As

which they rehearfed fome paffage out of the writings of Mofes. On Mondays and Thursdays they read only the law, but on the fabbath, as alfo on faft days and feftivals, they read the prophets, and that in the morning only; for in the afternoon they conftantly read nothing else but the law. The Jews did not reckon among the prophetical writings the moral books of the holy fcripture, otherwife called the Hagiographa, as the book of Job, the Pfalms, Proverbs, Ecclefiaftes, and the Song of Solomon; which were read in their fynagogues only upon particular occafions. Neither did they rank among the prophets, the books of Ruth, Hefter, Ezra, Nehemiah, nor even that of Daniel (i), though they read fome portions out of the four firft on their folemn days. for the Pfalms of David, the greatest part of the prayers and thankfgivings that were used in the fynagogue being taken from thence, they dif pensed with reading fome paffages extracted out of them. What they meant therefore by the prophets, was, the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles: Thefe they fuppofed to have been written by prophets, and gave them the name of the former prophets. 2. In the fecond clafs they placed Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, with the twelve leffer prophets; all these they called the latter prophets. It is indeed amazing how Daniel came to be excluded from among the prophets, fince there is no one book more prophetical in the whole Bible. Perhaps because it was not read in the fynagogue, as being too hard to be underftood by the people, it came by that. means infenfibly not to be placed among the prophets. However it be, by the law and the prophets, mentioned in the New Testament (k), we are to underftand the five books of Mofes, and the prophetical writings as here fet down, though the Pfalms feemed to be included in that divifion (1). The faine ceremonies before and after the reading of the prophets were ufed, as at the reading of the law, except that there were fome additional thanksgivings then repeated. The prophetical writings were not read over from one end to another; but fuch parts of them were picked out, as had a relation to what was read before out of the law. To read the prophets, there was a particular perfon appointed different from him that had read the law; and fometimes young men that were under age, were admitted to do it.

After the Hebrew language ceafed to be the mother tongue of the Jews, the holy fcriptures were from that time forward interpreted in their fynagogues either in Greek or Chaldee; which afterwards gave rife to the Chaldee

() And that for this reafon; becaufe, fays Maimonides, every thing that Daniel wrote, was not revealed to him when he was awake, and had the ufe of his reafon, but in the night only, and in obfcure dreams. Or, according to others, because he lived more like a courtier than a prophet. All thefe are certainly very infignificant arguments.

(k) Matth. v. 17. Vii. 12. Xị. 13. xxii. 40. Acts xxvi. 22.

(1) Luke xxiv. 25, 27, 44. This last verse runs according to the Jewish divifion of the holy fcripture into three parts: All things must be fulfilled which are written in the law, and in the prophets, and in the tfalms, &c. Where by the pfalms is meant the third part called Hagiographa.

Chaldee paraphrafes now extant (m). Some are of opinion, that this custom was established by Ezra; others, on the contrary, fix the beginning of it to the time of the Maccabees; which laft is the most probable. This way of interpreting fcripture was performed in the following manner: The minifter, (or any other person that was appointed to read) read one verfe in the original Hebrew, if it was out of the law; and three verfes together, when it was out of the prophets; then stopt to let the interpreter speak; who standing near him, rendered the whole in the vulgar tongue (n). This interpreter was reckoned by the Jews lefs honourable than the reader, undoubtedly out of refpect to the original text. And even very young perfons were admitted to this office, where nothing was wanting but a good memory (o). Here we must obferve, that there were several places of fcripture which it was not lawful to interpret ; as the inceft of Reuben (p), of Thamar (q), and Ammon, the bleffing which used to be given by the Prieft (r); and the latter part of the hiftory of the golden calf (s); which laft was omitted for fear of creating in the people an ill opinion of Aaron. And this no doubt was the reafon why Jofephus hath made no mention at all of the golden calf. St. Paul in his first epifle to the Corinthians (t), alludes to this custom of interpreting the scriptures in the fynagogue, as we have obferved on that place. The reading of the prophets, according to the Rabbins, was clofed with the Prieft's blefling; after which the congregation was difmiffed, unless fome body was to preach.

The afternoon fervice confifted, 1. in finging the eighty-fourth pfalm, from the fifth verfe to the end, and all the hundred and forty-fifth. During which the Sheliach Zibbor, or angel of the fynagogue, stood up, while all the people fat down. 2. In rehearsing the prayer Cadifch. 3. In faying first in a low voice, and afterwards aloud, one of the prayers that had been faid in the morning, with feveral other prayers and thanksgivings. 4. They concluded the fervice with the prayer Cadifch. The evening fervice was almost the fame.

One of the principal ceremonies performed in the fynagogue was circumcifion; though it was also done fometimes in private houses.

(m) Such are thofe of Onkelos, Jonathan, &c.

(") Dr. Prideaux gives us the fame account of this matter, ubi fupra. But according to Lamy, the reader foftly whifpered in the interpreter's ears, what he faid, and this interpreter repeated aloud what had been thus whispered to him.

(0) Dr. Prideaux is not of the fame opinion,for, faith he, "learning "and fkill in both languages (Heb. and Chald.) being requifite, when they "found a man fit for that office, they retained him by a falary, and admitted “him as a standing minifter of the fynagogue." Ibid.

(p) Gen. xxxv. 22.
(3) Exod. xxxii. 21—25.

(9) xxxviii. 16.

() Num. vi. 23 — 26.

(t) 1 Cor. xiv.

Of

H

Of Holy Perfons.

AVING dwelt longer upon the holy places of the Jews than was at firft intended, we thall endeavour to be as concife as poffible in other matters, without omitting however any one thing effential or neceffary to our prefent defign.

We may very properly fet the kings of the Jews at the The kings of head of those perfons they reckoned holy. The commonthe Jews. wealth of Ifrael was at first a theocracy, that is, governed by God; he was the ruler of it in a more especial manner than of the reit of the univerfe (a). He had regulated the government thereof, given it laws, and prefcribed what rewards and punishments fhould be difpenfed therein. The judges, by whom it was governed for a confiderable time, held their power and authority immediately from him. Now what can a king do more than this? The ark of the covenant, with the cherubims that food over the mercy feat, were the throne of this glorious monarch. God therefore being the chief and immediate governor of the Ifraelites, wheneve, they committed idolatry, they not only offended against their maker and preferver, but alfo incurred the guilt of high treafon, as acting against their lawful fovereign: which undoubtedly was the chief reafon why their magiftrates were ordered to punish every idolater with death. The Ifraelites perceiving Samuel was broken with age, and moreover being difgufted at the adminiftration of his fons, had the boldness to require a king like other nations (b). Which requeft being granted them, their government became monarchical and even abfolute whereas before, under Mofes and the Judges, it was limited. Saul, their first king, wore for the badges of his regal authority a crown or diadem, and a bracelet on his arm. We may frame fome idea of thefe royal enfigns used by the kings of the Jews, from the insults of the foldiers over our Saviour Jefus Chrift, when they treated him as a mock-king (c).

:

Though the adminiftration of the Jewish government was in the hand of kings, yet God was looked upon as the fupreme director of it, whilst the kingdom remained elective, as under Saul and David; but when it once became hereditary under Solomon, the government was entirely managed by the kings. Notwithstanding this alteration, God was ftill reckoned the king of Ifrael (*); for which reafon Jerufalem was filed the city of the great king (d). And the Jews, even when they were in fubjection to their kings and the Roman emperors, valued themfelves upon having had God for their king; and it was undoubtedly upon the account of this privilege they told Jefus Chrift, that they

(a) Ifaiah xliv. 6. Pfalm 1xxxiv. 4.
(c) Matth. xxvii. 28, 29.
(d) Matth. v. 35.

(b) 1 Sam. viii. & xii. chap. (*) Hofea xiii. 10. Zephaniah iii. 15

never

never were in bondage to any man (e). It was unlawful for them to chuse any one for their king, unlefs he was an Ifraelite, or, at leaft, an Idumæan, thofe being looked upon by the Jews as their brethren; and therefore the Herods, though Idumæans by extraction, were admitted to the regal dignity. But a woman was abfolutely excluded from the throne. So that Athaliah's reign was a downright ufurpation, and fhe was defervedly put to death for it. We find. Afa commended in holy fcripture for having removed Maachah his mother from being queen (ƒ), when the had invaded the government. There is but one inftance of a queen's reigning over Ifrael, viz. Alexandra the daughter of Jannæus; but she cannot fo properly be faid to have ruled as the Pharifees, to whom the left the whole adminiftration of affairs.

Anointing was a ceremony that alfo accompanied the coronation of the kings of Ifrael (g), and therefore they are frequently named in fcripture the anointed (b). What fort of oil was used on this occafion, is not agreed among the Rabbins. Some afferting that it was the oil of belg ointment (i), which was made for the anointing of the Priefts. Others, on the contrary, maintaining that it was a particular kind of boly oil made on purpofe (k). This ceremony was performed either by a propbet, or the high-priet. One may fee at length in the facred writings the feveral duties incumbent on the kings of Ifrael (/), and the abuses they made of their power. Among the duties prefcribed to them, there is this very remarkable one, That as foon as they were fettled upon the throne, they were to write with their own hand a copy of the book of the law, which they were to carry about with them, and read therein all the days of their life, that they might learn to fear the Lord (m), and have the divine laws conftantly before their eyes, as models of those which they preferibed to their fubjects. Hereby God gave them to understand, that they were not to look upon themselves as independent, and that their laws were fubordinate to his; for when he appointed and fet them up, he ftill referved the fupreme authority to him

ielf.

The last thing we are to take notice of concerning the kings of Ifracl, is, That, according to the Rabbins, they were obliged to read publickly every feventh year at the feaft of tabernacles, fome paffages out of Deuteronomy, in that part of the temple which was called the court of the women. This cuftom they ground upon Deuteronomy xxxi. 1013. though there is no mention at all made of a king in that place.

Of the high-priest.

There were three orders of holy perfons that commonly miniftered in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, the high-priest, the priests, and the Levites. The high-priest

(i) Exod. xxx. 25.

was

(f) 1 Kings xv. I 13. 34. xix. 16.

(4) Pfalm lxxxix, 20.

See Maimonides

(1) Deut. xvii. 16- 20. 1 Sam. viii. 11—17.

Tract. Melakim.

(m) Deut. xvii. 19.

was otherwife called (n) the priest by way of eminence, and fometimes the head or chief of the high-priests, because the name of high-priests was given to the heads of the facerdotal families or courfes. He was the greatest perfon in the ftate next the king; and was not only above the reft of the holy perfons, but was alfo deemed equal to the whole body of the people of Ifrael, because he reprefented it. His bufinefs was to perform the most facred parts of the divine fervice, as will be fhewn hereafter. He was likewife commonly president of the Sanhedrim; but it doth not seem to have been abfolutely neceffary that it fhould be a high-priest who should prefide over that body, and whenever one was chofe to fill up that post, a greater regard was had to his personal qualifications, than to his office. Though the high-priesthood was elective, yet it was annexed to the family of Aaron (0), who was the first that was invested with this dignity. From Aaron it descended to Eleazar his eldest fon, and afterwards to Ithamar his fecond; after whofe decease it returned again into the family of Eleazar by Zadock, and remained in it till the Babylonish captivity: Before which, as is commonly fuppofed, there were thirty high-priests fucceffively, and from thence to the deftruction of Jerufalem fixty, according to the computation of Josephus (p).

Under the first temple the high-priest was elected by the other prics, or elfe by an affembly partly confifting of priests. But under the fecond temple they were frequently chofen by the kings. According to the law, they had their office for life. But this cuftom was very ill obferved, efpecially about the time of our Saviour's birth, when the dignity and authority of the high-prieft dwindled almoft to nothing; that is, when it came to be purchased for money, or given without difcretion and judgment, according to the caprice of thofe that had the fupreme power in their hands, or else to thofe that had the people on their fide; by which means worthlefs men happened to be promoted to this honourable dignity, or else raw, unexperienced, and ignorant perfons, and fometimes even those that were not of the facerdotal race. While the tabernacle and first temple were standing, these four ceremonies were obferved at the confecration of the high-prieft. I. He was wafhed or purified with water (q). II. They put on him the priestly garments. Now befides thofe that he had in common with the rest of the priests, these four were peculiar to him. I. The coat or robe of the ephod, which was made of blue wool, and on the hem of which were feventy-two golden bells separated from one another by as many artificial pomgranates. 2. The ephod, which is called in Latin fuperhumerale, because it was faftened upon the fhoulders. This was like a waistcoat without fleeves, the hinder part of which reached down to the heels, and the fore part came only a little below the ftomach. The ground of it was fine twisted linen, worked with gold and purple, after the Phrygian fashion (r). To

(n) Exod. xxix. 30. Nehem. vii. 65. (p) Jofeph. Antiq. xx. 8.

(0) Numb. iii. 10.

each

(q) See Exod. xxix. where you have an account of the priest's confecration. () The Phrygians are fuppofed to have been the first inventors of imbroi dery.