configurations of the stars and planets, whence they pretended to collect the will of heaven, and to foretel future events. The words in the original, n

Ehezim becucebim, literally mean, what our translation has it, "stargazers," or those who gaze upon the stars, not for the purpose of astronomy, but astrology. And the word 'murioim, rendered "monthly prognosticators," means they who prognosticated at every new moon the events that should happen to any person during it. The 14th intimation that we have of divination is in Jer. xxvii. 9. "Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers." Where the original word for "diviners" is kesemicem, the same with that mentioned under intimation 12th. The original word for "dreamers," Donn Helemethicem, was applied, not to ordinary dreamers, but to those supernatural intimations of the divine will, given under the Old Testament dispensation to particular persons, as Joseph," Pharaoh's butler and baker, Pharaoh himself, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, and others. It was often intimated, however, by false prophets, in order to deceive. The original for "enchanters" is onenicem, and is the same as the cloudmongers, mentioned in the 5th intimation, who from the appearances of the heavens pretended to foretel futurities. And the original for "sorcerers" is

ceshepicem, explained under intimation 3rd, as referring to those who elicited futurities by certain pharmaceutical preparations. The 15th intimation we have of divination is in Ezek. xxi. 21, where it is said that "the king of Babylon stood in the parting of the

a Gen. xxxvii. 5—11.

b Gen. xl. 5-22.

Gen. xl. 1-8.

Daniel ii, 31-35. iv. 10-18.

Ch. vii. 1-15.

way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver." Here we have three species of divination mentioned. The 1st is rhabdomancy, or the consulting of staves (which Hosea, iv. 12, also notices,) and which was done either by writing, or otherwise marking on several rods or arrows the names of the cities which they intended to attack, and then putting them promiscuously into a quiver, from whence they drew them in the manner of lots, to determine on the city that was first to be attacked. This was certainly very unlike a regular campaign, but it marked the selfconfidence of the monarch, and the oscitancy of eastern councils. The Afghauns practise this kind of divination at the present day. The second kind is "the consulting of images," literally of terepim, '77, which were probably a small kind of cherubim, and

a

And the 3rd kind which was a very

used as penates, or household gods. is called "looking into the liver," common mode of divination.-The 16th intimation we have of divination is in Daniel i. 20, where it is said, that "in all matters of wisdom and understanding, Nebuchadnezzar inquired of Daniel and his companions, and found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in his realm." Now the original word for "magicians" is 'pon Heretmim, or those who pretended to predict futurities, by the construction of astrological characters, already explained in intimation 2nd. And the word rendered "astrologers" is D' Ashepim, which rather means conjurors; for the word seems to be derived from one which signifies "to breathe," on account of the divine afflatus to which

• Prideaux, Con. A.A.C. 590. Elphinstone's Cabul, Book ii. ch. 5. • See Potter's Antiq. of Greece, Book ii. ch. 14. Adams's Roman Antiq.

they laid claim.-The 17th intimation that we have of divination is in Dan. ii. 2, where it is said that the king of Babylon collected "the magicians, and astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dream." We saw the meaning already of the heretmim, or magicians, under intimation 2nd, and of the ashepim or astrologers in the immediately preceding one. The sorcerers," or meceshnim were pretenders to divination, by mixing different herbs and extracting their virtues for magical purposes. And the Chaldeans were early renowned for their knowledge in astronomy and astrology. It was no wonder, then, that they were sought for by the king.-The last intimation that we have of divination, in the Old Testament, is in Dan. ii. 27, where it is said that "the secret which the king had demanded could not the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers, show unto the king." Here the original word for "wise men," is

'n Ecimin, already explained under intimation 2nd. The words for "astrologers" wx Ashepin, and "magicians" on Heretmin, are explained under intimation 16th. And as for the word rendered "soothsayers," gezerin, it imports those who pretended to foretel future events by cutting up animals and inspecting their entrails. They corresponded therefore with those whom the king of Babylon employed to look into the liver, Ezek. xxi. 21, and were explained under the 15th intimation.

So much then for the very humiliating state in which the heathens were as.to religion; and the criminality of the Jews in leaving the worship of the true God, and following after the lying vanities of their heathen neigh

bours.

SECT. IV.

Jewish Sects, and lesser Distinctions, in our Saviour's Days.

Enmity between Jews and Samaritans accounted for. Sadducees, their origin and tenets Pharisees, their origin and tenets; this sect the most numerous and popular.—The Essenes, practical and contemplative. The Herodians.--Chief priests; Scribes, their office, and how our Lord's teaching differed from theirs. The elders, lawyers, and publicans.

BEFORE the revolt of the ten tribes, the Jews had no other difference in religious matters than what arose from the temporally and spiritually minded; the one observing the letter of the law, and the other endeavouring to enter into its spirit. But after that time, the Jews and Samaritans publicly and perpetually differed from each other. Every one who reads the sacred history will perceive this, and the grounds of the enmity that subsisted between them were the following: In the first place, they were divided by national hatred, the one belonging to the kingdom of Judah, and the other to the kingdom of Israel; so that they were frequently at war with each other. 2ndly, Religious prejudices widened the breach; for Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did all he could to prevent his subjects from going to the festivals at Jerusalem, by erecting two idols at Bethel and Dan. 3rdly, The mixed multitude that were sent from Babylon, Cutha, Ava, Hamah, and Sepharvaim, to people the kingdom of Israel, after it was led away captive (A. M. 3295,) increased this hatred, by their blending their heathen worship with the religion of Moses; and appearing as the greatest enemies of the Jews, in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, when they were engaged in rebuilding the city and temple of Jerusalem. 4thly, The temple on mount Gerizim that was built by Sanballat the Horonite

(A. M. 3595,) in opposition to the temple at Jerusalem, set altar against altar, and worship against worship. And 5thly, The enmity was rendered complete by the Samaritans rejecting the prophets and hagiographa; the oral law, and traditions. It was no wonder, then that the woman of Samaria expressed her surprise to our Lord, when he asked her even for a draught of water; since it really was, as she said, that the Jews had no friendly dealings with the Samaritans."

If we advance to the times of our Saviour, we shall find the Jews divided into four different sects; the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Herodians.

The Sadducees derived their origin from Tzadoc, the disciple of Antigonus, who lived 240 years before Christ. This Antigonus had said to his disciples, "Be not as slaves who obey their masters for reward; but obey, without hoping for any fruits of your labours. Let the fear of God be upon you." This certainly was a noble sentiment, but Tzadoc, the disciple of Antigonus, favouring the sentiments of Epicurus, perverted it to mean, that there were no rewards nor punishments at all." The leading tenets of the Sadducees were, that they believed in the Scriptures, but denied the oral law, and traditions of the elders; denied fate; deprived God of inspecting evil, and of all influence on what was good: and asserted that God set good and evil before men, and left them at liberty to do as they pleased. They also denied the immortality of the soul, and the existence of angels and spirits, and were thus the freethinkers or infidels among the Jews. The following is the account which Josephus gives of them. "As for the Sadducees, they say there is no such thing as fate, and that the con

See a further account of this people, and how they differed from the Jews, in Prideaux Connect. A. A. C. 107. 409.

Prideaux Connect, A. A. C. 370.

Acts xxiii. 8.