(נֶסֶךְ, ne’sek, or נָסַיךְ, nasik’; σπονδή, compare σπένδεσθαι, [Php 2:17]). One form of this consisted, according to the ritual law, of wine ([Num 15:5]; [Hos 9:4]; [Sir 1:15] [17]; compare Curt. 7:8, 18; Pliny, 14:14; Iliad, 1:463; 10:579; Odys. 12:362; on the best sorts of wine for this purpose, see the Mishna, Menach. 8:6 sq.), which, according to Josephus (Ant. 3:9, 4), was poured around the altar (rept (περὶ τὸν βωμόν; i.e., the burnt altar, [Exo 30:9]), and not, as the Jews understand it (Mishna, Succah, 4:9), in a channel or tube of it. Drink- offerings were commonly joined with meatofferings ([Num 6:15]; [Num 6:17]; [2Ki 16:13]; [Joe 1:9]; [Joe 1:13]; [Joe 2:14]), an addition to the burnt and thank offerings (not the sin and trespass offering), which consisted of quadrupeds ([Num 6:17]; [Num 15:5]; [Num 15:10]; [1Ch 29:21]; [2Ch 29:35]), and were, like these, presented, sometimes by private persons and sometimes in the name of the people, daily ([Exo 29:40]; [Num 28:7]), on the Sabbath ([Num 28:9]), and on feast-days ([Num 28:14]; [Num 29:6]; [Num 29:16]; [Num 29:24]), in such proportion that one lamb was reckoned to require one fourth of a bin of wine, one ram a third of a hin, and one bullock a half hin ([Num 15:5] sq.; [Num 28:7]; [Num 28:14]). In the (second) Temple liquors were kept ready for drink-offerings (Joseph; War, 10:13, 6), and were dispensed (Mishna, Shekal. 5:1, 3 and 4) by the praefect of libations (עִל הִנְּסָכַים). The Israelites frequently devoted drink-offerings also to foreign deities ([Isa 57:6]; [Isa 65:11]; [Jer 7:18]; [Jer 19:13]; [Jer 44:17]; [Eze 20:28]), as throughout antiquity libations of wine were made to heathen gods (see Smith’s Dict. of Class. Antiq. s.v. Sacrificium, page 846). On the water-libation at the festival of booths, see TABERNACLES, FEAST OF. Libations of water occur in individual cases even prior to the exile ([2Sa 23:16]; [1Sa 7:6]). On the other hand, Elijah poured water on the altar ([1Ki 18:34] sq.) merely to heighten the effect of his miracle in contrast with his idolatrous competitors (Josephus, Ant. 8:13, 5). On the oillibation of [Gen 35:14], SEE STONE. [Psa 16:6] (but probably not [Zec 9:7]) appears to contain an allusion to heathenish drink-offerings consisting of wine mingled with blood (vinum assiratum), which, especially when persons bound themselves to a fearful undertaking, it was customary to drink (Sallust, Catil. 22:1; Sil. Ital. 2:426 sq.). SEE OFFERING.
