International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BRIDGEbrij (gephura, 2 Maccabees 12:13 the King James Version; the Revised Version (British and American) GEPHYRUN): Does not occur in the canonical Scriptures, unless it be indirectly in the proper name Geshur (geshur, 2 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 13:37; 2 Samuel 15:8 1 Chronicles 2:23, and others). The so-called Jacob's bridge is said to mark the site where Jacob crossed the upper Jordan on his return from Paddan-aram, but, of course, does not date from the time of the patriarch. There are traces of ancient bridges across the Jordan in the vicinity of the Lake of Gennesaret, over the Arnon and over other rivers which enter the Jordan from the east; but none of them seem to date farther back than the Roman period. Nahum 2:6, in which the Chaldaic paraphrase renders "bridges," evidently refers to dikes or weirs. Judas Maccabeus is said to have planted a bridge in order to besiege the town of Casphor (2 Maccabees 12:13). Josephus (Ant., V, i, 3) tells us that the Jordan, before the passage of the Israelites, had never been bridged, evidently implying that in his own time bridges had been constructed over it, which was the case, under the Romans. The bridge connecting the temple with the upper part of the city of which Josephus speaks (War, VI, vi, 2; Ant, XV, xi, 5) probably was a viaduct.
Frank E. Hirsch
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water course, or over a chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank to the other.
2. (n.) Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed.
3. (n.) The small arch or bar at right angles to the strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them and transmit their vibrations to the body of the instrument.
4. (n.) A device to measure the resistance of a wire or other conductor forming part of an electric circuit.
5. (n.) A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a bridge wall.
6. (v. t.) To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a river.
7. (v. t.) To open or make a passage, as by a bridge.
8. (v. t.) To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; -- generally with over.
Strong's Hebrew
1650. Geshur -- a territory East of the upper Jordan, also inhab. ...... Geshur, Geshurite. From an unused root (meaning to join);
bridge; Geshur, a district
of Syria -- Geshur, Geshurite. << 1649, 1650. Geshur. 1651 >>.
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