or voicing an opinion of either innocence or guilt. White pebbles were used for pronouncing innocence, acquittal; black ones for pronouncing guilt, condemnation. The white pebble given to the conqueror therefore appears to mean Jesus’ judgment of him as innocent, pure, clean, passing Christ’s approval as a disciple.—See JEWELS AND PRECIOUS STONES; ROCK-MASS

STONECUTTER

A hewer of stone; one who cuts, carves or dresses stones to be used for building purposes. (2 Ki 12:11, 12; 2 Chron. 24:12) King David made alien residents in Israel stone hewers “to hew squared stones” (cutting them to the proper size) for the prospective temple of Jehovah.—1 Chron. 22:2, 15; compare 1 Kings 6:7; see QUARRY.

STONE PAVEMENT

A paved place at Jerusalem where Roman Governor Pontius Pilate sat on the judgment seat when Jesus Christ was before him for trial. The site was called, in Hebrew, “Gabʹba·tha,” a word of uncertain derivation and possibly meaning “hill,” “height” or “open space.” Another name for it, Li·thoʹstro·ton in Greek, may indicate a tessellated pavement, one of ornamental mosaic work. However, some suggest that “The Stone Pavement” was an elevated marble platform. (John 19:13) Suetonius, Roman historian and biographer of the second century C.E., says that Julius Caesar had pre-fitted pieces of marble carried along on military expeditions so that these might be laid down as a platform where he gave judicial decisions.

The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, citing a certain disturbance, said that “Pilate sat upon his tribunal, in the open market-place.” (Wars of the Jews, Book II, chap. IX, par. 3) “The Stone Pavement” where Jesus appeared before Pilate may have been an open area in front of the palace of Herod the Great; many scholars favor identification with a site near or once occupied by the Castle of Antonia, NW of the temple grounds. But the exact site of The Stone Pavement remains unknown.—See ANTONIA, CASTLE OF.

STONING

Under the Law, a wrongdoer deserving capital punishment usually was pelted to death with stones. (Lev. 20:2) This was to ‘clear out what was bad from their midst.’ All Israel would hear of the punishment, and fear of such wrongdoing would be instilled in their hearts. (Deut. 13:5, 10, 11; 22:22, 23) In stoning an evildoer, they showed that they were zealous for true worship, anxious to see that no reproach came upon God’s name and desirous of maintaining a clean congregation.

Before stoning, at least two witnesses had to give harmonious testimony against the wrongdoer, and thereafter they cast the first stones. (Lev. 24:14; Deut. 17:6, 7) The prospect of being the executioner made a person think searchingly in giving evidence and doubtless was a deterrent against false testimony, which, if discovered, would cost the lying witness his own life.—Deut. 19:18-20.

Stoning no doubt usually took place outside the city. (Num. 15:34, 35; 1 Ki. 21:13; contrast Deuteronomy 22:21.) Thereafter, as a warning, the corpse might be impaled on a stake, but not beyond sunset. It was buried that same day.—Deut. 21:21-23.

Jesus spoke of Jerusalem as “the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her.” (Matt. 23:37; compare Hebrews 11:37.) Christ himself was threatened with stoning. (John 8:59; 10:31-39; 11:8) Stephen was killed in this manner. (Acts 7:58-60) At Lystra fanatical Jews “stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, imagining he was dead.”—Acts 14:19; compare 2 Corinthians 11:25.

For offenses carrying the penalty of stoning, see CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

STORAGE CITIES

Cities especially designed as government storage centers. Reserves of provisions such as grain, as well as other things, were preserved in warehouses and granaries built at these locations.

Under Egyptian oppression, the Israelites were compelled to build “cities as storage places for Pharaoh, namely, Pithom and Raamses.” (Ex. 1:11) Storage cities were also built by Solomon. (1 Ki. 9:17-19; 2 Chron. 8:4-6) Later, as King Jehoshaphat prospered, “he went on building fortified places and storage cities in Judah.”—2 Chron. 17:12; 1 Chron. 27:25; 2 Chron. 16:4; 32:27-29; see STOREHOUSE.

STORAX

[Heb., liv·nehʹ].

The name of this tree in Hebrew means “white” and the related Arabic word lubna is applied to the storax tree (Styrax officinalis). The storax grows as a tall shrub or small tree, seldom exceeding twenty feet (6 meters) in height. It is plentiful in Syria, where Jacob made use of its staffs (Gen. 30:37), and throughout Palestine, often growing on dry hillsides and rocky places, where its shade would be appreciated. (Hos. 4:13) Its oval-shaped leaves, growing on long flexible twigs, are green on top but woolly white underneath. The showy flowers with their white petals and delightful fragrance are very similar to orange blossoms. When incisions are made in the branches and stem, a balsamic resin with vanillalike flavor is exuded, and this is used in perfumes. Some believe this gum provided the “stacte drops” (Heb., na·taphʹ, meaning “a drop” [compare Job 36:27]), used in the sacred incense of the tabernacle.—Ex. 30:34.

STOREHOUSE

A warehouse or building in which foodstuffs, wine, oil, even precious metals or stones and other articles are stored. A garner or granary is a structure used to store threshed grain. Barns, towers and other storage facilities were common in ancient times (1 Chron. 27:25; 2 Chron. 32:27, 28; Joel 1:17; Hag. 2:19), and certain cities served principally as storage centers.—Ex. 1:11.

Storehouses were needed in conjunction with the sanctuary to take care of the tithes and contributions from the fields, orchards and vineyards given by Israel to the Levites. (Mal. 3:10) Certain Levites were put in charge of the stores and distributed such provisions to their brothers.—1 Chron. 26:15, 17; Neh. 12:44; 13:12, 13.

In ancient Egypt granaries varied in structure, one type resembling the present-day silo. It had a door at the top for depositing grain (by ascending a ladder) and small sliding doors at ground level for its removal. Underground granaries have also long been used in the Middle East, these evidently being preferred in sparsely populated areas because they are concealed from marauders.

ILLUSTRATIVE USE

Jesus Christ, in urging his disciples not to be anxious about material needs, but to seek only their “bread for this day,” reminded them that God feeds the birds though they do not gather things into storehouses or barns. (Matt. 6:11, 25, 26; Luke 12:22, 24) To show that life does not result from the things one possesses, Jesus gave an illustration of a rich man who considered replacing his storehouses with bigger ones to hold his many goods, only to face death, his material riches therefore being of no benefit to him.—Luke 12:13-21.

Rather than looking to earthly goods and accordingly building up a great store of them, the wise writer of Proverbs says: “Honor Jehovah with your valuable things . . . Then your stores of supply will be filled with plenty.” (Prov. 3:9, 10) This was exemplified in the experience of the nation of Israel, which, when obediently serving Jehovah and bringing full tithes to the sanctuary, was blessed with abundance. (Deut. 28:1, 8; 1 Ki. 4:20; 2 Chron. 31:4-10; Mal. 3:10) Apparently King David uses contrast at Psalm 144:11-15 to show who are the really happy people. In view of the context (see verses 11, 12), it seems likely that he is depicting those who trust in their hoard of material things as boasting in their wealth by saying: “Our garners [are] full, furnishing products of one sort after another, . . . Happy is the people for whom it is just like that!” But David’s next words, that “Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!” apparently are intended to show the true Source of happiness in contrast with material wealth.

FIGURATIVE USE

John the Baptist warned the Pharisees and Sadducees of their dangerous situation, likening truly repentant ones to wheat to be gathered, but comparing those leaders to chaff. He said to them: “The one coming after me . . . will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out.” (Matt. 3:7-12; Luke 3:16, 17) Jesus foretold a “harvest,” which he equated with “a conclusion of a system of things” and in which angelic “reapers” would gather symbolic “weeds” to be burned, whereas the “wheat” would be gathered into God’s “storehouse,” evidently a restored, congregated condition where they would have God’s favor and protection.—Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43.

Jehovah speaks of things around which he has put boundaries by means of created forces, or natural laws, also of things he has reserved under his control for special purposes, as being in “storehouses.” The sea is said to be ‘gathered like a dam, put in storehouses.’ (Ps. 33:7) Also of other natural phenomena that he has at times used against his enemies he asked Job: “Have you entered into the storehouses of the snow, or do you see even the storehouses of the hail, which I have kept back for the time of distress, for the day of fight and war?” (Job 38:22, 23; compare Joshua 10:8-11; Judges 5:20, 21; Psalm 105:32; 135:7.) Even the armies of the Medes and Persians under King Cyrus were included by Jehovah among the “weapons of his denunciation” brought out of his “storehouse” against Babylon.—Jer. 50:25, 26.

STORK

[Heb., hhasi·dhahʹ].

The name of this bird is evidently derived from the Hebrew hheʹsedh, meaning loving-kindness or loyal love, as at Genesis 19:19. Thus hhasi·dhahʹ indicates a kind and loyal creature, and this description fits the stork well, as it is noted for its tender care of its young and its loyalty to its lifelong mate.

The stork is a large, long-legged wading bird similar to the ibis and heron. The white stork (Ciconia alba) has white plumage except for the flight feathers of its wings, which are a glossy black. An adult stork may stand as much as four feet (1.2 meters) high, measuring nearly four feet (1.2 meters) in body length, and with a magnificent wingspan that may extend up to nearly seven feet (2.1 meters). Its long red bill is broad at the base and sharply pointed and is used by the stork in probing in the mud for frogs, fish or small reptiles while wading in marshes or striding through pastures in an ungainly manner on its long red legs. In addition to small water creatures, it feeds on grasshoppers and locusts and also may resort to carrion and offal. The stork was included in the list of unclean creatures, which, according to the Law covenant, the Israelites were prohibited from eating.—Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18.

When reprimanding the apostate people of Judah who failed to discern the time of Jehovah’s judgment, the prophet Jeremiah called their attention to the stork and other birds that ‘well know their appointed times.’ (Jer. 8:7) The stork regularly migrates through Palestine and Syria from its winter quarters in Africa, appearing in large flocks during March and April. Of the two kinds of stork found in Palestine, the white stork and the black stork (Ciconia nigra), the former only occasionally remains to breed in that region, often making its nest on houses but also nesting in trees. The black stork, so named for its black head, neck and back, is more common in the Dead Sea area and in Bashan and seeks trees, where available, to build its nest. The psalmist referred to the storks nesting in the tall juniper trees.—Ps. 104:17.

Contrasting the flightless ostrich with the highflying stork, Jehovah asked Job: “Has the wing of the female ostrich flapped joyously, or has she the pinions of a stork and the plumage?” (Job 39:13) The stork’s pinions are of great breadth and power, the secondary and tertiary feathers being almost as long as the primaries, giving an immense surface to the wing and enabling the stork to be a bird of lofty and long-continued flight. A stork in flight soaring on its powerful wings, with its neck extended and its long legs stretched out straight behind it, makes an imposing sight. The two women seen in Zechariah’s vision (5:6-11) carrying an ephah measure containing the woman called “Wickedness” are described as having “wings like the wings of the stork.” The reference to the ‘wind in their wings’ (vs. 9) harmonizes also with the rushing sound produced by the air passing through the stork’s pinions. The primary feathers are fingered out in flight so that slots are formed at the ends of the wings, thereby controlling the airflow over the top of the wings and improving their lifting power.

STRAIGHT

(Street).

A street in Damascus, Syria. (Acts 9:10, 11) During the Roman period, it was a major thoroughfare approximately one mile (c. 1.6 kilometers) long and about 100 feet (c. 30.5 meters) wide. Then divided by colonnades into three sections, its center lane was used by pedestrians and the two outside lanes were for mounted and vehicular traffic moving in opposite directions. Still bearing an Arabic equivalent of the former name, but no longer completely straight, it runs W from the city’s East Gate. On this ancient street, at the house of a man named Judas, Saul of Tarsus stayed for a time after the glorified Jesus Christ appeared to him. In a vision, Jesus directed the disciple Ananias to this home on “the street called Straight” to restore Saul’s sight.—Acts 9:3-12, 17-19.

STRANGER

See ALIEN RESIDENT.

STRAW

The dried stalks of grains such as wheat and barley; in the Bible, particularly the fragments remaining after the completion of the threshing operation. Anciently straw, either by itself or mixed with other provender, was used as fodder for domestic animals. (Gen. 24:25, 32; Judg. 19:19; 1 Ki. 4:28; Isa. 11:7; 65:25) Straw was also employed in the manufacture of bricks. (Ex. 5:7-18; see BRICK.) It appears in illustrative settings with reference to the destruction of the wicked (Job 21:18) and the subjugation and humiliation of Moab. (Isa. 25:10-12) Mighty Leviathan is depicted as accounting iron like mere straw.—Job 41:1, 27.

STREET

In ancient towns and cities of Bible lands it appears that most streets were unpaved. (Ps. 18:42; Isa. 10:6; Lam. 2:21) Channels for water drainage from the streets have been discovered in Jericho and Gezer.

Generally, streets were narrow and winding. But there were also “broad ways.” (Luke 14:21; compare Revelation 21:21.) Nineveh’s streets were wide enough to accommodate chariots. (Nah. 2:4) Babylon and Damascus had broad avenues or processional ways, and some streets bore names. During the Roman period, “the street called Straight” in Damascus was a three-lane thoroughfare about 100 feet (c. 30.5 meters) wide.—Acts 9:11; see STRAIGHT (Street).

An open area, the public square, likely near a city gate, might serve as a place to transact business or meet for instruction. (Gen. 23:10-18; Neh. 8:1-3; Jer. 5:1) There children played (Zech. 8:4, 5); the streets in general were usually filled with sounds of activity. (Job 18:17; Jer. 33:10, 11; contrast Isaiah 15:3; 24:11.) They were places of commercial enterprise, shops of a certain kind sometimes being grouped together, as on the “street of the bakers” in Jerusalem.