a privilege that affords the worshiper opportunity to display his love for Jehovah. Contributions given, not for publicity or selfish motives, but with the proper attitude and to advance true worship bring happiness, along with God’s blessing. (Acts 20:35; Matt. 6:1-4; Prov. 3:9, 10) One can assure himself of a share in this happiness by setting aside something from his material belongings regularly for the support of true worship and the aid of deserving ones.—1 Cor. 16:1, 2.

Jehovah furnishes the best example of giving, for he has bestowed upon humanity “life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:25), he has given his only-begotten Son for mankind (John 3:16) and he enriches Christians for every sort of generosity. (2 Cor. 9:10-15) Indeed, “every good gift and every perfect present is from above, for it comes down from the Father of the celestial lights.”—Jas. 1:17; see GIFTS, PRESENTS.

CONVENTION

A gathering or meeting together of people for a specific purpose; an assembly. In the Scriptures the term “convention” is a translation of the Hebrew word miq·raʼʹ, meaning “a calling together” or “convoking.” An alternate rendering of this Hebrew word is “convocation.” Bearing out its basic meaning is its use at Numbers 10:2 to convey the thought of convening the assembly of Israel.

The “holy conventions” were scheduled as follows: (1) Every sabbath (Lev. 23:3); (2) the first and seventh days of the festival of unfermented cakes during Nisan, the first month (March-April) (Num. 28:18, 25; Lev. 23:6-8); (3) the festival of weeks or festival of harvest, later known as Pentecost, held in the third month, Sivan (May-June) (Lev. 23:15-21); (4) the first and tenth days of the seventh month, Ethanim or Tishri (September-October), the latter day being the day of atonement (Lev. 23:23-27; Num. 29:1, 7); (5) the first day of the festival of booths, which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Ethanim or Tishri, also the day after that seven-day festival.—Lev. 23:33-36.

A unique feature of all of these “holy conventions” was that during them the people were to do no laborious work. For instance, the first and seventh days of the festival of unfermented cakes were “holy conventions,” concerning which Jehovah stated: “No work is to be done on them. Only what every soul needs to eat, that alone may be done for you.” (Ex. 12:15, 16) However, during “holy conventions” the priests were busy offering sacrifices to Jehovah (Lev. 23:37, 38), certainly no violation of any command against doing normal daily work. These occasions were not periods of idleness for the people in general either, but were times of great spiritual benefit. On the weekly sabbath day, the people met together for public worship and instruction. They were then edified by the public reading and explanation of God’s written Word, as in the later synagogues. (Acts 15:21) Therefore, while the people did not do laborious work during the sabbath day or the other “holy conventions,” they would then devote themselves to prayer and meditation on the Creator and his purposes.—See ASSEMBLY.

COOKING, COOKING UTENSILS

Cooking and baking in general were usually considered the duties of the women in the Hebrew household, but on certain occasions meals were prepared by men. (Gen. 18:6-8; 27:3-9, 14, 30, 31; 1 Sam. 8:13; 2 Sam. 13:8) When living in tents the Hebrews probably did most of their cooking outdoors. When settled in Canaan, living in stone houses, they did some cooking in the home, particularly during inclement weather. (Judg. 6:19; 2 Sam. 13:7-11) The bulk of the cooking done was for the evening meal, the major meal of the day. (Luke 14:12; Rev. 3:20) Nothing could be cooked on the regular sabbath day, for the Law forbade even the lighting of a fire.—Ex. 35:3.

The Hebrews used various utensils and pieces of equipment in preparing food. There was the hand mill, operated by the women of the household. (Deut. 24:6; Matt. 24:41; see MILL.) For spices or smaller quantities of grain the mortar and pestle sufficed. (Num. 11:8; see MORTAR, I.) Bread dough was mixed in a kneading trough (Ex. 12:34) and baked on a hearth or in an oven.—Ex. 8:3; 1 Chron. 9:31.

Forks were employed at the tabernacle and, later on, at the temple. (Ex. 27:3; 2 Chron. 4:16) Mention is made of a three-pronged fork used by the priests. (1 Sam. 2:12-14) Household cooks may have used a similar fork to take meat out of a pot. They had knives of various kinds to cut up meat for cooking. There is no Scriptural indication that they used knives and forks when eating.

Vessels designed for cooking were generally made of earthenware, although some of them were of copper, such being particularly mentioned in connection with the sanctuary. (Lev. 6:28) Among household cooking utensils were pots, round containers, varying considerably in size. Bronze cooking pots that stood on legs are depicted in Egyptian tomb paintings, and it is possible that the complaining Israelites in the wilderness had such vessels in mind when they spoke of “sitting by the pots of meat” in Egypt. (Ex. 16:3) The Hebrew word translated “pots” in this passage is the one generally used to designate the widemouthed pot, which might be used for washing (Ps. 60:8) or cooking. (2 Ki. 4:38-41; Ezek. 24:3-5) These came in varied sizes, from the average-sized one about twelve inches (c. 30:5 centimeters) in diameter on up to very large ones. Early specimens of this relatively shallow type of pot lacked handles, but during the time of the divided kingdom in Israel a two-handled variety came into use.

Narrow-mouthed cooking pots having one or two handles have been found. They were of more-or-less spherical shape, from about four to fourteen inches (c. 10.5 to 35.5 centimeters) in diameter.

The Israelites also possessed deep-fat kettles or deep pans and also griddles. Grain offerings were frequently prepared in these. (Lev. 2:5, 7; 7:9; 1 Chron. 23:29) Examples of earthenware griddles have been discovered at Gezer. These had small depressions, comparable to the waffle iron of today. Iron griddles were also in use.—Ezek. 4:1-3.

The Scriptures sometimes use cooking pots in a figurative sense. Jerusalem, which was due to be destroyed in 607 B.C.E., was likened to a widemouthed cooking pot, with its inhabitants as the flesh in it.—Ezek. 11:1-12; 24:6-14; see VESSELS.

COPPER

(Brass, Bronze).

A soft metal easily beaten and shaped into many forms. There is no evidence that the ancients had a secret method for hardening pure copper by tempering, but they knew how to harden the cutting edge of tools simply by cold hammering. When alloyed with other metals hardness is greatly increased. One such alloy is bronze, copper containing tin (ancient findings having from 2 to 18 percent tin). Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. (1 Cor. 13:1) In the Authorized Version the words “brass” and “steel” are usually mistranslations for “copper” or “bronze.”

Copper in the free state was not plentiful; metal-bearing ores consisting of oxides, carbonates or sulfides had to be smelted to release the metallic copper. Copper mines have been located in the Wadi Arabah, that arid part of the Rift Valley that extends S from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqabah at the eastern head of the Red Sea. (Job 28:2-4) Solomon exploited the copper deposits near Succoth in Palestine proper, which deposits Moses anticipated in describing the Promised Land. (Deut. 8:9) There large castings were made in clay molds. (1 Ki. 7:14-46; 2 Chron. 4:1-18) Copper was found in abundance on Cyprus. The Bible also speaks of Javan, Tubal and Meshech as sources of copper.—Ezek. 27:13.

Copper and its alloys had many varied and practical