The  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  word  'Atad
in  Judg.  ix.  14, 15.  The  plant  is  named  from
its  firmness.  The  R.  V.  renders  it  on  the
margin  by  thorn,  and  both  versions  so  trans
late  the  word  in  Ps.  Iviii.  9.  It  is  doubtless  a
variety  of  Rhamnus.  The  Septuagint  and  Vul
gate  render  it  by  Rhamnus.  This  thorn  is
quite  common  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Pales
tine,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Dead
Sea  (cp.  Gen.  1. 10),  in  the  Jordan  valley,  and
about  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  It  is  also  found  at
Jerusalem.  The  Rhamnus  is  still  called  by  the
Arabs  'atad  or  nabk,  applying  the  name  not
only  to  Christ's  Thorn  (Zizyphus  spina  Christ!) ,
\vhich  takes  its  name  from  the  tradition  that
the  crown  placed  on  Christ's  head  was  made
from  its  twigs,  but  apparently  also  to  Rham-
ntis  paliurus.
Branca.
A  title  applied  to  the  Messiah  as  the  off
spring  of  David  (Jer.  xxiii.  5 ;  xxxiii.  15  :
Zech.  iii.  8  ;  vi.  12).
Brass.
The  rendering  of  the  Hebrew  word  Neho-
fiheth  and  the  Greek  Chalkos.  The  margin  of
the  R.  V.,  however,  at  Gen.  iv.  22  gives  cop
per  as  a  constant  alternative.  Copper  was
smelted  from  the  ore  dug  from  the  ground
(Dent.  viii.  9  ;  Job  xxviii.  2).  Traces  of  an


cient  copper  works  exist  in  Lebanon  and  in
Edom.  It  was  obtained  notably  in  the  penin
sula  of  Sinai,  in  Cyprus,  and  in  Meshech  and
Tubal  (Ezek.  xxvii.  13).  Brass  is  an  alloy  of
copper  with  from  28  to  34  per  cent,  of  zinc.
