Bible Lexicons

";a leg."; For the literal sense, as in John 19:31 ff., cf. P Par 12.16 (B.C. 157) σπασάμενος λέπει με τῇ μαχαίρᾳ εἰς τὸ σκέλος, P Lips I. 37.20 (A.D. 389) κατέκοψα [ν ] π ̣[ληγ ]αῖς αὐτὸν κατά [τ ]ε τῶν σκελῶν καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων μελω ̣̑[ν ] τοῦ σώματος, and Aristeas 151 ἡ γὰρ ἰσχὺς τῶν ὅλων σωμάτων μετ᾽ ἐνεργείας ἀπέρεισιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους ἔχει καὶ τὰ σκέλη.

For the derived use of σκέλος in connexion with the building of irrigation works, cf. P Petr III. 39i. 12 (iii/B.C.) εἰς τὰ ] ἐντὸς σκέλη τῆς ἀφέσεως τῆς [ἐν τῆι ἐγ ]βατηρίαι, and ib. ii. 9, iii. 9. Cf. also PSI IV. 437.2 (B.C. 247–6) περὶ τὰ σκεα τοῦ πλοίου, where the editor suggests a possible σκέλ ̣<η > for σκεα, and cites Hesych. σκέλος · μέρος τι τῆς νεώς. We may add the late BGU I. 304.3 (c. A.D. 640) τοῦ βορρ (ινοῦ) σκέλους ταύτης τῆς πολ (ι)τ (είας). A verb σκελοκοπέω, unknown to the Lexicons, is found in Ev. Petr. 4.