waters such as the Sea of Galilee. A smaller “pygmy cormorant,” though not so frequent, is to be found along lakes and rivers.

The cormorant is of the pelican family and somewhat resembles a duck. Usually long bodied and dark colored, the cormorant is swift and agile in the water, swimming under water mainly by use of its webbed feet but also at times employing its relatively long wings in darting after its prey. Its sharp, hooked beak makes it a splendid fisher, and from ancient times cormorants have been trained by fishermen in the Orient and parts of India to catch fish for their owners, a band being placed fairly loosely around the bird’s throat to prevent it from swallowing anything but very small fish. One observer describes the bird as seen sitting on a tree in the area where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea and satisfying its voracious appetite by swooping down into the water to catch fish that are dazed by being carried into the salty sea.

CORNELIUS

(Cor·neʹlius).

An army officer (centurion, AV) in command of 100 soldiers of the Italian band. (See CENTURION.) Stationed at Caesarea, he had his own house. His Roman name suggests that he may have belonged to a noble family in the imperial city. He was “a devout man” who “made many gifts of mercy to the people and made supplication to God continually,” “a man righteous and fearing God and well reported by the whole nation of the Jews.” It was to such a man that an angel appeared in a vision in the fall of 36 C.E., saying: “Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God.” The angel also told Cornelius to send to Joppa for Peter.—Acts 10:1-22.

When Peter arrived, Cornelius, in the presence of “his relatives and intimate friends,” said to the apostle: “We are all present before God to hear all the things you have been commanded by Jehovah to say.” (Acts 10:24, 33) “While Peter was yet speaking . . . the holy spirit fell upon all those hearing the word.” Thus this group of which Cornelius is named as the most notable became the first uncircumcised Gentiles or non-Jews to receive “the free gift of the holy spirit.” (Acts 10:44, 45) Water baptism immediately followed. Nothing more is known of the life and activity of Cornelius after this.

Cornelius was not a proselyte member of the Jewish communion as some contend, even though he was acquainted with the writings of the prophets, gave gifts of mercy to the Jews, feared God, prayed continually, and used the name Jehovah. The Scriptures prove conclusively that this army officer was an uncircumcised Gentile in the fullest sense. If Cornelius had been a proselyte, Peter would not have said it was unlawful for him, a Jew, to associate with this “man of another race,” in view of what was written in the Law concerning an alien resident. (Lev. 19:33, 34; Acts 10:28) If he had been a proselyte, the six other Jews with Peter would not have been “amazed” at seeing the holy spirit poured out “upon people of the nations,” (Acts 10:45; 11:12) If he had been a proselyte, why did “supporters of circumcision” contend with Peter over this matter?—Acts 11:2.

In reality, Cornelius was the firstfruits of the uncircumcised non-Jews to become a Christian, showing that by this time it was not necessary for Gentiles to become Jewish proselytes like the Ethiopian eunuch before being accepted into the Christian congregation. “For a certainty,” Peter exclaimed on that historic occasion, “I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34, 35) As Peter was the first to open up The Way to the Jews at Pentecost, so in this instance he was the first to bring good news of salvation to the uncircumcised Gentiles. James also agreed that it was “the first time” that God turned his attention to “the nations.”—Acts 15:7, 14.

CORNER GATE

See GATE, GATEWAY.

CORNERSTONE

A stone placed at an angle or corner of a building where two walls meet, of great importance in joining and binding them together. Usually cut as rectangular blocks, cornerstones are customarily laid endways and sideways alternately from the foundation to the top or roof of a structure. Thus, at an angle or corner, the side of one stone appears below or above the end of the next stone. However, Assyrian architecture at Nineveh exemplifies the use, generally, of one angular stone to form a corner.

The principal cornerstone was the foundation cornerstone, a particularly strong one generally being chosen for public buildings and city walls. The foundation cornerstone would be used as a guide as other stones were put in place, a plummet being dropped to it to align them. Every other stone had to conform to the foundation cornerstone for the building to be properly constructed. Sometimes, foundation cornerstones were quite massive and frequently two slabs were used, though not joined with mortar. The foundation cornerstone also served to bind the parts of a structure together.

Another important cornerstone was the “head of the corner” (Ps. 118:22), this expression possibly alluding to the topmost and hence the crowning stone of a structure. By means of it the two walls meeting at the corner would be held together at the top so that they would not fall apart and the structure collapse.

Concerning the founding of the earth, God asked Job: “Who laid its cornerstone?” The earth, on which man resides and has erected many buildings, was thus likened to a gigantic edifice, a building with a cornerstone. The laying of it, which could be ascribed to no man, for mankind had not yet been created, made the heavenly “sons of God” shout in applause. (Job 38:4-7) Joy and the praising of Jehovah marked the laying of the temple’s foundation in Zerubbabel’s day. (Ezra 3:10, 11) Also, it was foretold that when Zerubbabel would “bring forth the headstone” there would be shoutings to it of “How charming! How charming!” (Zech. 4:6, 7) However, just the opposite, sorrow and devastation, were in store for Babylon, Jehovah foretelling: “People will not take from you a stone for a corner or a stone for foundations, because desolate wastes to time indefinite are what you will become.”—Jer. 51:26.

FIGURATIVE AND SYMBOLIC USE

Some translations use “cornerstone(s)” to render a Hebrew word (pin·nahʹ) that carries the basic thought of “corner” but is also used metaphorically for a chief as a ‘corner’ of defense or support, hence for a key man. Thus, at Isaiah 19:13 certain translations use “cornerstone(s)” (AS; AT; RS), whereas others use “chiefs” (Le) and “leaders” (Mo), agreeing basically with the New World Translation rendering “key men.” (See also Judges 20:2; 1 Samuel 14:38, where the Hebrew is literally “the corner towers,” these being pictorial of important or vital men, or chiefs.) Such an application of ‘corner’ to a key man seems significant in view of the symbolic application of “cornerstone” in Messianic prophecy.

Jesus Christ is Scripturally spoken of as the “foundation cornerstone” of the Christian congregation, which is likened to a spiritual house. Through Isaiah, Jehovah foretold that He would lay in Zion as a foundation “a stone, a tried stone, the precious corner of a sure foundation.” (Isa. 28:16) Peter quoted and applied to Jesus Christ this prophecy regarding the “foundation cornerstone” on which individual anointed Christians are built up as “living stones,” to become a spiritual house or temple for Jehovah. (1 Pet. 2:4-6) Similarly, Paul showed that members of the Christian congregation had been built up “upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Christ Jesus himself is the foundation cornerstone,” in union with whom the whole building harmoniously joined together “is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah,” a place for Him to inhabit by spirit.—Eph. 2:19-22.

Psalm 118:22 discloses that the stone rejected by the builders would “become the head of the corner.” Jesus quoted and applied this prophecy to himself as “the chief cornerstone.” (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17) Just as the topmost stone of a building is conspicuous, so Jesus Christ is the crowning stone of the spiritual temple. Peter also applied Psalm 118:22 to Christ, showing that he was the “stone” rejected by men but chosen by God to become “the head of the corner.”—Acts 4:8-12; see also 1 Peter 2:4-7.

COS

The capital city at the NE end of an island bearing the same name and off the SW coast of Asia Minor. Its advantageous position gave Cos high commercial and naval importance at an early date.

Though the apostle Paul apparently sailed past this city when traveling from Ephesus to Caesarea at the conclusion of his second missionary journey in the spring of 52 C.E. (Acts 18:21, 22), it was not until the close of his third tour, about four years later, that the island received mention by name in Acts (21:1). After Paul ‘tore himself away’ from the Ephesian overseers to whom he had spoken at Miletus (Acts 20:17, 36-38), the ship that he and Luke boarded “ran with a straight course,” that is, it sailed before the wind, without tacking, and under fair winds, until it “came to Cos,” a journey of some thirty-five geographical miles (56.3 kilometers) down the coast. It has been estimated by some commentators that, with the Aegean’s usual prevailing NW winds, such a distance could be covered in about six hours, allowing, as Luke indicates, for Paul’s ship to arrive at Cos on the same day as that of departure from Miletus. It seems likely that this ship spent the night anchored off the E coast of Cos and arrived at Rhodes “the next day,” after departing in the morning on the relatively short journey of fifty geographical miles (80.5 kilometers).

The island of Cos is reputed to have long been a Jewish center in the Aegean. It was a free Roman state in the province of Asia and, according to Tacitus, was granted immunity from taxation by Claudius in 53 C.E.

COSAM

(Coʹsam) [diviner].

A seventh-century B.C.E. descendant of David’s son Nathan; son of Elmadam and father of Addi; and ancestor of Jesus’ mother Mary.—Luke 3:28.

COSMETICS

Substances or treatments applied to the face or other parts of the human body to alter one’s appearance, to beautify or to promote attractiveness. Such preparations can be applied to the skin, the nails or the hair. The English word “cosmetic” is derived from the Greek word ko·sme·ti·kosʹ, which means “skilled in decorating.” In the distant past physicians were suppliers of cosmetics (as among he Greeks and Romans), but eventually the making of these preparations became a separate trade. To some extent, in ancient times, cosmetics were used by both women and men, though particularly by women.

There were ointment makers and mixers among the Israelites (Ex. 30:25; 1 Sam. 8:13; Neh. 3:8), and ointments (often scented) were widely used, perhaps more so than other cosmetics. When applied to the skin or the hair in a hot, dry climate, ointments would help to cope with dryness. Perfumed oils were in use, a sinful woman once anointing Jesus Christ’s feet with such oil. (Luke 7:37, 38) Also, shortly before Jesus’ death, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, “came with an alabaster case of perfumed oil, genuine nard, very expensive,” and anointed him.—Mark 14:3; John 12:3; Matt. 26:6, 7; see OINTMENT AND PERFUMES.

Prominent women in ancient Egypt enjoyed the services of hairdressers who took care of their coiffures and their wigs. Hair pins were in use there. Egyptian women sometimes tinted their hair, fingernails, toenails, and even their hands and feet, with the orange dye or stain acquired by crushing the leaves of the henna plant.

When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel, in addition to attending to her coiffure or doing her head up beautifully, “proceeded to paint her eyes with black paint.” (2 Ki. 9:30) At least some women in Israel, like those in other Middle Eastern lands of antiquity, used eye paint. (Ezek. 23:40) Eye paint was often black, which color would contrast with the white of the eye and tend to make the eyes look larger. (Jer. 4:30) Scriptural references to eye painting do not associate the practice with faithful women of Israel in general, though one of Job’s daughters was named Keren-happuch, which means “horn of antimony” or “horn of eye paint.” (Job 42:14) Horns were sometimes used to hold eye paint. The compound antimony trisulfide, found in the ore stibnite, was widely employed as a cosmetic eye shadow, it being black when powdered. According to Sennacherib’s annals, antimony (probably stibnite, perhaps to be used as eye paint) was part of the tribute paid him by Judean King Hezekiah. Various other substances were also employed by the Egyptians and Babylonians for painting the eyes.

Modest and tasteful use of cosmetics and articles of adornment is not Scripturally condemned. However, Paul and Peter admonished Christian women to adorn themselves “with modesty and soundness of mind, . . . in the way that befits women professing to reverence God,” and to let their adornment be “the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.” (1 Tim. 2:9, 10; 1 Pet. 3:3, 4) And, in the inspired appraisal of the good wife, it is fittingly stated: “Charm may be false, and prettiness may be vain; but the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself.”—Prov. 31:30.

COTTON

[Heb., kar·pasʹ].

The original Hebrew word corresponds with the Persian word kirpas and the Greek karʹpa·sos, which may mean either fine cotton or fine linen; and many modern translations favor the rendering of “cotton” at Esther 1:5, 6. Cotton is there mentioned as among the materials used for decorating the palace courtyard during King Ahasuerus’ seven-day banquet at Shushan. The growing of cotton in Persia and in India extends far back into ancient times. While linen seems to have been more widely used in Egypt and Palestine, evidence for the use of cotton there also exists from the first millennium B.C.E. on.

The cotton plant of the Bible account is thought to have been the type classified as Gossypium herbaceum. The bush grows to a height of about five feet (1.5 meters), blossoms with yellow or sometimes pink flowers, and, following the drying up of the flowers, produces the cotton bolls or seed capsules. When ripe, the bolls split open, allowing the fluffy cotton to push out. After the cotton has been collected, the seeds must be picked out or combed out by passing the cotton through a gin. The cotton fibers are then ready for final processing and for weaving. Some authorities suggest that the “white fabrics” of the loom workers of Egypt mentioned at Isaiah 19:9 were probably of cotton.—See CLOTH.

COURIER

A man especially selected from the royal bodyguard to deliver royal decrees and other urgent correspondence from a king to distant areas of his realm. The speed of delivery by couriers was of prime importance. From early times such men were referred