grammaton written upon a plate of gold, or fome other way fixed to the breaft-plate u; and Le Clerc, that urim and thummim were the names of two kinds of precious stones, fet in a gold chain, or collar, which were hung about the high-prieft's neck, and came down to his breaft; probably, as he thinks, in imitation of the Egyptians, whofe chief magiftrate wore a gold chain, at the end of which hung the figures of juftice and truth, engraven on fome precious ftone w. A modern traveller, in a letter dated from Cairo, tells us, that he saw a very antient mummy in Egypt, which had a large collar hanging down to its breaft, with a bird engraven in gold fastened to the end of it. Spencer, after De Caftro, believed, that the breaft-plate had two little golden figures, inclosed in a kind of purfe, which gave anfwers, viva voce, to the queftions of the high-prieft; and for this he quotes St. Jerom and Cedrenus among the antients, Cornelius à Lapide and Ludovicus de Dieu among the moderns, with fome Jewish writers: but this notion has been fo feverely anfwered by the learned Pococke *, as abfurd and impious, that we know not of its having been embraced by any author fince. Philo, indeed, feems to hint fomething like it 2, only with this difference, that he fays thofe two.figures, or virtues, namely, manifestation and truth, were only imbroidered upon it: and it must be owned, that, if there were any fuch figures, or fymbols, it is more reasonable to fuppofe them, with him, to have been only imbroidered, than, with Spencer, that they were real figures, whether caft,or carved by any other way; because this latter feems too contrary to the prohibition in the second commandment. But we fee no need of fuppofing any fuch figures, upon the authority of either; because Jofephus, who was also a prieft, and may be reasonably fupposed to have been as well acquainted with it as Philo, doth not fo much as hint any thing like fuch figures; but makes the oracle to confift in the fupernatural brightness of the twelve ftones at the time of inquiring, as we have feen already and, as for Spencer, it is plain, that he is too fond of fetching the origin of every thing from Egypt. Sure it is, that whoever compares the places where Mofes mentions the urim and thummim a, will have reason to wonVid. R. SALOM. Vid. EGUB. & MONT, in loc. Vid. DIOD. SICUL. biblioth. 1. ii. c. 3. * DELLA VALLE, epift. xi. Comm. in Hof. iii. 4. Ita rabbin. w Comm. in loc. var. hift. & al. ur. & thum. 1. iii. de monarc. 1. ii. Levit. viii. 8. a Exod. xxviii. 30. ÆLIAN. y Differt. de z In vit. Mof. xxxix. 8. & der, that GOD, who took fuch particular care to give him the moft exact directions for all the other garments, utenfils, &c. fhould not give him the least hint about these ; unless we fuppofe them to have been things fufficiently known, both to him, and to all the people. If, therefore, we might be permitted to prefer one opinion to all the rest, it would be that of the judicious Hottinger, who thinks, that, when Mofes is commanded to put into the breaft-plate the urim and thummim, which words, as has been fhewn already, do fignify light and perfection, in the plural; it means only, that he should make choice of the most perfect fet of ftones, and have them polifhed, fo as to give the moft confummate luftre b (Z). And this feems most agreeable to what Jofephus and Maimon faid of it, except the miraculous luftre, which the former attributes to them, in order to account for the oracle, concerning which, we may, perhaps, in the fequel, offer a more probable conjecture. However, we are far from difapproving of that more fpiritual notion of the learned Prideaux, who believes that those two words were chofen to exprefs the clearness and certainty of the oracle, by a particular divine virtue communicated to the breaft-plate at its confecration: only we are more inclined to fuppofe, that this latter sense was b In Mof. & Aar. 1. i. c. 5. note 11. (Z) This conjecture is fo far from jarring with the literal fenfe of the original, that the very expreffion which Mofes makes ufe of in the places above quoted (54),feems to lead one to it. For after God had given him all the particular directions for making the breaft plate, fuch as the length and breadth, the materials, the precious ftones, &c. even to the hooks, rings, chains, and ftrings, by which it was to be made fast to the ephod; he adds, n thefe lights, or luftres and per- N, or light. doth often im- know more about this point,he אל חושן המשפת את האורים which literally may confult the learned Bu,ואת התומים runs thus; And thou shalt give to the breaft-plate of judgment torf the younger, who has al- (54) Exod. xxviii. 30. (55) Exercit.iii. de ur. & thum. emble emblematically fignified by the genuineness and brightness of the ftones at leaft we find, that the Jews, immediately after their return from the captivity, thought it neceffary to imitate this breast-plate in all its parts, and to call it by the fame name, though they own, that it had not the oracular virtue of the former. Now it is plain, that such an imitation would have been ridiculous, if not impious, upon any other fuppofition than that they understood the words urim and thummim to have been defigned by GoD, not as abfolutely expreffive, but as fymbolical, of the light and clearness of this oracle. THE laft garment, peculiar to the high-prieft, was his mitre, or bonnet. Whether, and how far, it differed in fashion from that of the common priefts, Mofes doth not tell us, neither is it eafy to guefs; though their being called by different names, and made, at leaft, of different kinds of linen, inclines one to think, that there was some confiderable difference between them; if not in fhape, yet in beauty and richness. The reader may fee, in the next note, all that can be conjectured concerning it (A), from c Vid. MAIM. kele hammikdafh, c. 10. §. 10. (A) All that we can gather from Jofephus, St. Jerom, Maimon (58), and others, concerning this ornament, is, that it was a kind of cap not unlike an hemifphere, which, confequently, did not come down lower than the ears, and was wrapped feveral times about with a piece of fine cotton or linen, of a confiderable length, and tied behind the head with a blue ribband, or string, to prevent its falling off. Jofephus adds, that the mitre was covered with another of fine blue or purple, having a triple crown of gold about it; and that on the top, juft in the middle, it had a kind of golden cup turned upwards, refembling the bud of a plant Jewish which he is there very particular in defcribing. But we shall refer the reader to the author. The Jews further add, that, as the crown or plate of gold did go but half way round the head, the other, that is, the hinder part, was filled up with artificial flowers, or festoons, to the place where it was tied. Both the high-priest and the inferior ones. were very careful to tie their bonnets faft when they officiated, because it was thought a mark of reverence to appear with the head covered, and of irreverence and boldness to be feen bare-headed. According to which notion, the Chaldeeparaphraft renders those places, where the Ifraelites are (58) Jofeph. ant. l.ii. c. 7. Heron, ad Fabiol. Muim, kele bammikdafh, Jewish and Chriftian authors; however, the pontifical one was remarkably distinguished from the common, by the golden plate on which were engraven, in Hebrew, the words HOLINESS TO THE LORD d. This plate is alfo called, in fome other places, a crowne (B); and was fastened to the fore-part of the mitre by two blue ribbands, or strings. Laws d Exod. xxviii. 36. viii. 9. e Ibid. xxix. 6. xxxix. 30. Levit. faid to have marched out of Egypt, with a high hand (59), by the words bare-headed, that is, with boldness and intrepidity. On the contrary, the greatest token of refpect with them was, to be bare-foot; and this is the reason why we find no mention of fhoes or fandals among the priestly robes, they being all obliged to perform their office barefoot: and in this they became fo fcrupulous, that if they perceived any thing, though but a ftraw, between their feet and the ground, they were obliged to remove it, or else their ministry was efteem'd null. (B) Thefe words, the Jews tell us, were raised by a kind of enamel,above the gold (60); but this feems contrary to the meaning of Mofes's words, who exprefly fays, that they were to be written, like the engraving of a fignet. However, there is no doubt but it was defign'd to exprefs the holiness of the character of the perfon that wore it, which was to be fuch, that the leaft defilement, however fo involuntary, difqualified him for performing his office, till he had been legally purified from it. Concerning this point, the Jews acquaint us with a particularity, which, tho' not mentioned by Mofes, is well worth inferting here, as having no fmall probability. They tell us, out of their Talmud (61), that, on expiation-day, the high-prieft, being to perform the fervice of that folemn faft, and it being far from impoffible that he might contract some impurity, which might render him unfit for his office, notwithftanding all his care and caution; they used, on the eve of it, to appoint him a vicar to officiate for him, in cafe of fuch a defilement; this vicar was neither anointed nor confecrated for the place, though his new office obliged him to go into the moft holy place, instead of the pontif. They add, that as foon as this last was cleansed, he re-entered into his office, and the other relinquished it, and returned into the rank of common priests; only with this difference, that he had fome kind of fuperiority and rule over the reft; and, if the highprieft died before him, he fucceeded him in that dignity, of courfe. Jofephus confirms this (60) Maim. ubi fup. c.9. fect. 1. cerning priefts. Laws concerning the priests. Larus con-E have already taken notice, that these were defcended from Aaron, the first high-priest, by his two fons Eleazar and Ithamar. Mofes, indeed, mentions only these two, as being the heads of the two main branches of the priesthood; but it were abfurd to suppose, from thence, that they were the only two that officiated under their father: for we find, that Phineas was already come to years of manhood, by that zeal which he fhewed against the Midianitish defection k; and, probably, there were more of age fufficient to perform the prieftly functions. Thefe being fubordinate to the high-prieft, and of a rank and office fuperior to the Levites, may be confidered in a threefold view; namely, Num. XXV. 7, & feq. by the inftance of the high- whom, he was appointed, we dare not affirm; though it is not improbable, that he might be the head of the other branch, which, as we obferved at first, did hold the next rank to him; and is therefore most likely to be the perfon meant in the last chapter of Jeremiah; where it is faid, that the captain of the guard took Seraiah the high, and Zephaniah the fecond prieft (64). In this fenfe, likewife, it is thought, by many of the learned, that Annas and Caiaphas are faid, by St. Luke (65), to be high-priefts in the fame year: but, concerning the perfon that named him, or the ceremony by which he was qualified for it, Mofes has left no written direction,any more than about the choice of a fucceffor to the pontifical dignity, when the next immediate heir was unfit for it. (62) Ant. 1. xvii. c. 8. (63) Vid. Maim. kele bammikdafh. (64) Ver. 24. (65) Luke iii. 2. Vid. Cafaub. adverf. Baron, Jof. Scaliger. prolog, in Eufeb. Hating in Goodwin's Möf. & dar, l. i. c. 5. fub not. 19, & al, |