CEDAR
474
CEDAR
of the larch, but unlike these they persist through the
winter. The wood is reddish-white, fragrant, and
close-grained, at least in older trees. Moreover, by
reason of the resinous oil with which it is impregnated,
it is proof against dry-rot and worms, and in conse-
quence is extremely durable. Pieces found by Lay-
ard in the ruins of the palace of Assur-nasirpal were
still in a good state of preservation after 2700 years.
These qualities caused it to be much sought for build-
ing purposes. It was extensively used in the palaces
built by David and Solomon, and especially in the
first Temple (II K., v, 11; vii, 2; III K., v, 6 sq.; vi,
9 sq.; vii, 2 sq.). It was also used in the second Tem-
ple (I Esd., iii, 7). Because of its close grain and
lasting qualities, statues and images were fashioned
out of it (Is., xliv, 14, 15; cf. Pliny, "Hist. Nat.",
XIII, ii). Young trees were made into masts
(Ezech., xxvii, 5). The statement that the cedar is
unsuitable for masting rests on insufficient observa-
tion; in dense growths trees suitable for masts are not
uncommon. There is no reason, then, why, in the
last text, "cedars from Libanus" should be referred
to the Aleppo pine, which, moreover, is not special to
the Libanus and could have been obtained by the
Tyrians nearer home. The large forests of cedar-
trees which once adorned Libanus, and from which
the Hebrews drew the wood, have almost entirely dis-
appeared. They were laid under contribution by
Phoenician and Hebrew Egyptian and Assyrian,
Greek and Roman, till only a few (eleven) small
groups of trees remain. The most important and
best-known is situated below the summit of Dahr el-
Qodib, the highest peak of the chain, four miles from
Besherre. Here are found about 400 trees, among
which are some ten venerable patriarchs probably
about 2000 years old, more remarkable, however,
for their girth of trunk than for their height. Ex-
tensive forests exist farther north in Mt. Amanus and
Mt. Taurus. There are two other varieties of cedar,
considered by some botanists as distinct species;
namely, Cedrus deodara, or deodar-tree, a native of the
Himalayas, and Cedrus Atlontica, growing in the
Atlas mountains.
The cedar is often used in Scripture for figures and comparisons. Besides the uses already indicated the following may be mentioned. Because of its lux- uriant growth and length of life it is an emblem of prosperity (Ps. xci, 13), and because of its stateliness it is a figure of beauty and majesty (Cant., v, 15; Ecclus., 1, 13). It is also used as the symbol of the Messias and His kingdom (Ezech., xvii, 22 sq.).
Post, Flora of Syria (Beirut, 1896), 751; Idem in Hast- ings, Diet, of the Bib., I. 364; Tristram, Nat. Hist, of the Bibl. (London, 1SS9). 343 sq.; Hooker in Nat. Hist. Rev. (1S62), 11-18; Anderund. in Zeitschr. d. D. Pal. Yer. (1884). S9 sq.; BoiSSIEK, Flora Orient. (Basle and Geneva, 1807-88), V, 699; Misi.in. Les lieux saints (Paris, 185S). I, 337; Levesqtte in Vig., Did. de la Bible, II, 374; Fonck in Lexicon Bibl., I, 799. F. Bechtel.
Cedar (Heb. Tip, Qedar ; Gr. K-nSip), the name of the second son of Ismael (Gen., xxv, 13; I Par., i, 29); also of an Arabian tribe descended from him, and of the territory occupied by it. This tribe is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible and in Assyrian inscriptions; in these latter the people is called Qidrai and the coun- try Qidri. The Cedarenes are represented as a no- madic people differing but little from the modern desert-dwelling Arabs. They lived in tents, which are called black no doubt because, like those of the bedouins, they were made of goat's and camel's hair (.Tit., xlix, 29; Cant., i, 4— Heb. 5); they were gath- ered in hacbrim or encampments protected merely by a r< >hlc1 > enclosure like the dollars of the tribes of North Africa (Is., xlii, 11, Heb.); they possessed many cam- els and much other cattle, in which they carried on a trade with Tyre (Jer., xlix, 29; Ezech., xxvii, 21);
they were a restless, warlike people and skilful archers (Ps. cxix,5sq.; Is.,xxi, 17). These frequent references,
as well as the use of Cedar for Arabia and the Arabians
in general [Cant., i, 4 (5); Ps. cxix, 5], show that be-
fore they were crushed by the Assyrian power the
Cedarenes were a people of considerable importance.
In the Assyrian inscriptions they are associated with
certain kings of the Arabs (Aribi). From the fact
that Hazael, one of them, is once called King of Cedar
in cylinder B of Assurbanipal, the conclusion has been
drawn that these kings were Cedarenes, and that
towards the middle of the seventh century b. c. Cedar
held the hegemony among the tribes of the Syro-
Arabian desert — the Arabs of the Bible and of the
inscriptions. However, as a certain Ammuladi is
called King of Cedar, while his contemporary Ya'uta'
or Uaite' is styled King of the Arabs, it is probable
that the Cedarenes were merely allies of these kings.
The prophecy of Isaias, "within a year ... all the
glory of Cedar shall be taken away" (xxi, 16), proba-
bly refers to an expedition of Sennacherib against
Hazael, when the latter's gods were carried by the
conqueror to Ninive. Still, Cedar may possibly be
used as synonymous with Arabs, in which case the
prophecy may refer to the severe punishment inflicted
by Sargon on some Arabian tribes.
However this may be, the Cedarenes met with dis- astrous reverses at the hands of Assurbanipal. When Samas-sum-ukin rebelled against his brother, Ya'uta' or Uaite', the son of Hazael, sided with him and sent a force to his aid under the Cedarene generals Abiyate' and Aimu, while he and Ammuladi, King of Cedar, invaded and plundered Syria. After the taking of Babylon and the death of Samas-sum-ukin, Assur- banipal turned his attention to the Arabs. Uaite' and Ammuladi were defeated in a series of engage- ments. Uaite' fled to the Nabataeans for refuge, but was given up to the Assyrians; Ammuladi was captured in Moab. Both were carried to Ninive and chained with dogs near the principal gate. In the place of Uaite' Assurbanipal appointed Abiyate', who had led the Arab contingent sent to help Samas- sum-ukin, but who, after being defeated, had sur- rendered and obtained pardon. Abiyate', however, in conjunction with another Uaite', for whom he seems to have resigned, soon organized a new revolt, in which the Nabata?ans now also joined. Assurbani- pal, hastening to the scene of rebellion by the most direct but most difficult road across the Syrian desert, crushed and almost annihilated the rebel tribes. He carried with him to Ninive a multitude of prisoners, among them Abiyate', Aimu, and Uaite', and an im- mense number of camels, oxen, and other cattle. The Cedarenes met with further reverses under Nabu- ehodonosor (Jer., xlix, 2S). They never fully recov- ered from these heavy blows and henceforth history is silent concerning them, though their name is men- tioned till the fifth century a. d. While there is no doubt that the Cedarenes dwelt in the Syro- Arabian desert, known to the ancients as Arabia Deserta, there is some diversity of opinion about their exact location. As both in the Bible and in the inscriptions of Assur- banipal they are mentioned in connexion with the Nabata?ans (Heb. nV3J, NebaiMh; Assyr. Xnbaite), they most probably lived in close proximity to these. Pliny, in fact, states (Hist. Nat., v, 12) that the Cedrei, who doubtless are the Cedarenes, were neighbours of the Nabatoeans. Now before the Per- sian period the Nabatceans were settled south-east of Idumaca, on the northern limits of the Hidjaz, with Egra as their capital. We may therefore conclude that tin' Cedarenes were located in the south-western part of Arabia Deserta, or of the modern Hamad, ex- tending perhaps into Arabia proper. They would thus have been sufficiently remote for a resilience among them to convey the idea of distant exile (Ps. cxix. .")), and yet near enough to be w. 11 known to the Hebrews. Theoiloret mentions (Patr, I. at., I.\ \ X. 1S78) that in his time (fifth century a.i>.) they dwelt
