East

"(1.) The orient (mizrah); the rising of the sun. Thus "the east" "country" is the country lying to the east of Syria, the Elymais" (Zech. 8:7). "(2). Properly what is in front of one, or a country that is before or in front of another; the rendering of the word kedem. "In pointing out the quarters, a Hebrew always looked with his" face toward the east. The word kedem is used when the four quarters of the world are described (Gen. 13:14; 28:14); and mizrah when the east only is distinguished from the west (Josh. "11:3; Ps. 50:1; 103:12, etc.). In Gen. 25:6 "eastward" is" "literally "unto the land of kedem;" i.e., the lands lying east" "of Palestine, namely, Arabia, Mesopotamia, etc."

"The Arabs as a whole, known as the Nabateans or Kedarenes, nomad" "tribes (Judg. 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10)."

"(Jer. 19:2), properly the Potter's gate, the gate which led to" "the potter's field, in the valley of Hinnom."

"(Joel 2:20; Ezek. 47:18), the Dead Sea, which lay on the east" "side of the Holy Land. The Mediterranean, which lay on the west," "was hence called the "great sea for the west border" (Num." 34:6).

"The wind coming from the east (Job 27:21; Isa. 27:8, etc.)." "Blight caused by this wind, "thin ears" (Gen. 41:6); the" "withered "gourd" (Jonah 4: 8). It was the cause and also the" emblem of evil (Ezek. 17:10; 19:12; Hos. 13:15). In Palestine "this wind blows from a burning desert, and hence is destitute of" moisture necessary for vegetation.

"Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the" "Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time" of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival "of the Resurrection of Christ, which occured at the time of the" Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When "the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word "passover" "was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred," "except in Act 12:4. In the Revised Version the proper word," "passover, is always used."

Related Bible Dictionary Terms:
East Children of the    East gate    East sea    East wind