prophesied to be called down on sinners.—Isa. 65:17, 20.

MALLOTHI

(Mal·loʹthi) [my discourse].

A Kohathite Levite and one of the fourteen sons of the singer Heman. (1 Chron. 25:4, 5) The family served as musicians under the direction of their father, Heman. (Vs. 6) When David organized the divisions of the Levites to serve in turns at the house of Jehovah, the nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi, who assumed the headship of that division of twelve musicians.—Vs. 26.

MALLOW

This translates the Hebrew word ʼo·rohthʹ (2 Ki. 4:39; Isa. 26:19), considered to be the plural of ʼoh·rahʹ, “light.” (Esther 8:16; Ps. 139:12) According to Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, ʼo·rothʹ denotes the dwarf mallow (Malva rotundifolia). This identification is based on the fact that this plant is very sensitive to light, hence perhaps the Hebrew designation ʼo·rohthʹ, “light-[herb].” Also, its fruit is edible, thus harmonizing with 2 Kings 4:39. The dwarf mallow is a creeping plant having nearly round, somewhat lobed, saw-edged leaves with long leafstalks. Its flowers are only about a half inch (c. 1.3 centimeters) across and vary in color from pale blue to white. The flat and circular mucilaginous fruits are commonly called “cheeses.”

MALLUCH

(Malʹluch) [reigning, or, perhaps, counselor].

1. A Merarite Levite and a forefather of the Levitical singer Ethan.—1 Chron. 6:44-47.

2. One of the priests accompanying Zerubbabel when the Jews returned from Babylonian exile.—Neh. 12:1, 2, 7.

3. An Israelite “of the sons of Bani” among those who had accepted foreign wives but who sent them away in the days of Ezra.—Ezra 10:29, 44.

4. An Israelite “of the sons of Harim” among those who had taken foreign wives but who dismissed them in Ezra’s time.—Ezra 10:31, 32, 44.

5. One of the priests, or a forefather of one, attesting by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” made in Nehemiah’s day.—Neh. 9:38–10:4.

6. An Israelite, one of the heads of the people, whose descendant, if not himself, attested the “trustworthy arrangement” made in the time of Nehemiah.—Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 14, 27.

MALLUCHI

(Malʹlu·chi) [my counselor].

A priestly family whose representative served in the days of High Priest Joiakim, and in the days of Ezra and Governor Nehemiah.—Neh. 12:12, 14, 26.

The name “Malluchi” is in the Masoretic text with the q^eriʹ or marginal notation that it should be read as “Melicu,” which latter form is found in the Authorized Version. Several ancient Greek manuscripts, including the Alexandrine, Vatican No. 1209 and the Sinaitic (as well as the Lagardian edition) read “Malluch,” which some scholars think was the original form. These scholars suggest (but there is no way of proving it) that the adding of “i” (yohdh [י] in Hebrew) at the end of the name came about when the first letter of the following word was unintentionally repeated in manuscript copying.

MALTA

(Malʹta) [refuge (in the Phoenician tongue)].

An island in the Mediterranean lying over fifty miles (80 kilometers) S of Sicily and having an area of about ninety-five square miles (246 square kilometers). It was at Malta that the apostle Paul was shipwrecked and there he remained for three months. During this time he healed Publius’ father and others afflicted with sicknesses.—Acts 28:1, 7-9, 11.

In the past some associated the Greek word rendered “Malta” (Me·liʹte) with Meleda (Mljet) off the coast of Yugoslavia, because anciently this island was also called Me·liʹte. But tradition and the evidence of Scripture points to Malta as the place where Paul experienced shipwreck. The designation “sea of Adria,” where the boat was said to be as it approached Malta, came to include the waters of the Mediterranean E of Sicily and W of Crete and, therefore, it could be said that Malta was bounded by this sea.—Acts 27:27.

PAUL’S SHIPWRECK

Sometime after atonement day (in September or October) the ship on which Paul was traveling as a prisoner left the Cretan harbor of Fair Havens and was seized by a tempestuous wind (Euroaquilo), apparently from the E-NE. It drove the ship away from the coast of Crete to Cauda, and the mariners feared being run aground on the “Syrtis,” the quick-sands along the shores of northern Africa. (Acts 27:8, 9, 13-17) An E-NE wind could not have caused the vessel to drift toward Meleda, over 600 miles (960 kilometers) N-NW of Cauda. Evidently the boat, after drifting some two weeks, neared Malta, about 540 miles (869 kilometers) W-NW of Cauda.—Acts 27:33; see EUROAQUILO.

What is today called St. Paul’s Bay, situated on the NW end of Malta, could have been reached on an E-NE course without previously touching any other part of the island. Perhaps when their trained ears heard breakers dashing against rocky Koura Head, which juts out into the Mediterranean from the eastern side of St. Paul’s Bay, the sailors began to suspect that they were approaching land. The depths of “twenty fathoms” and “fifteen fathoms” ascertained by them basically correspond to soundings made in the mid-nineteenth century in the St. Paul’s Bay area.—Acts 27:27, 28.

Possibly because of being familiar with another of Malta’s harbors, the mariners did not recognize the land as Malta even in daylight. The island’s largest and best-known harbor is at Valetta, some eight miles (13 kilometers) SE of St. Paul’s Bay.—Acts 27:39.

Along the western side of St. Paul’s Bay there are two inlets. Today the more southerly one has a beach. Anciently this may also have been true of the other inlet. Probably at one of these the sailors hoped to “beach the boat,” but were unsuccessful, the reason for the failure (according to the literal Greek text) being their ‘having fallen around into a place of two seas.’ This may mean that the ship struck “a place where two seas met” (AS) or “a shoal washed on each side by the sea.” (NW) Or, the vessel was caught between crosscurrents and ran aground. (Compare JB, NE.) The ship’s bow became immovably stuck, perhaps in the mud and clay that lie less than three fathoms below the surface in parts of St. Paul’s Bay, while the stern was broken in pieces by the waves.—Acts 27:39-41.

Paul’s experience in Malta

At this time the soldiers determined to kill Paul and the other prisoners. This may have been because of the strict Roman military discipline that held guards accountable for the escape of prisoners under their control. (Compare Acts 12:19; 16:27.) Since the army officer (centurion) restrained the soldiers on account of Paul, all those aboard, numbering about 276, survived the shipwreck, either by swimming ashore or getting safely to land upon planks and other floatable items from the wrecked vessel.—Acts 27:37, 42-44.

The non-Greek-speaking inhabitants of Malta showed extraordinary human kindness to the survivors, even building a fire for them so that they might warm themselves. When the apostle Paul placed a bundle of sticks on this fire a venomous viper came out and fastened itself to his hand. Amazed that Paul did not swell up or die, the people of Malta began to view him as a god.—Acts 28:1-6.

Today there are no vipers indigenous to Malta. Great changes have taken place since the first century C.E. Whereas now Malta is one of the most densely populated lands in the world, with 2,770 persons per square mile (2.59 square kilometers), extensive wooded areas may have existed there in Paul’s time. The population increase would have had a marked effect on the habitats of wildlife. This could easily have caused all vipers to disappear, as was the case in Arran, an island off the SW coast of Scotland. As late as 1853, however, a viper is reported to have been seen near St. Paul’s Bay.

MAMRE

(Mamʹre) [strength, vigorous].

1. An Amorite chieftain who, along with his brothers Aner and Eshcol, supported Abraham in defeating King Chedorlaomer and his allies. The basis for their support was evidently the confederacy into which they entered with Abraham.—Gen. 14:13, 24.

2. A place generally identified with Ramet el-Khalil, lying about one and two-thirds miles (2.7 kilometers) N of Hebron, but thought by some to be farther to the W, in harmony with Genesis 23:17. It was the principal place of residence for Abraham and, at least for a time, for Isaac. In the nearby cave of Machpelah, they, their wives, and Jacob and Leah were eventually buried. (Gen. 13:18; 35:27; 49:29-33; 50:13) The area is well-watered with numerous springs. There was a grove of big trees in Mamre in Abraham’s time, and here he built an altar to Jehovah. (Gen. 13:18) Under one of such trees he entertained the angels prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 18:1-8) Here, too, Jehovah’s promise was made to him of a son by Sarah. (Gen. 18:9-19) From a point near Mamre it was possible for Abraham to see all the way down to Sodom and there behold the thick smoke billowing up as a result of the fiery destruction of that area.—Gen. 19:27-29.

In the area presently identified with Mamre large trees (usually oaks) have received historical attention from Josephus’ time down to the present day. Over the centuries shrines have been set up, usually in connection with an ancient tree presumed to be the one under which Abraham spoke with the angels. Herod the Great built a stone wall around such a traditional site. After his mother-in-law visited the area in the fourth century B.C.E., Emperor Constantine had a basilica erected there. Thereafter the Muslim conquerors also venerated the area.

MAN

[Heb., ʼa·dhamʹ, human or earthling (the generic term for mankind); ʼish, man, a person or individual, a male, a husband; ʼenoshʹ, a mortal man; geʹver, a physically strong or able-bodied man; za-kharʹ, a male; a few other Hebrew words are also sometimes translated “man.” Gr., anʹthro·pos, man (generic); a·nerʹ, a man, a male person, a husband; also some other Greek terms].

An intelligent creature, the highest form of earthly life and a product of the Creator, Jehovah God. Jehovah formed the man out of dust from the ground, blew into his nostrils the breath of life, “and the man came to be a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:45) After Adam’s creation and his naming of the animals, Jehovah caused a deep sleep to fall upon him; and while he slept, God took one of Adam’s ribs and used it to create the woman. Therefore, when she was presented to the man, Adam could say: “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” He called her Woman, (ʼish·shahʹ) “because from man this one was taken.” (Gen. 2:21-23) Adam later gave her the name Eve (“living one”). (Gen. 3:20) Adam and Eve were created toward the end of the sixth creative “day.”—Gen. 1:24-31.

Testifying to man’s creation by Jehovah God, the apostle Paul told the Athenians: “He made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth.” (Acts 17:26) Hence, all nations and races have a common origin.

There are no actual records of ancient man, his writing, agriculture, and other pursuits, extending into the past before 4026 (or 4027) B.C.E., the date of Adam’s creation. According to Bible chronology, 6,000 years of man’s history will end about 1974 or 1975 C.E.—See ABRAHAM (Sojourn in Canaan).

Since the Scriptures outline man’s history from the very creation of the first human pair, there can be no such thing as “prehistoric man.” Fossil records in the earth provide no link between man and the animals. Then, too, there is a total absence of reference to any subhumans in man’s earliest records, whether these be written documents, cave drawings, sculptures or the like. The Scriptures make clear the opposite, that man was originally a son of God and degenerated. (1 Ki. 8:46; Eccl. 7:20; 1 John 1:8-10) Archaeologist O. D. Miller has observed: “The tradition of the ‘golden age,’ then, was not a myth. The doctrine of a subsequent decline, of a sad degeneracy, of the human race from an original state of happiness and purity, undoubtedly embodied a great but lamentable truth. Our modern philosophies of history which begin with the primeval man as a savage, evidently need a new introduction. No, the primeval man was not a savage.”—Har-Moad.

The Bible reveals that man’s original home was “a garden in Eden.” (Gen. 2:8; see EDEN No. 1.) Its indicated location is relatively near the place of mankind’s early post-Flood civilization. The view generally accepted by scholars is expressed by P. J. Wiseman as follows: “All the real evidence we have, that of Genesis, archaeology, and the traditions of men, points to the Mesopotamian plain as the oldest home of man. Far Eastern civilization, whether Chinese or Indian, cannot compete with this land in the antiquity of its peoples, for it can easily sustain its claim to be the cradle of civilization.”—New Discoveries in Babylonia About Genesis, p. 28.

‘IN GOD’S IMAGE’

In disclosing to his “master worker” the divine purpose to create mankind, God said: “Let us make man [ʼa-dhamʹ] in our image, according to our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26; Prov. 8:30, 31; compare John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17.) Note that the Scriptures do not say that God created man in the image of a wild beast or of a domestic animal or of a fish. Man was made ‘in God’s image’; he was a “son of God.” (Luke 3:38) As to the form or shape of God’s body, “at no time has anyone beheld God.” (1 John 4:12) No one on earth knows what God’s glorious, heavenly, spiritual body looks like, so we cannot liken man’s body to God’s body. “God is a Spirit.”—John 4:24.

Nevertheless, man is ‘in God’s image’ in that he is created with moral qualities like those of God, namely, love and justice, and he has powers and wisdom above those of animals, so that he can appreciate the things that God enjoys and appreciates, such as beauty and the arts, speaking, reasoning, and similar processes of the mind and heart of which the animals are not capable. Moreover, man is capable of spirituality, of knowing and having communication with God. (1 Cor. 2:11-16; Heb. 12:9) For such reasons man was qualified to be God’s representative and to have in subjection the forms of creature life in the skies, the earth and the sea.

Being a creation of God, man was originally perfect. (Deut. 32:4) Accordingly, Adam could have bequeathed to his posterity human perfection and opportunity for eternal life on earth. (Isa. 45:18) He and Eve were commanded: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it.” As their family would have increased, they would have cultivated and beautified the earth according to the design of their Creator.—Gen. 1:28.

Headship

The apostle Paul, in discussing the relative positions of man and woman in God’s arrangement, says: “I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God.” He then points out that a woman who prays or prophesies in