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JEWISH ANTIQUITIES.

CHAP. I.

OF THE FORM OF THE HEBREW COMMONWEALTH.

THE ancient state and form of the Hebrew government may be distinguished into patriarchal and special. The patriarchal universally prevailed in the first ages. By special we mean the government peculiar to the people of Israel, from the time of their entrance into Egypt to the end of their polity.

Of the Patriarchal Form of Government.

I. The patriarchal form (so called from IIalpia, familia, and apxwv, princeps) is defined by Godwin to consist, in “the fathers of families, and their first-born after them, exercising all kinds of ecclesiastical and civil authority in their respective households; blessing, cursing, casting out of doors, disinheriting, and punishing with death.”

It is natural to suppose, that Adam, the father of all mankind, would be considered as supreme amongst them, and have special honour paid him, as long as he lived; and that when his posterity separated into distinct families and tribes, their respective fathers would be acknowledged by them as their princes. For as they could not, in any tolerable manner, live together without some kind of government, and no government can subsist without some head in whom the executive power is lodged, whom were the children so likely, after they grew up, to acknowledge in this capacity, as their father, to whose authority they had been used to submit in their early years? And hence those, who were at first only acknowledged as kings over their own households, grew insensibly into mo

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narchs of larger communities, by claiming the same authority over the families which branched out from them, as they had exercised over their own. However, the proper patriarchal government is supposed to have continued among the people of God until the time of the Israelites dwelling in Egypt; for then we have the first intimation of a different form of government among them.

Our author hath perhaps assigned greater authority to the patriarchs than they reasonably could or did claim and exercise; at least, the instances he produces to prove they were ordinarily invested with such a despotic power, "in civilibus et sacris," as he ascribes to them, are not sufficiently convincing.

That there was some civil government in the first ages, is supposed to appear from the history of Cain, who was not only banished, but was apprehensive he should be punished with death, for the murder of his brother Abel. "And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me," Gen. iv, 13, 14. Where adhamah, which we render, the earth, may signify his native country, viz. that part of the world where Adam dwelt, where himself was born, and where his nearest kindred and acquaintance lived; this word, as well as arets, being frequently applied to a particular country, as to the land of Canaan, Gen. xxviii, 11; to the land of Egypt, Exod. viii, 17; and to several others*.

By" the face of God from which he was hid," or banished, is properly meant what the Jews called the Shechinah, a shining light or glory, in which God was wont to manifest his presence, and to present himself as a visible object of worship, and from which he gave oracles, as he did afterward in the Jewish tabernacle over the mercy-seat; though St. Chrysostom understands his being "hid from the face of God," of the Divine Being's withdrawing his gracious presence from him, and putting him from under his protection.

* Vid. Stockii Clav. in verb.

Many have thought, that upon his being thus banished from the Divine presence he turned idolater, and set up the worship of the sun, as the best resemblance of the Shechinah, or visible divine glory; and thus they account for the early introduction of that most general and most ancient kind of idolatry.

The reason why this lighter punishment of banishment was inflicted on him, instead of that severer one of death, which his crime had merited, is supposed to be either, first, that he might continue a living example of divine vengeance, in order to deter others from the like crime, whereas had he been put to death, the criminal and his punishment might soon have been forgotten: or, secondly, as Grotius conceives, because there being yet but few inhabitants in the world, it was fit he should be suffered to live for the propagation of the species; or at least an example of severity was less requisite, as there were not many who were likely to be exposed to such outrages*.

However, it appears, that Cain, being sensible of his deserts, was afraid the punishment of death would be inflicted on him; for he adds, "I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me:" that is, either as a common enemy, or at least as one banished and outlawed, and not under the protection of the government.

It follows, Gen. iv, 15, " and the Lord said unto him, therefore whoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold:" that is, as some understand it, to the seventh generation; or it may rather be a definite number for an indefinite†; and so the meaning is, he shall endure many punishments, or shall be severely punished.

"And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should slay him." Many are the conjectures both of Jews and Christians (some of them ridiculous enough) concerning this mark. Some will have it, God stigmatized him with a brand in his forehead, to denote his being accursed; others, that he had a wild aspect, and bloody eyes, which rolled in a horrid manner. The fathers, in general, suppose, that he had a con

* De jure belli et pacis, lib. i, cap. 2, sect. 5.

+ Instances of this you have in Psal. xii, 6; cxix, 164; and Prov. xxiv, 16, and many other places.

tinual trembling of the body, so that he could hardly get his food to his mouth. This opinion is favoured by the Septuagint, which renders "a fugitive and a vagabond," sεvшY xaι трεμov, σενων και τρεμον, lamenting and trembling. Others tell us, that wherever he went the earth shook under him. And another notion (as well founded as any of the former) is, that he had a horn growing out of his forehead, to warn people to avoid him. Le Clerc imagines, that God ordered him to wear some distinguishing garment, perhaps of some glaring colour, as a mark or sign upon him for his preservation; like the blood upon the doorposts of the Israelites' houses, Exod. xii, 13; or the scarlet line in Rahab's window, Josh. ii, 18; for had he been clothed only with the skins of wild beasts, as in those days men generally were, after the fashion of their first parents, Gen. iii, 21, he would have been very liable, whenever he had wandered in the woods and thickets, to have been shot at by some hunter, and perhaps killed through mistake. A similar instance you have in the fable of Cephalus and Procis.

However, Dr. Shuckford's opinion is the most probable, who renders the words ms rpb mm own vejasem Jehovah lecain oth, "God gave to Cain a sign" or token, probably by some apparent miracle, that he would providentially protect him; so that none that met him should kill him*. In this sense the words oth is used when the rainbow is called the oth, that is the sign or token of the covenant which God made with Noah; whereby he assured him, that he would drown the world no more, Gen. ix, 12-17; and when Gideon desired, that the angel would show him a sign, or some miraculous token, that he brought him a commission from God, and that he should be able to destroy the Midianites, Judg. vi, 17; see also Psal. lxxxvi, 17.

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Another article in the history of the antediluvian ages, which is supposed to intimate, that there was a civil government then subsisting, is the story of Lamech. Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man unto my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventy and seven

* Shuckford's Connect. vol. i, p. 8.

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