*

their departure out of Egypt. But at the beginning of the second year, in the month Xanthicus, as the Macedonians call it, but in the month Nisan, as the Hebrews call it, on the new moon, they consecrated the tabernacle, and all its vessels which I have already described.

God shewed himself pleased with the work of the Hebrews, and did not permit their labors to be in vain; nor did he disdain to use what they had inade, but he came and sojourned with them, and pitched his tabernacle in the holy house. And in the following manner did he come to it: the sky was clear, but there was a mist over the tabernacle only, encompassing it, but not with such a very deep and thick cloud as is seen in the winter season, nor yet in so thin a one as men might be able to discern any thing through it, but from it there dropped a sweet dew, which shewed the presence of God to those that desired and believed it.

When Moses had bestowed such honorary presents on the workmen as it was fit they should receive who had wrought so well, he offered sacrifices in the open court of the tabernacle, as God commanded him; a bull, a ram, and a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering. Now I shall speak of what we do in our sacred offices in my discourse about sacrifices, and therein shall inform men in what cases Moses bid us offer whole burnt-offerings, and in what cases the law permits us to partake of them as food. And when Moses had sprinkled Aaron's vestments, himself, and his sons, with the blood of the beasts that were slain, and had purified them. with spring water and ointment, they became God's priests. Aftet this manner did he consecrate them, and their garments for seven days together. The same he did to the tabernacle, and the vessels thereto belonging, both with oil first incensed, as I said, and with the blood of bulls, and of rams slain day by day one, according to its kind. But on the eighth day he appointed a feast for the people, and commanded them to offer sacrifice according to their ability. Accordingly they contended one with another, and were ambitious to exceed each other in the sacrifices which they brought, and so fulfilled Moses's injunctions. But as the sacrifices lay upon the altar, a sudden fire was kindled from among them, of its own accord; and appeared to the sight like fire from a flash of lightning, and consumed whatsoever was upon the altar.

An. 1531.

+ These answers by the oracle of Urim and Thummin, which words signify light and perfection, or as the LXXII. renders them Δήλωσις και Αλήθεια, revelation and truth; and denote nothing farther, that I see, but the shining stones themselves, which were used in this method of illumination, in revealing the will of God, after a per

Hereupon an affliction befel Aaron, considered as a man and a father; but he supported it with true fortitude, for he had indeed, a firmness of soul in such accidents, and he thought this calamity came upon him according to God's will; for whereas he had four sons, as I said before; the two elder of them, Nadab and Abihu, did not bring those sacrifices which Moses bade them bring, but which they used to offer formerly, and were burnt to death. Now when the fire rushed upon them, and began to burn them, nobody could quench it, accordingly they died in this manner; and Moses bid their father and their brethren to take up their bodies, to carry them out of the camp, and to bury them magnificently. Now the multitude lamented them, and were deeply affected at this death, which so unexpectedly befel them; but Moses intreated their brethren and their father not to be troubled for them; to prefer their honor of God before their grief about them, for Aaron had already put on his sacred gar

ments.

Moses refused all that honor which he saw the multitude ready to bestow upon him, and attended to nothing but the service of God. He went no more up to Mount Sinai, but he went into the tabernacle, and brought back answers from God to what he prayed for. His habit was also that of a private man; and in all other circumstances he behaved himself like one of the common people, and was desirous to appear without distinguishing himself from the multitude, but would have it known that he did nothing but take care of them. He also set down in writing the form of their government; and those laws, by obedience to which they would lead their lives so as to please God, and so as to have no quarrels one among another. However, the laws he ordained were such as God suggested to him; so I shall now discourse concerning that form of government and those laws.

I will now treat of what I before omitted, the garment of the high priest; for Moses left no room for the evil practices of false prophets; but if some of that sort, should attempt to abuse the divine authority, he left it to God to be present at his sacrifices when he pleased, and when he pleased to be absent. And he was willing this should be known not to the Hebrews only, but to those foreigners also who were there. For as to those sardonyxes which the high priest bare on his. shoulders, the one of them shined out when God

was present at their sacrifices; bright rays darting out thence, and being seen even by those that were most remote; which splendor yet was not before natural to the stone. This has appeared a wonderful thing to such as have not so far indulged themselves in philosophy, as despise divine revelation. Yet will I mention what is still more wonderful; for God declared before-hand by those twelve stones which the high priest bare on his breast, and which were inserted into his breast-plate, when

oracle, without itself delivering that oracle; see Antiq. VI. 6.; but rather by an audible voice from the mercyseat, between the cherubim. See Prid. Connect. at the year 534, at large. This oracle had been silent, as Josephus here informs us, 200 years before he wrote his Antiquities, or ever since the days of John Hyrcanus, the last good high priest of the family of the Maccabees. Now it is worth our observation, that the oracle before us was that by which God appeared to be present with, and gave directions to his people Israel, as their king, all the while they submitted to him in that capacity, and did not set over them such independent kings as governed according to their own wills and political maxims, instead of divine directions; accordingly we met with this oracle, besides angelic, and prophetic admonitions all along, from the days of Moses and Joshua to the anointing of Saul, the first of the succession of kings. Numb. xxvii. 21. Judg. i. 1. xviii 5, 6. xx. 18. 23, 27, 28. 1 Sam. i. 14. iii. per tot. iv. per tot. Nay, till Saul's rejection of the divine commands in the war with Amalek, when he took upon him to act as thought fit himself. 1. Sam. xiv. 18, 19. 36, 37. Then this oracle left Saul entirely, (which indeed he had seldom consulted before; see 1 Sam. xvi. 35. 1 Chron. x. 14. xiii. 3. Joseph. Antiq. VII. 4.) and accompanied David, who was anointed to succeed him, and who consulted God by it frequently, and complied with its directions constantly. See I Sam. xxii. 13, 15. xxiii. 9, 10. xxx. 7, 8. 2 Sam. ii. 1. v. 19, 23. xxi. 1. 1 Chron. xiv. 10, 14. Jos. Antiq. VI. 12. VII. 4. Saul indeed, long after his rejection by God, and when God had given him up to destruction for his disobedience, did once afterwards endeavour to consult God when it was too late; but God would not then answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets; 1 Sam. xxxvii. 6. Nor did any of David's successors, the kings of Judah, that we know of, consult God by this oracle till the Babylonish captivity, wheu those kings were at an end, they taking upon them, I suppose, too much of despotic power and royalty, and too little owning the God of Israel for the supreme King of Israel; though a few of them consulted the prophets sometimes, and were answered by them. At the return of the two tribes, without the return of kingly government, the restoration of this oracle was expected: Neh. vii. 65. 1 Esd. v. 40. 1 Macc. iv. 46: and indeed it may seem to have been restored for some time after the Babylonish captivity, at least in the days of that excellent high priest, John Hyrcanus, whom Josephus esteemed as a king, a priest, and a prophet, and who, he says, foretold several things that came to pass accordingly; but about the time of his death, he here implies, that this oracle quite ceased, and not before, the following high priests

they should be victorious in battle; for so great a splendor shone forth from them before the ariny began to march, that all the people were sensible of God's being present for their assistance. Whence it came to pass, that those Greeks who had a veneration for our laws, because they could not possibly contradict this, called that breast-plate the Oracle. Now this breast-plate, and this sardonyx left off shining two hundred years before I conposed this book; God having been displeased at the

*

now putting diadems on their heads, and ruling according to their own will, and by their own authority, like the other kings of the pagan countries about them, so that while the God of Israel was allowed to be the supreme King of Israel, and his directions to be their authentic guides, God gave them such directions as their supreme king and governor, and they were properly under a theocracy, by this oracle of Urim, but no longer; see: Dr. Bernard's notes here; though I confess I cannot but esteem the high priest Jaddus's divine dream, Antiq. XI. 8. and the high priest Caiaphas's most remarkable prophecy, John, xi. 47.-52, as two small remains, or specimens of this ancient oracle, which properly belonged to the Jewish priests; nor, perhaps, ought we entirely to forget that eminent prophetic dream of our Josephus himself, (one next to a high priest, as of the family of the Asmoneans or Maccabees by his mother's side, and by his father of the first of the twenty-four classes of the priests,) as to the succession of Vespasian and Titus to the Roman empire, and that in the days of Nero, and before either Galba, Otho, or Vitellius, were thought of to succeed him. Of the War, III. 8. IV. 10. and this confirmed by Suetonius in Vespas. § 5. and Dio in Xiphiline, page 317. This, I think, may be considerell as the very last instance of any thing like the prophetic Urim among the Jewish nation, and just preceded their fatal desolation. But how it could possibly come to pass that such great men as Sir John Marsham and Dr. Spencer, should imagine that this oracle of Urim and Thummim, with other practices as old or older than the law of Moses, should have been ordained in imitation of somewhat like them among the Egyptians, which we never hear of till the days of Diodorus Siculus, Elian, and Maimonides, or little earlier than the Christian era at the highest, is almost unaccountable. While the main business of the law of Moses was evidently to preserve the Israelites from the idolatrous and superstitious practices of the neighbouring pagan nations; and while it is so undeniable that the evidence for the great antiquity of Moses's law is incomparably beyond that for the like of greater antiquity of such customs in Egypt or other nations, which, indeed, is generally none at all; it is absurd to derive any of Moses's laws from the imitation of those heathen practices. Such hypotheses demonstrate to us how far inclination can prevail over evidence, in even some of the most learned part of mankind. See Dr. Bernard's very valuable notes upon this chapter, in opposition to Dr. Spencer, as they stand at large in Havercamp's edition.

* About an. 107, two hundred years before A. D. 93. the thirteenth of Domitian, when Josephus published his Antiquities.

transgression

transgression of his laws. Of which things we shall further discourse on a fitter opportunity: but I will now go on with my proposed narration.

The tabernacle being consecrated, and a regular order settled for the priests, the multitude judged that God now dwelt among them: and betook themselves to sacrifices, and praises to God, as being now delivered from all expectation of evils: and entertaining a hopeful prospect of better times hereafter. They offered also gifts to God: some as common to the whole nation, and others as peculiar to themselves, and these tribe by tribe. For the heads of the tribes combined together, two by two, and brought a waggon, and a yoke of oxen; these amounted to six, and these carried the tabernacle when they journeyed; besides which, every head of a tribe brought a bowl, a charger, and a spoon, of ten daricks, † full of incense. Now the charger and the bowl were of silver, and together they weighed two hundred shekels, but the bowl cost no more than seventy shekels: and these were full of fine flour mingled with oil, such as they used on the altar, about the sacrifices. They brought also a young bullock, and a ram, with a lamb of a year old, for a whole burnt offering; as also a goat, for the forgiveness of sins. Every one of the heads of the tribes brought also other sacrifices, called peace offerings; for every day two bulls, and five ranis, with lambs of a year old, and kids of the igoats. These heads of tribes were twelve days in sacrificing, one sacrificing every day. Now Moses went no longer up to mount Sinai; but went in'o the tabernacle, and learned of God what they were to do, and what laws should be made: which laws were preferable to what have been devised by human understanding, and proved to be firmly ohserved, for all time to come: as being believed to be the gift of God: insomuch that the Hebrews did not transgress any of those laws, either as tempted in times of peace by luxury, or in times of war by distress of affairs.

matter of sacrifices: these sacrifices are of two sorts, one being offered for private persons, and the other for the people in general: and they are done in two different ways. In the one case, what is slain is burnt, as a whole burat offering; whence that name is given it: but the other is a thank offering, and as designed for feasting those that sacrifice. I will speak of the former: Suppose a private man offer a burnt offering, he must slay either a bull, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, and the two latter of the first year; though of bulls he is permitted to sacrifice those of a greater age; but all burnt offerings are to be of males. When they are slain, the priests sprinkle the blood round about the altar; they then cleanse the bodies, divide them into parts, salt them, and lay them upon the altar; white the pieces of wood are piled one upon ansther, and the fire is burning. They then cleanse the feet of the sacrifices, and the inwards, in an accurate manner and so they lay them to the rest, to be purified by the fire, while the priests receive the hides this is the way of offering a burnt offering.

Those who offer thank offerings, do indeed sacrifice the same creatures; but such as are unblemished, and above a year old; however they may take either males or females. They also sprinkle the altar with their blood; but they lay upon the altar the kidnies, the caul, and all the fat, and the lobe of the liver; with these they bring also the rump of the lamb, they give also the breast, and the right shoulder to the priests; so they feast upon the remainder of the flesh for two days; and what remains they burn.

The sacrifices for sins are offered in the same manner, as is the thank offering; but those who are unable to purchase complete sacrifices, offer two pigeons, or turtle doves; one of which is made a burnt offering to God, and the other is given as food for the priests. But we shall treat more accurately about the oblation of these creatures, in our discourse concerning sacrifices: but if a person fall into sin by ignorance, he offers an ewe lamb or female kid of the goats of the same age; and the priest sprinkles the blood at the altar: not after the former manner, but at the corners of it. They also bring the kidneys, and the rest of the fat, together with the lobe of the liver, to the altar; while the priests bear away the hides, and the flesh, and spend it in the holy place, t on the same day;

But in the month of Xanthicus which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries, (for on this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians.) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before observed we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover; and so do we celebrate this passover in companies, and leave nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on every one of which days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs. Now these lambs are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats, which is added to all the rest, for sins, for it is intended as a feast for the priest on every one of those days. the second day of unleavened bread, which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first partake of the fruits of the earth, for betore that day they do not touch them. And while they suppose it proper to honor God, from whom they obtain this plentiful provision, in the first place they offer the first fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following. They take a handful of the ears, and dry them; they then beat them small, and cleanse the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar

But on

to God, and casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priests; and after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest. They also at this participation of the first fruits of the earth, sacrifice a lamb as a burnt offering to God.

When a week of weeks has passed over after this sacrifice, which weeks contain forty and nine days; on the fiftieth day, called by the Hebrews Asartha, which signifies Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf made of wheat flour, of two tenth deals with leaven; and for sacrifices they bring two lambs; and when they have only presented them to God, they are made ready for supper with the priests; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the day following. They also slay three bullocks for a burntoffering, and two rams, and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats for sins: nor is there any one of the festivals but in it they offer burnt offerings. They also allow themselves to rest on every one of them accordingly the law prescribes in them all what kinds they are to sacrifice, and how they are to rest entirely, and must slay sacrifices in order to feast upon them.

However, out of the common charges baked

brend was set on the table of shew bread without leaven, of twenty-four tenth deals of four, for so much is spent upon this bread; two heaps of these were baked; they were taken the day before the sabbath, but were brought into the holy place on the morning of the sabbath, and set upon the holy table six on a heap, one loaf still standing over against another, where two golden cups, full of frankincense, were also set upon them; and there they remained till another sabbath; and then other loaves were brought in their stead, while the loaves were given to the priests for their food, aud the frankincense was burnt in that sacred fire wherein all their offerings were burnt also; and so other frankincense was set upon the loaves instead of what was there before. The high priest also, at his own expence, offered a sacrifice twice every day. It was made of flour, mingled with oil, and gently baked by the fire. The quantity was one tenth deal of flour. ile brought the half of it to the fire in the morning, and the other half at night. The account of these sacrifices I shall give more accurately hereafter, but I think I have premised what for the present may be sufficient concerning them.

CHAP. XI. Of the Purifications.

MOSES took out the tribe of Levi from com

municating with the rest of the people, and set them apart to be a holy tribe, and purified them by water, taken from perpetual springs, and with such sacrifices as were usually offered to God on the like occasions. He also delivered to them the ta bernacle and the sacred versels, and the other curtains which were made for covering the tabernacle, that they might minister under the conduct of the priests, who had been already consecrated to God.

He also determined concerning animals, which of them might be used for food, and which they were obliged to abstain from, which matters, when this work shall give me occasion, shall be farther explained, and the causes shall be added by which he was induced to allot some of them to be our food, and enjoined us to abstain from others. ever, he forbade us entirely the use of blood for food, and esteemed it to contain the soul and spirit. He also forbade us to eat the flesh of an animal that died of itself, as also the caul, and the fat of goats, and sheep, and bulls..

He also ordered that those whose bodies were afflicted with leprosy, and that had a gonorrhoea, should not come into the city; nay, he removed

temple, and the tabernacle itself a holy house, with allusion to the later city, temple, and holy house, which he knew so well long afterwards.

the