CAUSEY (ka'zy) or CAUSEWAY (kaz'wa), (Heb. mes-il-law'; Fr. chauss/e), a raised or paved way (1 Chron. xxvi:t6, 18 and Prov. xv:19, margin, in the A. V. ed. 1611), hut afterwards changed to a corruption for rausey. "Causeway," however, is found in the margin of Is. vii:3 in A. V. ed. i6ii.
CAVE (kav), (Het). n;:;”?, meh-aw-raw'), in A. V.
Is. ii:19, hole (Is. xxxii:14; Jer. vii:11, den). Comp. Josh. x:16, 17. A hollow place in the side of a hill; a den or hole in the earth.
The geological formation of Syria is highly favorable to the production of caves. It consists chiefly of limestone, in different degrees of den sity, and abounds with subterranean rivulets. The springs issuing from limestone generally contain carbonate of lime, and most of them yield a large quantity of free carbonic acid upon exposure to the air. To the erosive effect upon limestone rocks. of water charged with this acid, the formation of caves is chiefly to be ascribed. The subordinate strata of Syria, sandstone, chalk, basalt, natron, etc., favor the formation of caves. Consequently the whole region abounds with subterranean hol lows of different dimensions. Some of them are of immense extent ; these are noticed by Strabo, who speaks of a cavern near Damascus capable of holding 4,00o men.
(1) First Mention. The first mention of a cave in Scripture relates to that into which Lot and his two daughters retired from Zoar after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. xix : 30). It was some cavern in the mountains of Moab, but tradition has not fixed upon any of the numerous hollows in that region.
(2) Machpelah. The next is the cave of Mach pclah, in the field of Ephron, which Abraham pur chased of the sons of Heth (Gen. xxv :9, to). There Abraham buried Sarah, and was himself afterward buried; there also Isaac, Rebecca, Leah and Jacob were buried (Gen. xlix :32;1:13). The cave of Machpelah is said to be under a Mahom etan mosque, surrounded by a high wall called the Haram; but even the Moslems are not allowed to descend into the cavern. The tradition that this is the burial place of the patriarchs is supported by an immense array of evidence.
(3) Makkedah. The situation of the cave at Makkedah, into which the five kings of the Am morites retired, after their defeat by Joshua, and into which their carcasses were ultimately cast, is not known ( Josh. x:16, 27).
(4) Artificial. Some of the caves mentioned in the Scriptures were artificial, or consisted of nat ural fissures enlarged or modified for the purposes intended. It is recorded (Judg. vi :2) that, 'be cause of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains. and caves and strongholds.' Caves made by an are met with in various quarters. An innumerable multitude of excavations are found in the rocks and valleys around Wady Musa, which were prob ably formed at first as sepulchers, but afterward inhabited, like the tombs of Thebes.
(5) Dwelling Places. Caves were used as dwelling places by the early inhabitants of Syria. The Horites, the ancient inhabitants of Idumea Proper, were Troglodytes or dwellers in caves, as their name imports. Jerome records that in his time Idumma, or the whole southern region from Eleutheropolis to Petra and Ailah, was full of habitations in caves, the inhabitants using subter ranean dwellings on account of the great heat. The Scriptures abound with references to habita tions in rocks; among others, see Num. xxiv :21 ; Cant. ii :14 ; Jer. xlix :16 ; Obad. 3. Even at the present time many persons live in caves.
(6) Places of Refuge. Caves afforded excel lent refuge in the time of war. Thus the Israel ites (I Sam. xiii :6) are said to have hid them selves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. See also Jer. xli :9; Joseph. Antiq. xii , 1. Hence, then, 'to enter into the rock, to go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth' (Is. ii :19), would, to the Israelites, be a very proper and familiar way to express terror and consternation. The pits spoken of seem to have consisted of large wells, in 'the sides' of which excavations were made, leading into various chambers. Such pits were sometimes used as poisons (Is. xxiv :22; 11:14; Zech. ix :II) ; and with niches in the sides. for burying places (Ezek. xxxii :23). Many of these vaulted pits remain to this day.