MESOPOTAMIA (Gr. ME(ro roragla, mes-op-ot-am-ee'ah, the country between the two rivers), the ordinary Grcek rendering of the Heb. am nah-har-ah'yim, the Greek name given after the conquests of Alex ander to the region between the Euphrates and the Tigris, excluding the northern part which continued to be known as Babylonia.
The name for this district in the Old Testament is Aram-Naharairn, or "Aram or Syria of the two rivers" (Gen. xxiv:ro; Dcut. xxiii :4 ; Judg. iii :8, io; Chron. xix :6), and Padan-aram or "Plain of Syria" Gen. xxv :2o; xxviii :2-7; xlvi :i5; also Aram or "Syria" (Num. xxiii :7: Gen. xxxi :2o, 24; comp. Acts ii :9 ; vii :2). Under the former name it is referred to as the kingdom of Chushan Rishathaim. who was conquered by Othniel. son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother (Judg. iii :8). Two great thoroughfares of trade led through Meso potamia, both starting from Aleppo in Syria and passing, the one to Edessa on the Euphrates, and the other to Carchetnish on the same river. This
latter road is continued on the east of the Eu phrates through Harran to the Tigris. It would therefore be along it, or in that line, that Abraham journeyed on his migration from Ur of the Chal dees to Canaan. From about B. C. 800 Mesopota mia was subject to Assyria and the cities Gozan. Haran, and Rezeph, and Thelasar, are spoken of as among the conquests of Sennacherib (2 Kings xix :r2). Jews from Mesopotamia were at Jeru salem at the great Pentecost (Acts ii :9), and Stephen uses the name in his speech (Acts vii :2). (See ARAM.) MESS (m6s), (Heb. riOn, mas-ayth% a raising, as of the hands in prayer, Ps. cxli:2; or of flame, Judg. xx:38, 4o), a portion of food (Gen. xliii:34; 2 Sam. xi:8).