Torre - Mizpah

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Scritto da: jwscientist 05/05/2007 21.02
Un edificio robusto o imponente (Isa. ii. 15 ; Cant, iv. 4,vii. 4 ),e ,con piu’ specifice funzioni,una torre di guardia in un giardino o in un vigneto oppure in una fortificazione.
Era un usanza l’erigere torri di guardia per le guardie nei vigneti (Isa. v. 2), e queste strutture rotonde e che si restringevano alla sommita’si possono ancora vedere nei vigneti della giudea.

Torri simili venivano costruite dai pastori per la protezione dei greggi , nelle recinzioni dove gli animali venivano sistemati per la notte ( ved. “la torre del gregge”,” Gen . xxxv. 21 ; Mich iv.) ,ed e’ chiaramente riportato che Uzziah costrui’ tali strutture nel deserto per il suo immenso pascolo ( II Cron. Xxvi. 10).
Quasi certamente nelle vicinanze di queste torri , si svilupparono gradualmente alloggi per pastori e agricoltori , che formavano spesso il nucleo di insediamenti permanenti .

Le torri per la difesa era erette principalmente ,sulle mura della citta’ fortificate,le mura stesse erano rafforzate con dei bastioni ( Neh. Iii. 1). E gli angoli e le porte erano similmente protetti da robuste torri ( II Re ix .17).
Percio’ nell’antichita’ le mura della citta’ di Gerusalemme erano abbondantemente provviste di torri, e l’antica torre di Phasael ( anche chiamata “torre di Davide”) nella moderna cittadella e’ un esempio eccelente di questo tipo di difesa , essendo la sua struttura sottostante di massici pezzi di pietra ,e la porzione della torre eretta sopra questa, fatta di enormi pietre quadrangolari ( come illustr. ved. Jew. Encic. Vii. 142).
La cittadella che formava il centro della citta’ fortificata era anche chiamata con il termine di “ migdol” ( Judges viii. 9, ix. 46 ) .
Era di solito eretta nel punto piu’ alto della citta’ ,e rappresentava l’ultimo luogo di rifugio in caso la citta’ fosse assediata e le sue mura fossero crollate. ( Giud. Ix. 46.)

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Hello fabrizio you can when you have time translate these thoughts taken from judaica the Jewish encyclopedia/Thanks

Name of several places in Palestine. It is derived from (= "to look"), on account of which it is translated in certain instances by the Septuagint s??p?? and ??as??, and by the Targumim (Gen. xxxi. 49). Except in Hosea v. 1, "Mizpah" always occurs with the definite article prefixed; "Mizpeh" occurs three times with the article—(1) in Josh. xv. 38, where it designates a town of Judah; (2) in Josh. xviii. 26, where it is applied to a town of Benjamin; and (3) in II Chron. xx. 24, where it probably signifies a watch-tower in the wilderness—and twice in the construct state; namely, in Judges xi. 29 ("Mizpeh of Gilead") and in I Sam. xxii. 3 ("Mizpeh of Moab").

Mizpah is first mentioned in the Bible in connection with the meeting of Jacob and Laban on Mount Gilead, where the heap of stones which they erected as a witness, and which was called by Jacob "Galeed" and by Laban "Jegar-sahadutha," was called "Mizpah" also, for the stated reason, "the Lord watch between me and thee" (Gen. l.c.). This Mizpah is most probably identical with the Mizpeh of Gilead (see above), which, according to Schwarz ("Das Heilige Land," pp. 17, 183), is the same as Ramath-mizpeh of Gad (Josh. xiii. 26), and which he identifies with the modern village of Al-?uf in the eastern mountain-range of Gilead.

Mizpah in Palestine.

The most important of the places bearing the name of "Mizpah" was that in Palestine, which on several occasions was the seat of assemblies at which the Israelites discussed their affairs, e.g., in the time of Jephthah (Judges xi. 11), and during the war of Israel with Benjamin (ib. xx. 1). Samuel, also, summoned Israel to Mizpah (I Sam. vii. 5-6, 11, 16); and, finally, in the time of the Maccabees, Mizpah (?ass?f?) appears again as a place of solemn assembly (I Macc. iii. 46). From the foregoing it would appear that at Mizpah a shrine for the worship of Yhwh existed; but there is a diversity of opinion as to the location of the place. There is no doubt that, since it is mentioned with Geba of Benjamin, the Mizpah which Asa fortified against the attacks of the King of Israel (I Kings xv. 22; II Chron. xvi. 6) was the Mizpah of Benjamin, which was called "Mizpeh" in Josh. xviii. 26 (see above), and which was over against Jerusalem. It was also this Mizpah which became the seat of the governor Gedaliah after the destruction of the Temple (II Kings xxv. 23; Jer. xl. 6 et seq., xli. 1); for when Ishmael went forth from Mizpah he met certain people journeying from Shiloh to Jerusalem. W. F. Birch concludes that the other Mizpahs indicated as places of assembly are also identical with the same town of Benjamin ("Pal. Explor. Fund," 1881, pp. 91 et seq.; 1882, pp. 260 et seq.). Finally may be mentioned the opinion of Conder ("Hand-book to Bible," p. 277, London, 1879), who identifies Mizpah with Nob. The Mizpeh of Judah (Josh. xv. 38; see above) is in the Shefelah or lowlands, mentioned as lying between Dilean and Jokthe-el, neither of which places has been identified. Schwarz(l.c. p. 74) identifies Mizpeh with Tel al-Safiyah, the Alba Specula of the Middle Ages (comp. Robinson, "Researches," ii. 363 et seq.).

Land of Mizpah.

There was also a whole tract of land called "the land of Mizpah" ("ere? ha-Mi?pah") or "the valley of Mizpeh" ("bi?'at Mi?peh"), mentioned in connection with the battle between Joshua and Jabin, King of Hazor, which took place at the waters of Meron (Josh. xi. 3, . The topography indicated, "under Hermon in the land of Mizpeh" and "unto great Zidon and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward," taken in connection with Josh. xi. 17, suggests that the land or valley of Mizpah is to be identified with the valley of the Lebanon or the Cœle-Syria of the Greek writers. The Mizpeh of Moab (see above) is mentioned only once (I Sam. xxii. 3), as the residence of the King of Moab, to whose care David consigned his parents

[Modificato da Justee 06/05/2007 11.53]

[Modificato da benimussoo 19/05/2007 22.00]