TINKLING, See BELL; DRESS. TINSHEMETH (tin-she'meth), (Heb. m1=121, tan-sheh'melh, swan, Lev. xi:18; Deut. xiv:i6).
There is good reason to believe that this is not the true meaning of the word thus rendered in our common version, for the swan is not a bird which, in migrating to the south, even during the coldest seasons, appears to proceed further than France or Spain. though no doubt individuals may be blown onwards in hard gales to the African shore. In all probability the bird referred to is the porphyrion or purple gallinula. The porphy rion is superior in hulk to our water-hen or gal linula, has a hard crimson shield on the forehead, and flesh-colored legs; the head, neck, and sides are of a beautiful turquoise blue, the upper and back parts of a dark but brilliant indigo.
The porphyrion is a remarkable bird, abound ing in the southern and eastern parts of Europe and western Asia, feeding itself standing on one leg, and holding its food in the claws of the other. It was anciently kept tame in the precincts of pagan temples, and therefore perhaps was marked unclean, as most, if not all, the sacred animals of the heathens were. C. H. S. TIPHSAH (tif'sah), (Heb. tif-sakh', a fording place; Sept. Oeo-pci, Thesra), a large and opulent city on the western bank of the Euphrates.
It is doubtless the same as the Thapsacus of the Greeks and Romans. The name means `ford ;' and the town was, in fact, situated at the lowest fording place of the Euphrates; whence it be came the point of trading communication between the natives east and west of the river. On this account, and as commanding the ford, •the pos session of the place was deemed of great impor tance by the ruling powers of the day (Xenoph. Anob. i, 4-II • Arrian, ii, 13; iii, 7; Strabo, xvi, p. 1082; Q. Curtius, x, 1-9). This circumstance explains the contentions of the kings of Syria and Egypt respecting Carchemish, which was a strong place a little lower down the river, at the junction of the Chaboras. Solomon obtained possession of Tiphsah (I Kings iv :24), probably in connection with the series of operations (of which the building or fortification of Tadmor was one) adopted by him for the purpose of drawing the eastern trade into his own dominions. (See SoLomoN ; TADMOR.) It was attacked by Menahem, king of Israel, who inflicted great cru elties on the inhabitants (2 Kings xv :16). Noth ing remains of Tiphsah at the present day except the name; but the site is supposed to be marked by the village of Ed-Deyr.