Heaveoffering

Heave-offering (תּרוּמָה, terumiah', from רוּם, to be high; Sept. usually ἀφαίρεμα), a term including all that the Israelites voluntarily (Ex 25:2 sq.; 35:24; 36:3) or according to' a precept (Ex 30:15; Le 7:14; Nu 15:19 sq.; 18:27 sq.; 21:29 sq.; comp. Eze 45:13) contributed of their own property to Jehovah (not as an offering in the usual sense, but) as a present (Isa 40:20), to be applied to the regular cultus, i.e. for the establishment and maintenance of the sanctuary and its accessories (Ex 25:2 sq.; 30:13 sq.; 25:5 sq., 21, 24; 26:3, 6; Ezr 8:25, etc.), or for the support of the priests (Ex 29:28; Nu 18:8 sq.; 5, 9). Prescribed contributions were, in addition to the annual temple-tax SEE TEMPLE, chiefly that share of the booty taken in war which be' longed to the priests (Nu 21:29 sq.), the yearly first-fruits (Nu 15:19 sq.; comp. 2Sa 1:21), and the tenths which the Levites were required to make over to the priests out of the natural tithes paid to them (Nu 18:25 sq.; what the Levites retained for their own use not being thus styled). The term תּרוּמָה seems to stand in a narrower sense in Ne 10:37; Ne 12:44; Ne 13:3, SEE FIRSTLING, and the Talmudists so call only the agricultural first-fruits appropriate to human use, together with the Levitical tenths (see the tract Terumoth in the Mishna, 1, 6). Heave-offerings are coupled with first fruits in Eze 20:40, and with tithes in Mal 3:8. In Eze 45:1; Eze 48:8 sq., 12, 20 sq., the same word is applied to that portion of the Holy Land which is represented as set apart for the maintenance of the sanctuary and the priests. For the care of all such contributions, as well as for voluntary offerings and tithes in general, a special class of officers was (from the time of king Hezekiah) detailed, of whom a higher priest had the superintendence (2Ch 21:11-12,14; Ne 12:44; Ne 13:5). Heave-offerings could be used or consumed only by the priests and their children (Nu 18:19; Le 22:10). Latei regulations are detailed in the Talmudical tract Terumolth. SEE WAVE-OFFERING.