weights and measures, I must first set down all the passages I have met with in Josephus's writings, that can give any_light to these matters. Antiq. III. 1. Josephus makes Assaron the same measure which we render a tenth deal: i. e. the tenth part of a Bath, or Epha. It is otherwise styled an Omer. 6. He says that this Assaron, or Omer, was equal to 7 Attic Cotulæ. proved be Drachmæ apiece; or equal to Josephus's shekel. Now it is well known, that the Carthaginians were a Colony of the Tyrians. See Cumberland's Weights and Measures, pag. 106. of the JEWISH MEASURES OF LENGTH. He also says, that the Talent was called Cincharescription of the Temples, Chap. v111. and in my Auby the Hebrews, and was equal to 100 Manehs, Mnas, or Pounds. 8. He affirms that the Siclus or Shekel was equal to 4 Attic Drachmæ and in the same chapter men tions the coins called Darics. 9. He informs us, that the Hin was equal to Attic Chouses; or 2 Roman Congii. 15. He reckons 70 Cori or Chomers equal to 31 Sicilian, and to 41 Attic Medimni. VIII. 2. He says, that the Badus, or Bath, was equal to 72 Xestæ or Sextaries. IX. 4. He says, Seah and Saton was equal to an Italian Modius, and an half. XIV. 7. He affirms, Maneh or Mna to be equal to 2 Litræ: [Libræ, or Pounds, each of 12 avoirdupois ounces.] XV. 9. He affirms, the Corus or Chomer to be equal to 10 Attic Medimni. Of the War, II. 21. He mentions a Tyrian Coin; and says it was equal to 4 Attic Drachmæ ; which is the same weight that he gives to the Jewish Siclus, or Shekel. VOL. II. NO. 77-78. Since I have always determined, both in my Desthentic Records, Part II. pag. 875,876,877, that the Jewish Cubit was nearly 21 inches, English measure; nor see any cause to believe the Jews ever had any other, or larger Cubit among them; the Jewish measures of length derived from it will be easily determined. Nor is there any thing, that I know of, in Josephus's writings, that contradicts these determinations. But as to the origin of Cubits, and other like measures of length, and their differences; and how they were taken from the members of human bodies, of different statures, in different ages; see Lamy, De Tabernac. and Templ. L. I. c. 1. § 3. and c. 8, 9. with the forecited place of the Authentic Records. Schoenus, line, or chain, Sabth day's journey, Jewish mile, Stadium, or furlong Parasang cubits. 80 2000 4000 = inches. feet. inches. seven Attic Cotyle, or 1207,5 cubical inches, this only agrees to the number 2000 as in the Book of Kings. Now I confess I see no other foundation for doubt in this matter, but only about the number of the Baths contained in this sea; whether they were See Cumberland's Weights and Measures, pages 2000 or 3000. In which the direct evidences appear 57, 58, 135, 136, OF THE JEWISH MEASURES OF CAPACITY. to me so equally balanced, that I am not able to determine between them. I shall therefore wave the more uncertain authority of the modern Rabbins, and modern writers depending on them; and state the Jewish Bath, or Epha, by geometrical calculation Before I can authenticly state these Jewish mea- from these surer premises: and thence deduce the rest sures of capacity, I must set down such English, At- of the Jewish measures of capacity, which bear a tic, and Roman measures, as the Jewish are usually known proportion to it: and this upon both the hy compared with; together with the best determina-potheses, that the brazen sea held only 2000, or that tions of their quantity, in cubical inches; as also in such points or pounds, as contain 29 cubical inches: which is very near our wine pint. Whence they may be reduced into any other measures, at every one's pleasure. N. B. Josephus, from his own knowledge, and his Old Testament, assures us, in all his copies, both Greek and Latin, seen by Dr. Hudson, that the brazen sea in the temple was an hemisphere: and contained 3000 Baths: that it was 10 cubits in diameter; and consequently about 30 cubits, by a gross estimation, in circumference. Our Hebrew and Greek copies, 1 Kings vii. 23-26. also agree to the same diameter, circumference, and depth; and that it was round all about, or a real hemisphere. Only they say, that it contained but 2000 Baths. While the same Hebrew and Greek copies in 2 Chr. iv. 25. agree in all things with the Book of Kings; excepting the number of Baths this sea contained which is there constantly 3000, as in Josephus's copies. It is true, the Geneva edition of Josephus has but 2000. But then Dr. Hudson thinks the editors took that number not from any MS. but from the Bible, in the place already mentioned of the Kings. However, because Josephus himself gives us the contents of Assaron or Omer, the known 1-10 of Bath or Epha, Exod. xvi. 36. to be it held 3000 Baths. The cube of 10 cubits, or of 210 N. B. Josephus's present copies, Antiq. VIII. 2. affirm, that the Badus, or Bath, the tenth part of Corus or Chomer, was equal to 72 Xestæ, or Sextaries: i. e. to about 2484,72 cubical inches: which is the content of the Medimous Atticus. As also XV. 9. they affirm, that the Corus or Chomer, which is 10 Baths, contained 10 Medimni: both. which estimations agree; although they be wide from all our computations in excess. Yet do the same copies say elsewhere, III. 15. that 70 Cori, or Chomers, are equal to no more than 31 Sicilian, and to 41 Attic Medimni; which is but 1454 solid or cubical inches, for a single Corus or Chomer. As if the same measure were equal to 24847,2 and to no more than 1454 cubical inches; or were above 17 times as large as itself. This number is very wide from all our computations in defect. These quautities are therefore so entirely contradictory to one another, that I must be forced to drop them on both sides in my present determinations: and to proceed upon the foregoing principles only. N.B. Josephus's Seah,or Saton,is so far from being only of the Bath or Epha, as the Rabbins esteem it; that it is larger than the Bath or Epha itself, upon the hypothesis of the brazen sea's containing 3000 Baths or Ephas. And even upon the hypothesis of its containing but 2000; it contains above of it. So we are still greatly at a loss in this matter. N.B. Since Josephus's larger quantity of the Hin best agrees with the 1500 shekels, or 750 ounces, or 47 pounds weight of dry spices, to be moistened for an holy oil or ointment, by a Hin of oil olive: Exod. xxx. 22-33. And since the Rabbins' smaller quantity best agrees with the of an Hin of beaten oil, commanded to be mingled with a tenth deal, or Omer of flour, for a cake at the daily meat-offering: Exod. xxix. 40. I cannot by those calculations determine between these different measures, either of the Hin, or of the 3000 and 2000 Baths in the brazen sea. So I suffer those computations to balance one another, without preponderating one above another. Yet shall I venture to propose another argument, which has nothing, that I know of, to counterbalance it; and which is directly on the side of the 3000 Baths, and its first series of measures : which argument I have elsewhere insisted on for the same purpose. This is taken from the quantity of the manna which was allotted by God himself to be every man's daily portion in the wilderness; an Omer a piece: This is full as large, on that hypothesis, as every man required: and much too large on the other hypothesis. Of which see Authent. Records, Part II. pag. 880, 881. and Cumberland, pag. 87, 88. And thus, upon the whole, I am still obliged to prefer the number 3000, and its first series of measures; before the number 2000, and its second series as I did formerly also. Four Attic Drachmæ, according to Greaves, 67 grains The mean quantity is = Two Alexandrian Drachmæ equal to four Attic Drachmæ = A Tyrian coin = Four Drachma, Troy weight, equal 240 grains Four Drachmæ Avoirdupois, equal 219 grains, half an ounce = Four Roman Denarii, or pence = or Duke of Devonshire's Shekel, weighed by Mr. Barker The mean weight of the Shekel, excepting that of Dr. Bernard's Mean quantity of 4 Attic and 2 Alexandrian Drachmæ ; of 4 Drachinæ Troy, and as many Avoirdupois; of a Tyrian coin; of 4 Denarii; and of the several Shekels themselves, very nearly, 2 6 Talent of gold, not more than 100144Ô 375 0 0 1 0 4 4 1 0 4 648 0 N. B. The Roman coins mentioned in the New Testament, are to be thus valued. See Cumberland, pag. 117, 118, 139. The Denarius Ass, or Assis -Assarium -Quadrans -Mite d. N. B. Since our ancient testimonies, and the weights of our present Shekels conspire to assure us, that a Hebrew Shekel was nearly equal to 4 Attic and 2 Alexandrian Drachmæ; to 4 Drachmæ Troy, and to as many Avoirdupois; to a Tyrian coin; and to 4 Denarii; I thence deduce its mean quantity to have been 2s. 6d. Allowing somewhat for the wearing of such Shekels as are now extant, while they passed as coins; and laying aside that unexampled quantity in Dr. Bernard, as some way mistaken on which single example yet, so far as appears to me, the Shekel is supposed, both by himself and by Dean Prideaux, to have been no less than 3s. in value. See Prid. Connection, Pref. pag. 20, 21. Some of the learned Jews pretend, that their later Shekels were larger than their ancient ones: which later Shekels might be then at least 2s. 10d.' But since no such larger Shekels have been yet seen, (unless that weighed by Dr. Bernard were of that sort,) I cannot depend upon such a Rabbinical assertion, without farther evidence. And though there should have been any such coined in later times, the estimate of the Shekel under the Old and New Testament, in the days of Josephus, will hardly be affected by it. See the note on Joseph. Antiq. III. 8. As for the Drachma, Shekel, and Talent of Gold among the Jews, I state them no higher than as 19 to 11, (the specific gravity of gold, to that of silver) larger than those of silver. Which yet have been hitherto most unhappily and extravagantly esteemed 14, or 15, or even 16 times as high in value as silver: and this without due consideration of the several instances wherein such pieces of gold have been mentioned in the Old Testament. N. B. The years I make use of in this version of Josephus under the bare character of An. are those before the Christian era: as those under the character of A. D. are those since. And if the reader de sire to know the Annus Mundi, or the Year of the World corresponding to any such year, according to my notes on Josephus, he must deduct the year given from 4485 (about the latter end of the next year, to which A. M. 1. I suppose Adam to have been created) and the remainder will be the Annus Mundi, or year of the World: but in strictness the year from that in which Adam was created inclu sive. Thus, in order to find the A. M. wherein Moses died, and Joshua entered Canaan; which is there An. 1492. Deduct that number out of 4485, the remainder 2993. is the A. M. in these notes. But if any desire the A. M. by the shorter Samaritan chronology, which I suppose to be the most exact, deduct 249 years from the former A. M. and the remainder will give the A. M. by that chronology. Thus, from 2993, just now found, deduct 249, the remainder 2744, is the A. M. sought. And if any As to those golden Darics mentioned by Josephus when he supplies them in Numb. vii. instead of Shekels, which we supply; I follow Bishop Cumberland in their estimation. See his Book, pag. 115. N. B. It being so evident, and known by all, that a Hebrew Talent of Silver was just 3000 Shekels; when Josephus's present copies say, that such Talent was equal to 100 Manehs, Mnas, or Mine, which we should render pounds; of 30 ounces, or 60 She-desire the Julian Period corresponding to any year kels a piece; this Talent will still be as large again as it ought to be. Though I cannot easily suppose, that Josephus could himself be guilty of so great a mistake. But whence it has arisen I cannot tell. Nor do I find, that the correctors, or corrupters, of Josephus's numbers have been less busy, or less successful in those belonging to his Weights and Mea before the Christian era, they are to deduct the last INDEX. A. AARON meets his brother Moses by the Divine appoint- Abednego, i. 386. Abdon, judge of Israel after Elon, i. 178. Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, i. 218; saves his life, and Abigail, i. 222; married to David, 223. - Amasa's mother, i. 259. Abihu, son of Aaron, destroyed by fire, i. 103. Abijah, son of Rehoboam, i. 261, 310; succeeds his father, kindly, but afterward becomes envious of his posterity, 37; tyrannizes over the Shechemites, i. 173; is ex- Abinadab, i. 189, 283. Abiram, i. 118. Achmon, son of Araph, of the race of the giants, attacks David, Actium, battle of, i. 563; in the seventh year of Herod's Ada, wife of Lamech, i. 17. Adad, king of Damascus, i. 243. Adam, creation of, i. 14; his fall, 15; his expulsion from Pa- Adonibezek, king, taken prisoner, and punished with the am- Adonijah pretends to the crown, i. 273; takes sanctuary at the Adoram, i. 286. Abishag, a virgin, David's nurse, i. 272; Adonijah desires her Agrippa the Great, Herod's grandson, ii. 6; his various ad- Abishai, i. 223. Abner, son of Ner, espouses the cause of Ishbosheth against Absalom revenges the violation of his sister Tamar, i. 252; ventures, 49; is mranacled and imprisoned, 54; his future Agrippa, son of the former, by Cypros, ii. 223; did not im- Ahab, king of Israel, i. 318; is reproved by Elijah, 319; Ahaz, king of Judah, i. 359. Ahaziah, son of Ahab, king of Judah, i. 331. |