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Authors are not agreed what the Difference was between the firft Fruits, which the Hebrews diftinguish by the Names of Biccurim and Therumoth, or indeed whether there was any Difference at all; it is not material, I think, whether there was or no, so we may let that pafs. But it may not be improper to obferve, that though the Traditionary Writers allow the first Fruits to be eaten by the Priests, who were clean any where in the Holy Land, yet the Scriptures, as a learned * Man obferves, do not allow keeping any of the first Fruits at Home. The firft Fruits were reckoned of an intermediate † Holiness between the Parts of the Sacrifices, which were to be eaten in the holy Place, and the Tithes which were to be eaten any where in the Land. The Law directed, and it no where appears by an After-Conftitution, that Direction was altered, that the first Fruits were to be brought to the House of the Lord: It was Numb. not neceffary indeed they fhould be eaten in the Holy Place, as the Parts of the Sacrifices were, which were therefore called the most holy things; for the first Fruits might be eaten by the Priests in their Houses, and every one that was clean in their Houses might eat of them with them. Yet ftill it seems plain, the firft Fruits were only to be eaten in the Place of the Prefence, or where the House of Jehovah was; for there the first Fruits

• Godwin's Mofes and Aaron, 1. vi. c. ii. §. 8. + Reland Ant. Heb. 1. viii. §. 10.

xviii.

13.

9.

Fruits were to be brought and presented to the Lord. They are therefore very properly to be confidered, as the Provifion of a Table for the Entertainment of such only as were in actual waiting at the Palace of the King of Ifrael: A very inconfiderable Acceffion to the Riches of the Priefts that in the Time of their waiting, in the Rotation of their twenty-four Courses, there was the Provifion of a Table for them, who came and were to return fo many Miles whenever their Attendance was. in course.

There were fome other Taxes payable in Money, as the Redemption of the First-born, and the Half-fhekel Poll; but neither of these was Part of the Levites Portion. As they have been greatly misrepresented, both in their Value and their Ufe, it will be proper briefly to place them in their true Light.

The Law directed that theFirst-born, wheFirft-born. ther of Men, or Beafts, fhould be offered to Numbers the Lord; but it was provided by the fame. xviii. 15 Law, that the Firft-born of Men and the Firstlings of unclean Beafts fhould be redeemed, that is, by paying a Sum of Money for them. TheRedemption of the Firft-born of Men was fettled at five Shekels, and the First-lings of an unclean Beast at a Lamb; but the Firftborn of Cows, Sheep and Goats, which were Numbers Beafts of Sacrifice, were to be facrificed, and xviii. 17. their Flesh was to be eaten, as the Law directed eating the Parts of the other Sacrifices, which

16.

Exod.xiii.

13.

were

were given to the Priests to be eaten in the Holy Place.

When we obferve of thefe Firft-born of Men, and Firft-lings of Beafts, that Part was to be redeemed for Money, and a Part to be offered in Sacrifice, and ufed as other Sacrifices were; it is very easy to perceive that neither the one or other Sort could be any Part of the Levites Portion: for what were facrificed, could be used no other Ways than as a Table for those who were in actual waiting at Jehovah's Palace; in like Manner, as the first Fruits above-mentioned were to be used, efpecially as all Sacrifices were to be eaten only in the Holy Place. So that for all these they could be no richer, than faving a Dinner when on Duty in their Courses.

As to the First-born of Men and First-lings of Beasts, converted into Money by Redemption, the Tribe of Levi had no Share in them at all; that was a Treafure appropriated to the ordinary and contingent Expences of the Tabernacle or Temple, that is, for the Building, Ornaments, Sacrifices, and other publick Expences; for all which the Tribe of Levi was never the richer. The want of keeping in View this manifeft Diftinction between the Treasure of the Tabernacle and the Portion of the Tribe of Levi, has mifled fome learned Men into confiderable Errors, as well as it has given Occafion to others, who seem fond of every Thing that offers to reflect on the Provifion made for the Priefts and Levites in the Mofaical Constitution.

This

This diftinct Ufe of the Treasure of the Tabernacle from the Tithes, which were given for the proper Maintenance of the Priests and Levites, is evident from many Confiderations. It appears from the veryNature of the thing, that there must have been fome confiderable Provifion for the Use of the Tabernacle. Whoever will confider, what the first erecting of the Tabernacle or Temple muft have coft, what was neceffary to be expended on Repairs and keeping up the Beauty and Splendor of the Palace of Jehovah, what was conftantly the Charge of the publick and national Worship and Sacrifices, must see, that all these Branches of Expence required an handsome Revenue or Civil Lift to discharge them. And whofoever fhall further confider how neceffary it was to the political Government, as well as to the Religion of the Hebrew Nation, to preferve a Reverence and Respect for the Prefence of Jehovah, as their God and King, (for this was the fundamental Conftitution of their Government, as well as Religion) will fee how neceffary it also was, that the Palace of Jehovah as King, and the Prefence of Jehovah as God, fhould be equal in Dignity and Magnificence to the Palaces of neighbour Kings, and the Temples of neighbour Idol Gods.

That this Branch of Revenue was actually appropriated to these Uses of the Tabernacle, was long fince obferved by a very learned Author,

Author, in whofe Words I fhall choose to exprefs it:

"There were two Sorts of Treasurers to "the facred Revenues, fome were Treasurers "of the first Fruits and Tithes, others of o"ther Things facred to God, and confecrat"ed to him, as Vows, and the Redemption of "them, seem to be, the First-born also, and "Shekels of the Sanctuary; and finally all

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Things, which being turned into Money, were offered in the Temple. From this "laft Treasury was taken what was neceffary for the daily Sacrifices on the Sabbaths "and New Moons, and more folemn Feasts,

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on the Spices, Ointments, Flour, Offerings "of Wine and Oil, Frankincense and Shew"bread. The Portions of the Priests and "Levites were paid them from the Treasury " of the first Sort.*"

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That Branch of Revenue, which arose from Halfthe Half-fhekel Poll-tax, will deferve a par- Shekel. ticular Confideration, for other Reasons befides that most extraordinary Account a late Author

Quod vero ad quæftores rerum facrarum attinet, duo fuerunt genera, quidam enim erant primitiarum & decimarum. Alii aliarum rerum Deo facrarum, aut etiam confecratarum, ejufmodi videntur, fuiffe vota, eorumque redemptiones, & primogenitorum, ficli fanctuarii, denique omnia illa quæ in pecuniam redacta templo offerebantur. Ex thefauro pofterioris generis depromebantur, quæ erant neceffaria ad facrificium juge, facrificia fabbatorum, neomeniarum, & feftorum folemnium, aromata, unguenta, fimilam libamida vini & olei, thus & panes propofitionis. Ex the fauro prioris generis dabantur Sacerdotibus, & Levitis fuæ portiones. Bertram de Rep. Jud. 1. xv. p. 271.

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