vine, he fipped a little of it, and gave it to the next person, till it had gone round. This was called the 77, birkath hajajin, the bleffing of the wine. Our Saviour is obferved by St. Luke to have begun with it, and diftributed it among the twelve, at his laft fupper r. From thence he paffed to the bleffing and breaking of the bread, and diftributing it to the guests. This is what CHRIST likewife did to the apoftles, and it was called the bleffing of the breads. As foon as they had done eating, the fame perfon, who had craved the bleffing, was obliged to give thanks, in which all the reft joined with him. It was concluded with another cup full of wine, and this was called the bleffing of plenty. Our Saviour is fupposed to have inftituted the facrament in this laft cup (E). However, it is likely, that fome of these laft ceremonies were only used at fome of their grand feftivals, especially that or the paffover; though the firft was feldom, if ever, omitted. Whether their cuftom was to fit at meat, or lie down, is a controverfy of more nicety than moment. However, to us, the former feems moft probable, at least, before the captivity. We read, that Joseph made his t • Vide DRUS. in Nov. Teft. pt. ult. & t Vide FAG. in præc. r Luke xxii. 17. GOODW. ubi fup. lib. iii. c. 2. §. 15. Hebr. refused to crave a bleffing, shortened his own days. But the mafter of the houfe was allowed, by way of civility, to fet even an inferior to perform that office (62). (E) In this cup of thankfgiving they bleffed GoD, 1. For their prefent refreshment. 2. For their deliverance out of Egypt. 3. For the covenant of circumcifion. And, 4. For the law given by Mofes. After this they prayed, that GoD would be merciful, 1. To his people Ifrael. 2. To his Jerufalem. 3. To his Sion, the refidence of his majefty. 4. To the kingdom of David. 5. That he would fend the prophet Elijah. And, 6. That he would make them worthy of the kingdom of the Meffiah. The ceremony ended with a pfalm proper to the occafion. They have added, since, several other niceties, not worth mentioning (63). It is plain, however, that fome of thefe ceremonies were added fince the captivity, and we dare not take upon us to fay, how many of the others were in ufe before that time; but we hope the affinity they bear to fome of the gofpel inftitutions, will be apology fufficient for our taking notice of them here. (62) Jof. Karo. fhulchan baruk, n, 201. Matt, xxvi. (63) Vide Seb. Munft. in brethren T brethren fit down to eat with him "; and David faid to Sitting THEIR high-places were of two forts, either thofe High- u Gen. xliii. 33. (F) The verb is 0, jashab, which is always used for fitting, whether at meat, on a throne, or the like; and is, as we think, incapable of the other meaning, which is always expreffed by that of 2, bacab. As to their tables, they feem to have been of a round, or oval figure, because it is often joined to the verb 10, savaf, to furround, to fit, or ftand round. Thus it is faid by Samuel (64) 2015, we will not fit down, or rather, round, till he come: and the pfalmift fays, thy children shall be like olive-branches round about thy table (65). We do not pretend, indeed, that this argument is altogether conclufive, feeing the word 'D, favif, round about, is made ufe of by Mofes, where he fpeaks of a square table; as when he commands the priests to fprinkle the blood of the victim round about the altar, though it was of a square form (66). (64) 1 Sam. xvi. 11. 6,feqq. & Exod. xxvii. pass. X 1 Sam. xx. 5. The command of pulling off their fhoes or fandals feems implied in that of eating the paffover with them on. We fhall only add, that, upon these and all fuch occafions, hofpitality and liberality had been fo ftrongly recommended to them by their lawgiver, and enforced by the examples of Abraham, Lot, and other patriarchs, and the many bleffings attending it, that they became very confpicuous for it, seldom or never failing, at fuch times especially, to make the Levites, the fatherlefs, widows, and ftrangers, partakers of their joy, by inviting them to the feaft, or fending them fome portions of their good chear. (G) The first of these, tho' lefs criminal, and seemingly countenanced by the examples of Samuel, David, Elisha, and other infpired perfons, were nevertheless exprefly forbidden by GoD, unless it were Divinations. BESIDES thefe abominable idolatries, or rather, in confequence of them, they gave themfelves up to all kinds of divinations and witcheries practifed among the heathen, though as exprefly and diftinctly forbid by the law of Mofes, as the former. Thefe were of various kinds. Mofes exprefles them in the terms following b, There fhall not be found among you any one that maketh his fon or his daughter pafs through the fire, or that useth divinations, or an obferver of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a confulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer (H). ́ GAMES b Deut. xviii. 10, 11. done by his own command: but as to the laft, it is certain, nothing could be more exprefly forbid, or more fe-. verely threatened, we may fay, punished'; notwithstanding which, Joshua had been fcarcely dead above twenty years, ere they began to relapfe into it (67). This defection began about the times of Othniel and Ehud, and increased fo faft, and fpread fo wide, that it would be endless to enumerate their falfe deities, and the places dedicated to their wor fhip, as well as the abominable ceremonies which were practi* fed in them. But our defign is not to dwell upon this fubject, having already spoken of it in the hiftories of those nations, from whom they adopt ed them. It will be fufficient to obferve upon the whole, that they adopted the falfe gods of all thofe nations, in the midft of whom they lived, and fet up altars and idols to them upon every hill and high places from which they came to be called by that name; that the fun, moon, and stars were of the number of their gods, and that, as the rites of thofe falfe deities became more and more fhameful, and unfit for common view, they betook themselves to set up tents and booths, and to plant groves, to conceal the abominable things that were done in them; the very women, who were become useless in that hellish commerce, finding out a way of prostituting themfelves, as it were, at fecond hand, by furnishing the infamous votaries with all kind of conveniences (68). Solomon is justly branded in Scripture for having brought this evil to its greatelt height, by the multitude of his ftrange women, and which was never thoroughly rooted out till Jofiah's reign, that is, about 369 years after (69). (H) We need not doubt but there might be many more of the like nature. But the most inhuman of all, was that of paffing their children through the fire. This rite feems to (67) Vide Judges iii. 5, & feqq. (68) Ezek. xiii. 17, & feqq. & alib. (69) 1 Kings iii. 2, & feqq. xi. 1, & feqq. xiv. 23, 24, & alib. paff. GAMES may, for aught appears, be faid to have been the only cuftom, in which they did not imitate their neighbours; at leaft, which they did not intro have been peculiar to Moloch, who is therefore alfo called Ty, anamalech, from y, anah, to anfwer, because he gave answers to all those who confulted him by this rite, either by his priests, or by dreams (70). We fhall not attempt to defcribe thofe various kinds of divination, either from the text, or from commentators, but only obferve in general, that the chief of them were performed firft, by confulting the ftars, clouds, figns, tokens, and the like. This feems the meaning of the word Unn, menache here, which is nevertheless fometimes ufed in a good fenfe. Thus Laban fays to Jacob, nun, nachahti, I have obferved or experienced, that GOD has bleffed me for thy fake (71). Jofeph makes ufe of the fame verb, speaking of his divining-cup (72); but, we much doubt, whether this is capable of fo favourable a fenfe. However, as the word un fignifies pro perly a ferpent, Bochart has alfo given us an account of feveral divinations that were performed by means of those creatures (73). 2. Another way was by familiar fpirits, which the Hebrew calls, oboth, fuch as the witch of Endor is faid to have had. 3. U , Interrogating the dead, which the Septuagint duce render επερωτῶν τὰς νεκρός. This is what the fame witch did for Saul, from which one would be apt to conclude thefe two to be much the fame. 4. The D mekaheph may be properly enough rendered, by legerdemain, one who deceives the fight, and impofes upon the beholders; fuch are reafonably fuppofed, thofe whom Pharaoh fet against MoSes (74), who are there called Un makhaphim, and are faid to have imitated fome of his wonders nenba Belahatehem, which word feems derived from on, which fignifies a flame, or the glittering of a fpear or lance, because it dazzles the fight. The Septuagint, however, have tranflated it pagpants, apothecaries, and the Latins, venefica, poifoner. 5. The in, chover, may also be properly rendered a mutterer, from an, chavar, to gather, couple, or affociate, because he fpeaks with his lips joined (75), and is therefore rendered un by Onkelos. To thefe the prophets have added fome few others, fuch as confulting by teraphims, and by the flight of arrows, by the liver of beafts (76), by flocks and ftaves (77), and fuch-like; feveral of which were even forbid under pain of death. fuch was their invincible itch (71) Gen. xxx. 27. (74) Exod. (76) Ezek. xxi. 21. (70) Vide Maim. & Abarban. in leg. 170. (72) Ibid. xliv. 5, 15. vii. 11, alib. pass. (77) Hof. iv. 12. (73) Hierozoic. lib. i. c. 3. pt. 1. (75) Beker. monde enchanté. duce into their commonwealth. They had not fo much. as a name for them, but what doth properly fignify, to laugh, play f, toy 8, and fuch-like innocent amusements. Even Solomon himfelf, who had imitated, or rather outdone the grandeur of other kingdoms, and had indulged himself in all other vanities, or what he calls the delights of the fons of men, fome of which were near of kin to these, as his fingers and muficians of both fexes; doth yet make no mention of any kind of games, either of hazard, or of the theatre; neither do the Scriptures any-where speak of them (I), e Vide Gen. xviii. 12, & alib. paff. Judg. xvi. 25, & alib. 8 Gen. xxvi. 8. of prying into futurity, that they left none of them untried: at least the prophets do generally upbraid them with reforting to those who practifed them. (I) If we may believe the Talmudifts, and other Jewish commentators. all kinds of games, fpectacles, &c. were not only forbid, but abhorred by all good Ifraelites, by reafon of the mischiefs which had befallen those who had ventured to be present at those of their neighbouring nations. The Talmud utterly condemns being prefent at any theatrical reprefentations (71): they give feveral reafons, which we fhall omit, because they are not over-modeft; and R. Simeon Ben-paki is there affirmed to have rendered the firft words of the firft pfalm, Bleed is the man who hath not fet his foot in a theatre, &c. It feems rather, that their folemn feftivals ferved them inftead of all fuch kind of fpectacles and di (71) Tract. c. 38. f Exod. xxxii. 6. h Ecclefiaft. ii. 8. verfions; and indeed, if we confider the frequency and magnificence of them, especially, after the building of the temple, we shall not wonder at their preferring them to any others. Add to this, that all we meet with in the writings of the antient fathers, fuch as Tertullian (72) and St. Cyprian, both in his fecond epiftle to Donatus, and in his book de fpectaculis, if that piece be really his, which is fomewhat doubtful, by reason of the difference of ftile; all agree in this, that the Ifraelites never admitted any fuch games among them. It even appears from Mr. Selden, that games of hazard, fuch as dice, tables, and the like, were looked upon as a kind of theft, no gain being thought lawful, that refulted from a contract, which depended upon chance. The fame they likewife affirmed of fuch who made a gain of expofing beasts or fowls to fight one with another (73). (72) Lib. de fpectac. & apolog. ay, fol. 18. |
