelation 22:16.) He is also called a twig and a sprout out of Jesse, David’s father.—Isa. 11:1.

The end of the dynasty of the kings of Babylon was pictured by likening it to a “detested sprout,” thrown away and not deserving of a burial.—Isa. 14:19.

Just as Jehovah the Creator causes the sprouting growth in garden plants and trees, so “sprout,” “bough” and similar terms are associated with prosperity, increase and blessings from Jehovah. (Isa. 4:2; 60:21, 22; Job 29:19) He has promised that “just like foliage [“a branch,” AV; “a green leaf,” RS] the righteous ones will flourish.”—Prov. 11:28.

BRAND MARKS

[Gr., stigʹma·ta, marks burnt in, brands, tattoos].

Among some pagans brand marks of various designs were burnt or inscribed into the