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John Lightfoot (1602-1675) · 3,989,977 words · 17733 min

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Section 61/144
as the offering for a sin, or a trespass, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To which sense the Chaldee paraphrase of Jonathan also speaketh, when rendering those words in Lev. 6. 9. This is the Law of the burnt offering; &c. he glosseth thus, This is the Law of the burnt offering, which cometh to expiate for the thoughts of the heart; upon which the Hebrew marginal glossgiveth this explanation; It is so written in Vajikrah Rabbah, that a burnt-offering cometh not, but for the thoughts of the heart: and there is an intimation of this in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That that is come up into your heart shall in no wise come to pass.

Burnt-offerings were of any of the five living Creatures named, and the manner of their offering was thus:

If his burnt offering were a Bullock, he might take him from eight days old and upward, and so also might he do by a Lamb or Kid: And it must be a male, because the burnt offering being the noblest offering faith Ibn Ezra, it required the noblest of the kind that was, to be offered.

1. He was to bring it into the Court, for the law was express that he must present his offering before the Lord, Lev. 1. 3. Now this Phrase, before the Lord, was understood from the gate of Nicanor and inward; and the bringing of the Sacrifice into the Court was of so strict and an inviolable obligation, that women, who otherwise were absolutely forbidden to come into the Court, yet if they brought a Sacrifice they were bound and necessitated to go in thither, as was touched but even now.

2. He must lay his hand upon the head of it whilst it was yet alive, Lev. 1. 4. All the Sacrifices that any single man offered of beasts, whether it were an offering of duty, or an offering of free will, he must lay his hand upon it while it is yet alive, except only the firstling, the tenth and the Passover. This laying on of hands, was a Rite of transmission as it were, of the man's sin unto the Sacrifice that was to die for him, and in his death which was now ready, he acknowledged his own desert to die, and so it was a figure of the laying of our sins upon Christ, and an emblem of repentance.

About the laying on of the hands, they had these divers Traditions, as 1. That it was to be in the Court; and if he laid his hands on him before he came into the Court, he must do it there again; and if the offerer of the Sacrifice stood without the Court, and put his hands within, and laid it on the head of the Beast within, it served the turn: as is observed elsewhere about the Leper in the gate of Nicanor. 2. The owner of the beast must lay on his hands himself, and might not do it by proxy; which is to be understood in reference to particular men's sacrifice, for some of the Sacrifices of the whole Congregation had their Deputies or Proxies to lay their hands on them, as was observed even now. 3. If divers men joined in one Sacrifice [ as divers might] everyone was to lay on his hand particularly one after another. 4. There is some dispute among the Hebrew Doctors whether they laid on one hand or both, and there are assertors on both sides, but all conclude in this, that whether one or both, he must lay them on with all his strength, and all the stress he can. And so the Targum of Jonathan (which holds for one hand only) saith, He shall lay on his right hand with all his force: and Maimonides (which holds for both the hands) saith, he was to lay on both his hands and that with all his might. 5. The place where he stood to lay on his hands, was ordinarily the place where the Sacrifices were slain at the place of the rings, and so upon this occasion an Israelite might and must come within the Court of the Priest. 6. The manner was thus; the Sacrifice was so set, as that the offerer, standing with his face towards the West, laid his two hands between his horns, and confessed his sin over a sin offering, and his trespass over a trespass offering, and over a burnt offering he confesseth his transgression both against affirmative and negative precepts, and his confession was in this wise; I have sinned, I have done perversely, I have rebelled and done thus and thus; but I return by repentance before thee, and let this be my expiation: And presently after this his confession, was the beast to be slain.

3. The killing of the Sacrifice was regularly and ordinarily the Priests work and office, yet might it upon occasion be done by another: or if it were done by another, it was allowable: For whereas the Law saith, And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron the Priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it, Levite. 1. 5. as making a distinction betwixt the he that killed the bullock, and the Priests that took the blood, the Hebrew Doctors have observed not impertinently from hence, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The killing of the Sacrifices was lawful by strangers, yea of the most holy sacrifices, were they the sacrifices of a particular person, or of the whole Congregation: And upon these words, And the sons of Aaron the Priests shall bring the blood: it is a received tradition, that from thence most properly did begin the Priests office more peculiarly, see 2 Chron. 30. 16, 17.

4. The fleaing of the slain Sacrifice was not so inseparably the Priests office, but that a stranger, or one that was not a Priest might do it. And so Maimonedes asserteth in the place cited above, that the fleaing of the sacrifice, and the dividing of it into pieces, and bringing wood to the Altar done by strangers, was lawful. This they did especially at the Passover and other festival times when the Paschal Lambs, and the other offerings were so many that the Priests could not serve to kill and flea them; but whosoever killed or flayed, the Priests ever sprinkled the blood, and none else might do it.

When the number of the beasts to be flayed were not too many for that receipt, they hung him by the legs upon the hooks that were fastened in the lower pillars, (which we have described elsewhere) and in the transom over them for that purpose; but at Passover when there were more Lambs than that room would admit, two men took a staff or bar, (divers of which staves stood there for that end) and laying it upon their shoulders, they hung the Lamb upon it, and as he hung thus between them, they flayed him. Rabbi Eliezer saith, if the Passover fell on the Sabbath (on which day they might not meddle so well with carrying of Staves) a man laid his hand upon his fellows shoulder, and his fellow laid his hand upon his shoulder, and upon their arms they hanged up the Lamb, and so flayed him. All the skins of the most holy sacrifices, that is, burnt offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings, fell to the Priests, and the Priests of the Course salted them all week, and on the eve of the Sabbath divided them; but the skins of the other sacrifices, fell to the offerers, or owners themselves.

5. The sprinkling of the blood, was to be before the sacrifice was flayed, for this was the rule, and that agreeable to the Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They flayed them not till one had sprinkled the blood; for in the Law there is mention of the sprinkling the blood, before there is mention of fleaing, Lev. 1. 5, 6. The manner of their sprinkling of the blood upon the Altar, and the circumstances about that, were very various; we will take up the chiefest of them in their order.

First, The blood that was to be sprinkled, was to be taken in a dish or vessel of the service, and not in a common vessel of a man's own; and that is a constant and rational maxim 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That the taking of the blood of the Sacrifices must be in a vessel hallowed for the service.

Secondly, These several sorts of people might not take the blood to sprinkle it, and if they did it was polluted. 1. A stranger, or one that was not a Priest. 2. A Priest a mourner, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, he that had one dead in his family that day; for whosoever had one dead in his house, all that day of the parties death, he was called a mourner 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 3. He that had been unclean, so that he was to wash that day, and his Sun was not yet down. 4. He that had been under a longer uncleanness, and his atonement not yet made. 5. A Priest that had not all the holy garments on that he ought to wear. 6. One uncircumcised. 7. One that was unclean. 8. One that sat, or stood on anything whilst he took the blood, but on the very pavement of the Court; for in the service they might not stand upon any vessel, or beast, or hide, or on his neighbors foot, but on the bare pavement. 9. He that took the blood with the left hand, some held it unlawful, but others were of another mind.

Thirdly, Whereas there was a red line about the Altar just in the middle between the bottom and the top, the blood of some sacrifices were to be sprinkled beneath that line, and some above, and if that that was to be sprinkled below, was sprinkled above; and if that that was to be sprinkled above, was sprinkled below, it was unlawful.

Fourthly, The sprinkling of the blood of burnt offerings, and trespass offerings, and peace offerings, went all by one rule and manner, and it was thus; The Priest bringing it to the Altar, was to sprinkle it below the red line, and he was to sprinkle it into the fashion of the Greek Gamma, or into this form Γ; for so is the tradition in the Gemara of the Treatise Zevachim cited ere while; and so is the meaning of Maymony, when he saith it was to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Now the meaning of the thing is this; He was to go (as the margin of the Talmud glosseth) to a corner of the Altar, and to cast the blood out of the vessel so, as that it should spread to two sides of the Altar at once; which my last named Author gives more plainly thus, and more at large. He was to sprinkle it out of the vessel, but two sprinklings upon two sides of the Altar, namely, at the North-east corner and at the South-west corner; and he must take care to sprinkle the blood at the corner, so as that it may go on both the sides of the Altar, like a Gamma ( thus Γ,) so that the blood at the two sprinklings may be found upon all the four sides of the Altar. Their meaning is this, that as he stood on the East side of the Altar, near to the North-east corner, he must cast the blood out of the vessel with such a compassed and kembo cast, that part of it may light on the East side, on which he stands, and part of it on the North side. And the like was he to do standing on the West side, near the South-west corner, that part of it might light on the West side, on which he stood, and part of it on the South. And thus they accounted that they answered the command, which did enjoin them that they should sprinkle the blood round about, upon the Altar, Lev. 1. 5. & 3, 8. And the rest of the blood they poured upon the foundation of the Altar on the Southside. By this may that difficult expression be understood, which occurreth exceeding frequently in the Jewish writers, when they are speaking about sprinkling the blood of the Sacrifices, that such and such Sacrifices blood 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to have two sprinklings, which are four. The disposal of the blood in sprinkling they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a giving; and some bloods were to have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 four givings, or sprinklings, namely, on the four corners of the Altar, and others were to have but two, as these mentioned at the two corners of the Altar: but these two proved as much as four, because they sprinkled all the four sides of it, after the manner described.

The sprinkling of the blood upon the horns of the Altar, (as the blood of the sin offerings was used) shall be observed by and by, and so shall the extraordinary conveyance of the blood of the Paschal Lambs to the Altar, be observed when we come to Treat of the Passover.

6. The Lamb to be slain (for of the daily Sacrifice we will take an example) was bound his forelegs and hinder legs together, and laid thus bound with his head toward the South, and his face toward the West, and he that killed him stood on the East side of him with his face Westward. He killed him, and one took the blood and sprinkled it, and then he hanged him up upon some of the hooks in the low pillars, and began to flee him: He flayed till he came down to the breast, and when he was gone so far, he cut off his head, and gave it to him that was allotted to take it, and carry it to the Altar; he cut off the legs and gave them to another, and so he goes on and fleas him out; he then cuts open the heart and brings out the blood there; cuts out the two shoulders and gives them to him that was allotted for their carriage; cuts off the right leg and with it the stones; opens him quite, and takes out the fat, and lays it at the slaughter place; he takes out the bowels and gives them some to wash, who first washed them well in the washing room, and then washed them a little again on the marble tables; then takes he the knife and parts between the lights and the liver, but takes them not out yet; he takes off the breast and gives it to him that was to carry it, and so goes along the right side and cuts that out, and goes down to the spine bones, and there cuts out the oins, and so proceeds in other parcels; the manner how is at large related in the Treatise and Chapter cited above in the margin, but not so very material or necessary to our present pursuit, as to spend much time and labor thereupon: the learned Reader will peruse it there; and the unlearned, would think it too tedious to peruse it here.

7. The several Priests with the several parts of the divided Sacrifice in their hands, come to the rise of the Altar and there they lay them down and salt them. For this, the Law was very strict, Lev. 2. 13. With all thine offerings thou shalt offer Salt; and their observance of it was answerably strict also, for nothing came on the Altar unsalted, but only the wine of the drink offering, the blood sprinkled, and the wood of the fire: and in three places they used salt; in the chamber of the salt they salted the skins of the Sacrifices; upon the rise of the Altar they salted the parts of the Sacrifices; and on the top of the Altar they salted the handful of flour and oil, and the frankincense, Lev. 2. 2. and the most offerings that were to be burnt, and the burnt offerings of birds. This Typical Law, our Savior raiseth, to signify the seasoning of every man with the Word of God, which he calleth salting with fire, Mark. 9. 49. for the word is called fire, Deut. 33. 2. Jer, 5. 14. & 20. 9. & 23. 29. 1 Cor. 3. 13, &c. And when he saith, Everyone shall be salted with fire, Non praedicit aliquid futurum, sed ostendit quid ab omnibus requiratur, nempe ut verbo incorrupto conditi sese Deo consecrent.

The parts of the Sacrifice being salted, the Priest that was to offer them, took them up, carried them up to the Altar, and threw them confusedly into the fire; he first cut out the sinew that shrank, and threw it among the ashes, and then he cast all the pieces on an heap into the fire without any order. For though the Law enjoined that the pieces should be laid in order upon the fire, Lev. 1. 8. and although their manner was to lay the beast on the fire, as like to his posture whilst he was alive as they could, namely, his head before, and his shoulders and foreparts next, and the rest in order; yet at the first laying of them on, they thought they found some color in the Law of injunction, that they should scatter the flesh as well as sprinkle the blood, and therefore they threw them on at the first without any order, or distinction, and then they ordered them, and so let them lie to burn.

SECT. II. Sin offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

THE Law concerning Sin offerings, doth particularize no more about the occasion of them, but only thus, that they were to be offered for sins ignorantly committed against any of the Commandments of the Lord, concerning things which ought not to be done, Lev. 4. 2, 13, 22, 27. that is, that they were offered for sins of ignorance, against negative precepts: But the Hebrew Doctors do generally confine them to those sins done ignorantly against negative precepts, that if they had been done wittingly, had deserved cutting off, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A sin offering was not not offered (saith Rabbi Solomon) but for a matter which if wittingly done against a negative command, deserved cutting off; but being ignorantly done, it required a sin offering. And so the Talmudic Treatise Kerithuth, when it had reckoned up the six and thirty offenses against such precepts that bring under the liableness of being cut off; it concludeth thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Any of these committed willfully, deserve cutting off, but if ignorantly done, they require a sin offering. And whosoever (saith Maymony) transgresseth ignorantly against any of the negative precepts, in which there is an action, for which men become liable to cutting off; he is bound to bring a sin offering, and it is an affirmative command that he offer a sin offering for his error: and every transgression, for the doing of which willfully, a man deserves cutting off; for the doing of it ignorantly he is to bring a sin offering. Ibn Ezra goeth yet a little further, but for ought I find, he goeth alone; for he desineth a sin offering to be for a sin of ignorance against a negative precept, which if willfully committed, deserved cutting off, or whipping. In the addition of this last word whipping, I find not the rest of his Nation to agree with him; for divers offenses against prohibitions of the Law fell under whipping, that fell not under cutting off; and the Jews do most unanimously apply a sin offering to a sin of ignorance only, whose willfulness had incurred cutting off. And the reason of this their limitation, is in regard of the nature of the transgression, or offense; for whereas they number 365 negative precepts, according to the number of the days in the year, yet do they bring the number of sin offerings only in reference to three and forty of them; meeting those sins of ignorance only with sin offerings, which were most near a kin to those of the bighest danger, but that ignorance did mitigate, and make the qualification▪

It is true indeed, that there are some sin offerings appointed by name, which cannot exactly be brought under this predicament, of which we are speaking; as was the sin offering of Aaron upon his consecration, Lev. 9. 2. the sin offering of the woman at her purification, Lev. 12. 6. and of the Leper at his cleansing, Lev. 14. 19. for we can hardly ascribe these, as offered for some particular sin of ignorance against some negative precept, the willful violation of which, had deserved cutting off; But they seem rather to be offered, that they might make sure work to meet with that danger or offense, that it was possible, they might lie under, and not know of it; and so they were very near the nature of trespass offerings, as a sin offering is also called, Lev. 5. 6. But where the Law doth give the rules for sin offerings, it nameth not any particular offense, but only this general, that they were to be presented, in reference to the ignorant offending against a negative command, and therefore to reduce them to particulars, it was most pertinent to allot them to that ignorant offending, which if it had proved willfulness, had made the forest breach betwixt God and Man; the reconciling of whom was the end of Sacrifice. Let us take one or two examples for the better understanding of what hath been spoken, and then we will look after the sin offerings in their several kinds.

It was a negative precept, the willful and witting violation of which deserved cutting off; Thou shalt do no work on the seventh day. And what is a man liable to for working on the Sabbath? If he did it of his own will presumptuously, he is liable to cutting off; and if witnesses and evidence of it came in, he was to be stoned; but if he did it ignorantly, he was to bring the appointed sin offering, when he knew what he had done. And all along the Treatise of the Sabbath (they are the words of Maymony) wheresoever it is said he that doth such or such things, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Guilty; it meaneth he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 liable to cutting off; and if there be witness and evidence, he is liable to be stoned; but if he did it ignorantly, he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bound to bring a sin offering.

Another offense that deserved cutting off, was going into Sanctuary in uncleanness, which was contrary to that frequent prohibition, that no unclean person should come there. And if any unclean person did wittingly and presumptuously go in thither in his uncleanness, he became liable to cutting off; if witness came in, that he had done this presumingly and knowingly, he was to be whipt or mauled with the rebels heating, as hath been observed; and if he did it ignorantly, he was to bring his offering: which offering in something indeed differed from the sin offerings in other cases, (for whereas everyone of them was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an appointed sin offering of some beast or other, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an offering ascending, or descending, that is, of a higher or lower value according to the persons ability that did offer it; if he were rich, he brought some Beast, but if he were poor, two Turtles, or Pigeons, or a tenth deal of flower,) yet was the rise or occasion of this his offering suitable to all the other. By these examples may easily be apprehended the like proceeding in the rest of the six and thirty, or three and forty, (for into so many the six and thirty do branch themselves) but concerning the committing the thing willfully and suffering for it; or ignorantly, and offering for it.

Now (for the distinguishing of sin offerings) they were either sin offerings of the whole Congregation, or sin offerings of particular persons, Lev. 4. 3, 13, 22, &c. But when we speak of the sin offerings of the whole Congregation, the words admit some scrupling▪ whether it mean the whole body of the people, or the Sanhedrin only, who were their representatives: And we must answer, that it meaneth both: For,

1. There was the sin offering Goat, which was offered on the day of expiation; it was an offering for the whole Congregation Lev. 16. 15. (the disposal of which, we shall observe afterward) and this we may take for the whole body of the people undividedly.

2. There was the sin offering Bullock for the whole Congregation, whereof mention is made, Lev. 4. 13, &c. which by the Jews is commonly called in their writings 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullock for the thing hid, because it is said in the Text alleged, And the thing he hid from the eyes of the Assembly: In this matter, both the Sanhedrin and the people were included; and so included, that the Sanhedrin was the first transgressor ignorantly, and the people transgressed also by their error. Rabbi Solomon explains it thus, By the Congregation of Israel is meant the Sanhedrin; and by the thing being hid, is meant, that they have erred in teaching concerning any of the cuttings off in the law, that such or such a thing is free, and the Assembly have done according to their determination. But Maymony more largely, and more clearly thus, In anything for which being ignorantly committed, men were bound to bring the sin offering appointed, if the great Sanhedrin erred in their determinations, and taught to loose what was bound; and the people erred by their determination, and did the thing relying upon their determination, and afterward it comes to the knowledge of the Sanhedrin that they have erred; Behold the Sanhedrin is bound to bring a sin offering for their error in their determination, although they themselves did not the thing itself; because the actions of the Sanhedrin are not looked after whether they do so, or do not so, but it is looked after how they determine: And as for the rest of the people, they are quit from an offering, because they relied upon the Sanhedrins decree: Now what offering was it that they brought? If they had erred about any of the cuttings off (except Idolatry) every Tribe was to bring a Bullock: and so particular persons were acquitted, and one Bullock for every Tribe atoned both for the Tribes, and for the Sanhedrin, who were their representatives. And something to this sense looketh the Targum of Jonathan when he rendereth the fifteenth verse of that fourth chapter of Leviticus thus: And twelve Elders of the Congregation that are set as Rulers over the twelve Tribes, shall lay their hands on the head of the Bullock: where his Hebrew marginal glossary takes Rab and Rabbi Solomon to task for holding a less number of persons laying on of their hands upon his head. I am not of opinion (saith he) either with Rab or Rabbi Solomon, the one whereof, saith that three, and the other, that five laid on their hands. For the matter is plain from what is written: [and the Elders of the Congregation shall lay on their hands] that it meaneth Elders of all the Congregation: and it appeareth also from this, because all the Congregation have sinned, and why should three or five only lay on their hands? But they were twelve, namely of every Tribe one: where though he seem to hold that there was but one Bullock, and the Targumist upon whom he comments, speak but of one neither, yet is it apparent by other writers of their Nation, that the Bullocks were twelve, and upon what ground they brought them to that number whereas the Text speaketh but of one, shall be observed within a few lines.

3. If the Sanhedrin erred about the matter of Idolatry and determined concerning it, what was not right, and the people upon their determination did practice accordingly, and erred also, then was there a Bullock and a Goat to be brought for every Tribe for a sin offering when the error came to be known and taken notice of, and this they collect from Numb. 15. 24. by this manner of Logic; whereas it is there said [ If ye have erred and have not observed all these Commandments:] what sin is that that breaketh all the Commandments? That is Idolatry, It breaketh the yoke, violateth the covenant, and discovereth the face, or is impudent in evil. And whereas it is said at Levite. 4. 14. Then the Congregation shall offer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they construe it distributively both in this case and in that last before, Every Congregation shall offer, that is, everyone of the Tribes, and so there were twelve Bullocks in the case before, and twelve Bullocks and twelve Goats in this case in hand. These Goats are commonly called in Jewish writers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Goats for Idolatry, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The burned Goats, and the Bullocks, called the burned Bullocks. Not but that the Bullocks that were offered in reference to other matters, than Idolatry, were burnt also, but because by this means a distinction is made between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullocks of the Congregation for the matter hid, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullocks of the Congregation for the matter of Idolatry.

The blood of these Bullocks, that referred both to the one matter and to the other, was brought within the holy place, and there the Priest dipping his finger into it, sprinkled of it seven times before the Vail. And then he came out and put some of it upon the horns of the Altar, and the rest he poured upon the Altar foundation. The f •• he burnt upon the Altar, but his skin, flesh, head, legs, inwards, and dung, he burnt without the Camp. And so also disposed he of the Goats.

Christ our Sacrifice, who offered himself for an atonement for sin, is most commonly by the Scripture resembled to the Sacrifice of the Congregation, because he died for all his people, and to the Sacrifice of a sin offering, because he died to prevent a curse, and cutting off: He is called the Lamb of God, Joh. 1. 29. in allusion to the Lamb of the daily Sacrifice which was an offering of the whole Congregation; and he is said to be made sin for us, that is, a sin offering, though himself knew no sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. And to resemble those Sacrifices whose blood was brought within the Sanctuary for sin, and whose bodies were burnt without the Camp, Heb. 13. 11. This burning of their bodies without the Camp, was not only a figure of his suffering without the Gate, as the Apostle there applies it; but both that, and his suffering without the Gate, was in token of his dying for his people among the Gentiles, who were on the outside of Israel's Camp: and the bringing of the blood into the holy place, denoted the appearing and presenting of the merit of his blood continually before the Lord, for the atonement for the sins of his Congregation.

The sin-offerings of particular persons, were these.

  • 1. The High-priests sin offering Bullock, on the day of expiation, Levite. 16. 6. whose blood was brought within the Vail, verse. 14. and his flesh burnt without the Camp, verse. 27.
  • 2. The High-priests Bullock, for ignorantly committing something that should not be done, Levite. 4. 3. the blood of this Bullock was brought within the holy place, and his flesh and skin, &c. burnt without the Cam , verse. 11. This Bullock is called by the Hebrew writers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullock that was offered in reference to all the Commandments. And there are some that say, that he was to offer such a sin offering once every year: which as it was for an atonement for himself, so (as Baal Turint applies it) it was for encouragement to others to confess their sins. The Law commands (saith he) that the sin offering of the High-priest be burnt publicly in the place of the ashes, that no man might be ashamed to confess his sin, for lo the High-priest sinned, and confessed his sin, and brought his sin offering.
  • 3. There was the sin offering of the Ruler, Levite. 4. 22. this was to be a male Kid, verse. 23. his blood put on the horns of the Altar, his fat burnt on the Altar, and the flesh eaten, verse. 25. &c.
  • 4. There was also the sin offering of any particular private person, Lev. 4. 27. this was to be a Lamb or Kid, but females, the blood put on the horns of the Altar, the fat burnt, and the flesh eaten by the Priests.

These were the several sin offerings that were to be offered, some upon express and singular command, and some upon the general rule of seeking atonement upon discovery of a sin unwittingly committed. Now for the more complete understanding of the manner of the managing and disposing of these sin offerings we may observe these several particulars and circumstances about them.

  • 1. That the place and manner of presenting, killing, and laying hands upon the sin offering, was the same with the place and manner of these things with the burnt offering.
  • 2. That the blood of those that was brought into the holy place was thus disposed. The Bullocks that were burnt and the Goats that were burnt without the Camp, between the time of their killing and sprinkling of their blood (upon the Altar of burnt offering) the Priest went in and stood between the Golden Altar and the Candlestick: the Altar was before him, he dipt in his finger, and sprinkled the blood seven times towards the most holy place, and at every dipping and sprinkling he also put the blood upon a horn of the Altar.
  • 3. The blood that was not brought within the holy place, was put upon the horns of the burnt offering Altar, and so was some of the blood also that was brought out of the holy place again, and the manner of that rite was thus.

    The Priest went up the rise or bridge of the Altar, and went off on the right hand to the circuit of the Altar, and first to the South-east horn of it; he dipped his foremost finger of his right hand in the blood which was in the vessel, and dropt it, or sprinkled it upon the horn, and then wiped his finger on the side of the dish, and got off the blood that remained on it: then went he to the North-east horn, and did after the very same manner; and so at the North-west corner, and likewise at the South-west. And this was the blood that was bestowed above the red line that went about the Altar just in the middle: and only the blood of sin offerings was sprinkled with the finger.

  • 4. Whereas it is said that the rest of the blood he poured at the bottom of the Altar, it is to be understood upon the foundation, and either upon the South or West side, because in the South-west corner of it were the two holes into which the blood sunk; of which we have spoken in the description of the Altar. Some distinguish the pouring of the blood, thus, that which had been in the holy place was poured on the West side, and that which had not been there was poured on the South; but Rabbi Simeon saith, both the one and the other were poured on the West side; and they fell into an underground channel, and they were conveyed into the valley of Kidron, and sold to the Gardiners to fatten their grounds. But R. Meir asserteth that the wise men said, that they were not put to any use at all.
  • 5. Those Goats and Bullocks that were burnt without the Camp, were cut into pieces skins and all upon them, and cast into the fire, even as the burnt offering was laid on the fire upon the Altar.
  • 6. These sin offerings that were not so burnt without the Camp, were eaten by the Priests, after the fat was offered upon the Altar, Levite. 6. 25, 26. & 10. 17. and the eating of them was in the Court. And in corrupt times it is charged upon the Priests, that in their service they regarded not devotion, but only to fill their own bellies, making those their God. They eat up the sin [that is, the sin offerings] of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity, Hos. 4. 8.

SECT. III. Trespass Offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

TRespass Offerings (as to the cause and occasion of their offering up) were so like to sin offerings, as that they seem brethren, and it is something nice and intricate to distinguish betwixt them. For as Sin-offerings came for offenses against negative precepts, so did these; and as those were offered for such offenses ignorantly committed, so likewise were these: and as those had a reference to the danger of cutting off, so had these also; and yet a difference is betwixt them, but such a difference, as that these Trespass offerings were but in order to the other.

Now Trespass-offerings were of these two kinds; there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a doubtful trespass offering, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a trespass offering undoubted: and these were so called, not in regard that there was any doubt in the offering, whether it were an offering or no, when it was presented, but because there was some doubtfulness, or there was undoubtedness in the cause of its Offering.

The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Doubtful or Suspensive Offering (for so the word most properly signifieth) is conceived by some of the Jewish Writers to be so called, because it suspended the party that had committed a Trespass from that penalty that was due to him for it, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because it suspendeth and fenceth him against the due castigations: Which though indeed it carrieth a truth with it, yet is the Etymology of the Phrase more generally given to be, because there is a suspense and doubtfulness in and about the matter, concerning which it was to be offered. There is a story in the Treatise Kerithuth concerning Baba Ben Bota, that he offered one of these suspensive trespass offerings every day in the year, but only on the next day after the day of expiation: And one day he said, By this Temple, if they had let me alone, I had brought such an Offering on that day also, but they said to me, stay till thou come into some doubtfulness: And the wise men say, they bring not a suspensive trespass offering 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but for such an offense, as which wittingly committed, deserveth cutting off, and unwittingly committed claimeth a sin offering.

Agreeable to these last words there is a passage in another place of the same Treatise, where having reckoned the six and thirty transgressions that deserve cutting off, it concludeth that any of these committed wittingly, deserve cutting off, and if unwittingly, a sin offering, and if it be not known, then a suspensive, or doubtful trespass offering.

By both which testimonies it is apparent, that sin offerings, and these suspensive trespass offerings were so near a kin, that the latter is not accounted due, unless there be a possibility of the dueness of the other, and the one is offered for a thing committed unwittingly, and the other for a thing committed unwittingly and unknown. The main difference of them lay in this; a sin offering was for a thing done indeed unwittingly against one of the negative precepts, and now known to be certainly done: but a trespass offering was for a thing do •… indeed, but doubtful whether a precept was violated by the action; and the party is not yet knowing whether he trespassed or not; yet was he to bring a trespass offering, which (as was said before) might fence him against the penalty of cutting off; and if he once came to know that he did offend against a Commandment in the action, then he was to bring a sin offering: The Talmudists give these examples in the case.

He that eats fat (namely that fat of the inwards, which in any Sacrifice was to be offered up) if he did it wittingly, he was to be cut off; if he did it unwittingly, he was to bring a sin offering as soon as he knew what he had done: But our case in hand is this, A man is at a Table where there is that fat that might not be eaten, and another fat that might (for they might eat fat Beef, or Mutton, though they might not eat the fat of the inwards,) he eateth one of these fats, he knoweth not whether; he supposeth he eateth the fat that was lawful to be eaten, but it is possible he eateth that that is unlawful: for this possibility or probability that he may be under a guilt, he is to bring a trespass offering suspensive 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 though he knew not whether he offended yet or no.

He that wittingly lay with his sister, was to be cut off; he that he did it unwittingly, was to bring a sin offering as soon as he knew what he had done. But here is the case we are about; A man's Wife and his Sister are both in one bed, he lieth with one of them supposing it to be his Wife, it is possible it was his Sister, for this he is to bring a doubtful or suspensive trespass offering, because it is doubtful whether he be not under a transgression. And this kind of Offering was in this regard called doubtful or suspensive, because it was in suspense whether he were guilty or no, and it did also suspend that guilt and penalty which did lie, or might light upon him.

Divers such particular examples might be produced, we shall only add one or two more in the words of the Author of Tosaphta. There are two men together, and the one of them offends, but it is not known which of them, Rabbi Josi saith, that both the one and the other must bring a suspensive trespass offering, and make confession. He that eateth the quantity of an olive of fat, or the quantity of an olive of flesh that hath lain so long before it be sacrificed that it stinketh, or the quantity of an olive of what is left of the Sacrifice, or the quantity of an olive of what is unclean, unwittingly, he is to bring a sin offering; but if it is doubtful whether he eat it, or eat it not, then he is to bring a trespass offering. He that lieth with his Sister, or his Fathers Sister, or his Mothers Sister, or his Wifes Sister, or his Brothers Wife, or his Fathers Brothers Wife, or a Woman in her separation, he is to bring a sinoffering, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But if it be doubtful whether he lay with them or no, he is to bring a suspensive or doubtful trespass offering. A man's Wife and his Sister are together, and he lieth with one of them, but he knoweth not whether: He hath two Wives, the one is in her Separation, and the other is not; he lieth with one of them, but he knoweth not whether: There is before him fat, and something left of the Sacrifice, he eateth of the one, but he knows not whether: There is the Sabbath and the day of Expiation, he worketh on the one of them, but he knows not whether: Rabbi Eliezer adjudged him to bring a sin offering: But Rabbi Joshua acquitted him: Now Rabbi Josi saith, although that Rabbi Joshua acquitted him from a sin offering, yet he adjudged him to a trespass offering suspensive.

By these examples it is reasonably well apparent, of what nature 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the suspensive trespass offering was in the repute of the Hebrew Doctors; but for the greater clearing of it, we may yet go with them one step further; A man finds himself in this possibility of having offended, though it be utterly uncertain to him, whether he have offended or no, yet in Conscience was he bound to bring this his suspensive trespass offering, because it is possible he is in the offense, this is the case in the examples given: But this is not the utmost, there comes in witness that he did undoubtedly eat of the fat that was forbidden, that it was his Wife in her separation that he lay withal, or that it was his sister, or the like; he is not yet convinced that it was so, but yet is doubtful, and in suspense he is to bring his suspensive trespass offering, because though it be certain in itself that he hath offended, yet is it not so as yet to him: But whensoever he shall be convinced that he did commit the offense indeed, then is he to bring his sin offering. And thus was the suspensive trespass offering in order to a sin offering, and in reference to those precepts whose violation deserved cutting off, but it being doubtful whether the offense was committed, this doubtful and suspensive offering was to be offered, to keep off the cutting off, the danger of which it is possible he lay under, See Lev. 5. 17.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The certain or apparent trespass offering, is so called, because the Law doth punctually and determinatively appoint as what is to be offered, so by what persons, and upon what occasions it was to be offered, and those are five.

  • 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering for a thing stolen, or unjustly gotten, or detained, of which is mention Levitious 6. 2, 3, 6.
  • 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering for sacrilege, of which there is mention, Levite. 5. 16.
  • 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering concerning a bond maid▪ about which the Law is given, Lev. 19. 20, 21.
  • 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering of the Nazarite, Numbers 6. 12.
  • 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering of the Leper, Levite. 14. 12.

Now the manner of disposing of these Sacrifices when they came to be offered, was according to the disposal of the sin offering: They were killed, flayed, the inwards taken out, washed, salted, and burnt like that, and the flesh eaten by the Males of the Priests in the Court: Only about the sprinkling of their blood there was some difference; for whereas the blood of the sin offering was put upon the horns of the Altar, the blood of these, was sprinkled with that sprinkling which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the two sprinklings, which were sour, that is, at two corners of the Altar forementioned, and into the fashion of the Letter Gamma; those were sprinkled above the red line that went about the middle of the Altar, and these below, as was the blood of the burnt offering. And among all the rest, the Nazarites Ram of trespass offering was accounted one of the lesser Sacrifices or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whereas all the rest went in the rank of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The most holy offerings; and whereas those were slain on the North side of the Court, this was on the South, and those were eaten only by the Males of the Priests, and in the Court, but this might be eaten by others, and in the City.

The eating of the most holy offerings in the Court, is very commonly called by the Jews 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the eating within the Curtains, in which expression they allude to the Court of the Tabernacle, encompassed with Curtains round about. For as within those Curtains, there was that space which was called the Camp of the Lord (the Camp of Levi being pitched without) so from the Gate of Nicanor inward only, was reputed the Lord's Camp, (the Camp of the Levites being that without to the Gate of the Mountain of the Temple.) Now it was an express Command, that every oblation, meat offering, sin offering, trespass offering, should be holy for the Priests, and for their sons, and should be eaten in the most holy place, that is, in the Court, Numb. 18. 10. Ezek. 42. 13. David Kimchi upon the latter place cited, hath these words, The most holy offerings were eaten within the Court of Israel more innerly, and that was called Emphatically the Court: and that was the holy place for the eating of the most holy things, if they were so minded: But in the Court of the Priests, which was within the Court of Israel, there were Chambers of the Priests, and there they eat their holy things. In which passage, he both reduceth the eating of the most holy offerings into a narrower compass than either was needful, or than the rest of his Nation do, and also he findeth Buildings and Chambers for the Priests within the Court of the Priests, which unless they were those Chambers joining to the body of the Temple, are not imaginable, nor have been discovered by any hitherto. As the Command confined the Priests within the Compass of the Court, whilst they were eating these things, so it may well be supposed that the place of their eating of them, was according to the season and the best conveniency, in warm Weather under the Cloisters in open Air, and in colder seasons in some of the Chambers that stood within the Court, as Gazith, Mokadh, Nitsots, or what if in some of the Rooms joining to the Temple.

It appeareth by the Tradition concerning their eating of these things, that they fell not aboard with them till towards the Evening, and made them not their dinner at any time, but their supper, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Hence is the common saying of the Talmudists, They might eat of them till midnight, but after that it was unlawful: And in the Treatise Beracoth, this is set as it were the Clock, to fix the time for the evening rehearsal of their Phylacteries. From what time (say they) do they say over their Phylacteries at even? and it is answered, from the time that the Priests go in to eat their Offerings, &c. Whether the Priests fasted all day till this time or no: and whether the Christian 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 did any whit follow this Copy of their Temple Feasts, and whether this their feasting before the Lord, were not a resemblance of the blessed society of the glorified in the Presence of God, we shall not argue, but refer it to the Reader.

Among these Offerings that we have mentioned of Bullocks, Goats, Rams, and Lambs, we must not forget that there were the like Offerings of Birds; and of all Birds there were only two kinds allowed, and these were Turtles and young Pigeons, and they were ever offered by Couples. In the Talmud Language they are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or nests, of which Title, and upon which subject there is a Treatise in that Code, and they were ordinarily sold in the Temple, Joh. 2. 14. and Women especially (though not only) dealt in this kind of Offering of all other: For the cases concerning their uncleanness, issues, births, abortions (besides their vows and free gifts) were so many, that they multiplied these Offerings to an incredible number; Let one Example give evidence concerning the rest.

A woman saith the Treatise Kerithuth] that hath the doubtfulness of five births (together) and five fluxes, she is to bring one offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifices, and there is no further offering due from her; Hath she five Births certain, and five fluxes certain, she is to bring one Offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifice; but there is a due from her for the rest. There was this passage, Doves stood one day in Jerusalem at a Denarius of Gold. Rabban Simeon the son of Gamaliel said, By this Temple, I will not sleep this night till they be at a Denarius of silver; he went into the Sanhedrin, and determined thus; A Woman that hath five apparent births, and five apparent fluxes, is to bring one Offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifices, and there is no more due from her upon the rest. And thus Doves came that day to half a Denarius.

The manner of offering of these Birds was thus: If they came for a Burnt Offering, the Priest went up the rise of the Altar, and turned off to the circuit, and there at the Southeast corner he wrung off their heads, opened them, wrung out their blood upon the side of the Altar, salted the head where it was wrung off, and cast it into the fire, took out the inwards, and cast them to the heap of Ashes, salted the Birds, and cast them into the fire. And if they came for a sin offering, he wrung off their heads, sprinkled the blood on the side of the Altar, and squeezeth out the rest of the blood at the foundation, and there was no more▪to be done, but the Priest to take the birds for his own to eat. Only in the sprinkling of the blood of these birds either being for burnt offering, or sin offering, the manner was clean different and contrary to the sprinkling of the blood of Beasts; for the blood of beasts in burnt offerings was sprinkled beneath on the Altar below the red line that went about it, and the blood of sin offerings above: but as for those birds, their blood when they were offered for burnt offerings was sprinkled above, and when for sin offerings, it was sprinkled beneath.

SECT. IV. Peace Offerings, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

WE need not to go very far to find out the reason and notation of Peace Offerings, (as some have done, concluding that they were so called because they made peace in the World, peace for the Altar, peace for the Priests, and peace for the owners ) but do but set them in Antithesis and opposition to those Offerings that have been spoken of already, and their name and nature will show itself; Burnt Offerings, Sin Offerings, and Trespass Offerings, were presented and offered up under the notion of some offense committed, and some guilt that he that brought them, either did or might lie under; but Peace Offerings came not under any such liableness, offensiveness or suspicion, but were presented in reference to the parties more comfortable, and more unguilty condition, as being offered either by way of thanksgiving for good obtained, or by way of Vow or free Devotion.

And this sense (it may be) the Septuagint looked after when they translate Peace Offerings 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Sacrifices of deliverance or salvation.

The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from whence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which signifieth peace offerings, is derived, doth signify, as it is well known, either peace or prosperity, and the peace offerings accordingly may be conceived to have relation to this double signification: For some peace offerings were offered in way of devotion, as free will offerings to continue or to compass peace with God: Some in way of thanksgiving, and these were for prosperity or good obtained already; and some by way of vows, and these were offered that prosperity or good might be obtained for the future. For this division of peace offerings into thanks offerings, free will offerings, and offerings for Vows, is held out by the Law, Levite. 7.

We will first begin with some peace offerings that were of an extraordinary quality, and Heteroclites from the common rule; and these were the peace offerings of the Heathen, which even they offered at the Temple. The Mountain of the House is very commonly called by Christian Writers The Court of the Gentiles, as hath been said before, for into that might even Heathens come, and they might bring offerings with them, and those offerings were offered up, even as were the Sacrifices of the Israelites. And in allusion to this it is that in the Revelation, when the Angel is measuring the Temple, he is bidden not to measure the outer Court, but to leave that out, for that was given to the Gentiles, Rev. 11. 2. Concerning these Sacrifices presented by the Heathen, Maimonides gives us this testimony and Tradition. They receive not of the Heathen but burnt Offerings only, because it is said, From the hand of the son of a stranger, ye shall not offer the bread of your God: They receive even burnt offerings of birds from an Heathen, yea though he be an Idolater: But they receive not from them peace offerings, nor meat offerings, nor sin offerings, nor trespass offerings: And likewise for burnt offerings, they receive them not from the Heathen, if they come not by way of free will offering, or by way of Vow. A Heathen that bringeth peace offerings, they offer them as burnt offerings, because the Heathens mind is towards Heaven; Doth he vow peace offerings and gives them to Israel that Israel may be atoned for, the Israelites eat them as if they were the peace offerings of Israelites; and if he give them to the Priest, the Priest eateth them. An Apostate Jew that is fallen to Idolatry, and that profaneth the Sabbath presumptuously ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) they receive not from him an offering at all, no not a burnt offering which they would receive from the Heathen.

In which relation of his, when he saith they do not receive peace offerings of the Heathen, and yet afterward he saith they do, and so seemeth to contradict himself; these things observed, will clear his meaning, and show that he speaketh exceeding full and good sense. 1. That they refused not a Heathens offering, because in tendering of it, he shown that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his mind was something towards God, and that some devotion was in him; Yet 2. they would not receive a sin offering, nor a trespass offering from him, because he was not under those Laws, upon which sin offerings and trespass offerings did arise. 3. Nor yet would they receive a meat offering, or a peace offering from him, under that notion, or in that latitude of a peace offering, because bread was to be offered with it, and it was prohibited that they should offer the bread of their God received from a stranger. 4. But every Sacrifice that he offered, must be offered by him under one of those two notions, under which a peace offering came; namely, either as a free will offering or a vow, and yet it must not be sacrificed under the notion of a peace offering, but must be offered up as a burnt offering, because brought in devotion to God, and not to be eaten by Israelites. But if 5. out of love to Israel, and desire of their prosperity, he brought a peace offering even under that notion, to this end, that it might be for an atonement between Israel and God, it was now become Israel's peace offering, and it might be offered as a peace offering and the Israelites might eat it: or if in love to the Priests then serving, he brought it to be a peace offering for atonement between God and those Priests, the property was now altered, and it was become the Priests peace offering, and so it might be offered up and eaten.

Now to return to the Peace Offerings of the Israelites, they were either of the whole Congregation, or of particular persons. The Peace Offerings of the whole Congregation, were only two Lambs offered at one time of the Year, and that was at Pentecost, Lev. 23. 19. And these were killed, flayed, their blood sprinkled, their inwards burnt, and the flesh eaten by the Males of the Priests in the Court, even as the sin offerings were: for these of peace offerings only were accounted 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 most holy Sacrifices, whereas all the rest were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sacrifices less holy.

The Peace Offerings of particular persons were threefold.

1. Peace Offerings that were offered without bread with them; such were their Offerings that were offered for their Hagigah and Simchah, or for their festivity and rejoicing at the three solemn festivals: Now although these were offered without bread, and so might seem to have been proper for Heathens to have offered, as being clear from that exception of the Law, of not offering the bread of a stranger, yet might not Heathens offer these peace offerings, because that they were not under the command of the three festivals, nor of the festivity and rejoicing at them.

2. Peace offerings that were offered with bread, of which there is mention in Lev. 7. and where they are described at large: These peace offerings might be of Bullocks, or Kine, of Lambs Male, or female, and so of Goats, Lev. 3. The occasion of their Offering as was mentioned before, was either for thanksgiving, or of a free devotion, or for a Vow. Rabbi Solomon confines the thanksgiving offering to such occasions as those mentioned in the hundred and seventh Psalm, as namely for deliverance from tempests at Sea, from dangers in travail in the wilderness, from sickness, and from prison, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for some remarkable and wonderful deliverance or mercy that was wrought for him; or as Ibn Ezra expresseth it, because he is delivered out of any strait. In which Gloss they straiten the thanksgiving offering the rather to such singular and extraordinary occasions, because their Offerings of tithes, firstlings, first fruits, &c. were as thanksgivings for their common and constant mercies; and yet I see not, but these Peace Offerings might also come sometime in reference to their common mercies and prosperity, as for their health, comforts in their children, success in their business, or the like. And as for the Peace Offerings that came as Vows, and those that came of free gift, as the rise of them was of different ground, the one of pure devotion, the other upon some conditional reference, so do the Jews observe, that if the Offerings that were vowed, died, or were stolen, they were to be made good by presenting others in their stead: but if those that were set apart of free gift, either were stolen or died, the party was not bound to any such reparation.

These Peace Offerings that we have in mention were slain in any part of the Court, but most commonly on the South side, and their blood was sprinkled as was the blood of the burnt offering 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 namely with two sprinklings in form of the Letter Gamma, which two besprinkled the four sides of the Altar. The breast of the Peace Offering, and the right shoulder, were the Priests due that offered it, and so was a part of the Bread or Cakes that were offered with it, and this is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Muram ordinarily by the Rabbins, that is, that that was taken of the Sacrifice, by the Priests and for them. The breast was to be waved before the Lord, and for this action the Offerer was to go into the Court of the Priest, and to join his hand in the rite, and the manner of waving was thus; The Priest laid the fat in the owners hand, and upon the sat he laid the breast and right shoulder, and upon them he laid the kidneys and the Caul of the Liver, and if it were a thanksgiving offering he laid some of the bread aloft on all; then he put his hand under the hands of the owner, and he waved his hands this way and that way, and up and down, and all towards the East: and after this waving he salted the inwards, and burnt them upon the Altar; and the waved breast and shoulder the Priest took for his part, and the owner the rest, and they were to be eaten. It was lawful for the party that brought the Peace Offering to eat his part of it in any part of Jerusalem; and so is the Talmudic expression which frequently occurreth in this case to be understood, which saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The remaining parts of it were u en (not in any City, but) in any part of the City: and this is one of the privileges of Jerusalem above other Cities, because the lesser holy things might be eaten in it, and not in any other: They ordinarily boiled their Peace Offerings in the Temple itself, in one of the corners of the Court of the Women, where we have observed in its description, boiling places for this purpose; See 2 Chro. 35. 13. And in the like manner they did at Shiloh, upon which business the sons of Eli shown their wickedness, when instead of contenting themselves with the wave breast, and heave shoulder, they brought up a Custom to strike a three forked hook into the Cauldron where the peace offering was boiling, and to take whatsoever it brought up, 1 Sam. 2.

The Peace offering of thanksgiving was eaten the same day, but a Vow or Free-will Offering might be eaten on the morrow, Lev. 7. 15, 16. and herein the Priests and the Offerer came under the same restriction, for the one, and liberty for the other: and the whole Families of the one and the other, Wives, Sons, Daughters, Servants might eat of them: and the Offerer, if he would, might eat his part in the Temple, and the Priests, if they would, might eat theirs in Jerusalem: an accursed imitation of these peace Offerings, and eating of them in the Temple, was taken up among the Heathens, 1 Cor. 8. 10.

3. There was a third peace offering of a particular person, and that was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as it is commonly called, The Nazarites Ram, of which the Law and Story is set down, Num. 6. 17. and the manner of its disposal was thus: He was killed, and his blood sprinkled; then were the inwards taken out, and the right shoulder and breast separated, and the rest of the flesh the Nazarite boiled in the corner of the Court of the Women, in the place called the room of the Nazarites. Then took the Priest the sodden shoulder of the Ram, and a tenth part of the bread that was brought with him, and the heave shoulder, and wave breast, and the inwards, and put them in the hands of the Nazarite, and put his own hand under his, and waved them as before; and all that was waved was the Priests Portion, but only the inwards that were to be burnt upon the Altar, and the Nazarite had the rest.

SECT. V. Meat Offerings, and Drink Offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THere were Twelve sorts of Meat Offerings; Three of the whole Congregation, and Nine of particular persons: The three of the whole Congregation were these:

  • 1. The twelve Loaves of Shew-bread, which were set before the Lord every Sabbath, Exod. 25. 3. Lev. 24. 5, 6, 7. and when they were taken away, they were eaten by the Priests.
  • 2. The Sheaf or Omer of the first fruits of their Harvest, Lev. 23. 9. This was of Barley, the Corn that was first ripe: and there was but one Meat Offering more of Barley, of all the twelve; all the rest were of Wheat. This Sheaf was waved before the Lord, this way and that way, and up and down, and then it was part offered, and part eaten. Rabbi Solomon giveth this reason of the waving of it, if it may be taken, Every waving (saith he) is bringing it this way, and that way, up and down; and the waving it this way, and that way, was for the restraining of evil winds, and the waving it up and down, was for the restraining of evil dews.
  • 3. The two wave Loaves offered at Pentecost, Lev. 23. 17.

The nine Meat Offerings of particular persons were these:

  • 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The daily meat Offering of the High-priest.
  • 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of initiation; which every Priest brought in his hand at his first entrance into the Office.
  • 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The sinners meat offering: This was the offering of a poor man that should have brought a sin offering and was not able; I here cannot but observe a passage in the Mishnah, and in Tosaphta that speak of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the sinners meat offering of the poor Priest, that was so poor as that he was not able to bring a sin offering; intimating in what poor condition some of them lived, though some again of them were as rich and stately.
  • 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Jealousy meat offering of the suspected Wife, Num. 5. 15. this was of Barley meal.
  • 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of fine flower unbaked.
  • 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in a pan.
  • 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in a frying-pan.
  • 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in the Oven.
  • 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Wafers.

Now besides these names, we read of, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of the Heathen, and of Women, and The meat offering with a drink offering, which are but names different from some of these that are named, for the things themselves did not differ: when a Heathen Man would present a meat Offering under the limitations forementioned, it was some of these mentioned, and also a meat offering that was offered with a drink offering, was some of these that are mentioned; but they are called by these distinctive names, only in regard of these circumstances, and not in regard of the difference of Materials.

As for the making and managing of these meat offerings, these were the main and general rules by which they went.

  • 1. That no meat offering should consist of less than the tenth part of an Ephah of Corn, (which was but very little differing from the tenth part of our bushel) and of a log of oil, which was somewhat above thirteen ounces. Now as many tenth parts might be offered, as the offerer could find in his heart to offer, so that there were not above 60 in one Vessel, and to every tenth part he must join a log of oil; but under one tenth part, and under one log, there must be no meat offering. This tenth part of an Ephah was called an Omer, Exod. 16. 36.
  • 2. That when the meat offering was any of the four sorts baked, they commonly made ten cakes, or pieces of the tenth deal, and accordingly if more tenth deals were offered than one, they made ten cakes of every tenth deal that was offered; only the High-priests meat offering was made into twelve cakes; and when these cakes were baked, everyone of them was broken in two, and twelve halfs were offered in the morning, and twelve at even.
  • 3. Some meat offerings required both oil, and frankincense, some required oil, but not frankincense, some frankincense, but not oil, and some neither frankincense nor oil. Those that required both frankincense and oil, were these. The meat offering of fine flower unbaked, those four that were baked, the meat offering of the High priest, that of the Priests initiation, the Omer of first fruits, and the meat offerings of Heathens and of Women. The meat offering joined with a drink offering, required oil, but not frankincense. The Shew-bread required frankincense but not oil: and the sinners meat offering, and the meat offering of the suspected wife, had neither oil nor frankincense.
  • 4. All the meat offerings that were made in a vessel, had three pourings of oil about it: as the unbaked meat offering of fine flower 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , first oil was put into the vessel, and the flower after it, then oil was poured upon the flower, and they mingled together, then was it put into the vessel of the service, in which it was to be brought to the Altar, and oil poured on it again, and frankincense put aloft on all; and so those meat offerings that were baked in the pan or frying pan, oil was put into a vessel, flower upon it, and oil upon the flower again; these being blended together, it was baked, and being baked it was broken into its pieces, and more oil put upon the pieces, and frankincense upon all: Only what was made and baked wafer wise, they were anointed with oil, and their anointing was to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 after the form of the letter Chi, as the Talmud expresseth it, which the Gloss explaineth to be, After the form of the Greek Kappa, or the Hebrew Teth; as is the parting between the Thumb and the Finger, that is, he poured the oil so upon them, that it went this way, and that way, into two parts.
  • 5. Of some of the meat offerings the Priest took out one handful, and burnt it on the Altar, and the rest he had for himself to eat: and some meat offerings were wholly burnt, and the Priest had no part: Now these are they, of which a handful was taken only, and the rest fell to the Priests. The unbaked meat offering of fine flower, and the four baked, the meat offering of Heathens and of Women, the Omer of first fruits, and the sinners meat offering, and that of Jealousy. But the meat offering of the High-priests, and of the Priests initiation, and that that was offered with a drink offering, the Priests had no share in these, but the Altar had all.
  • 6. The manner of offering these meat offerings was thus: He brought it in a Silver or Golden Dish, in which it was mingled, and puts it into one of the Holy Vessels of the Service, and hallowes it in the Holy Vessel, and puts the oil and the frankincense upon it: then goes and he brings it up to the South-east horn of the Altar, standing on the South-side of the horn. He had laid the frankincense on the one side; then takes he his handful from the oily place, and lays it in the midst of another Holy Vessel, and hallows it in the midst of the Vessel, then gathers he up the frankincense, and lays it aloft, and brings it to the top of the Altar, there salts it and lays it on the fire, and the rest was for the Priests to eat.

The meat offering that was offered with the daily sacrifice, had also a drink offering presented with it, and so had divers other Sacrifices the like, Num. 15. Now the drink offering was only such a quantity of Wine, more or less, according to the Sacrifice as is there prescribed; which was neither mingled, nor any of it poured into the •• re as the meat offering was, but it was poured upon the foundation of the Altar, as the blood was; and when the Wine of the daily meat offering was poured out, the Song of the Temple began, as we have observed.

There was a meat offering offered every morning with the morning Sacrifice, and yet it is observable, that the time of the evening Sacrifice only is called Minchab (which was the title of the meat offering) and the time of the morning sacrifice not so, 1 Kin. 18. 29. And again, the time of the Sacrifice is called by the name of the meat offering, rather than by the name of the Sacrifice itself, Dan. 9. 21. the reason of which is somewhat hard to give, and almost as hard to find any that have given any guess at it; whether the former were not because the private meat offerings, or those of particular persons were most commonly offered in the afternoon: or whether it were not because the incense of the evening was offered at the time of the meat offering, which at the morning Sacrifice it was not: and whether the latter were not, because of the variety of materials in the meat offering, which was not in the sacrifice itself, or because the sacrifice was not complete till the meat offering came on, be it referred to the learned to judge.

And thus have we a brief account of the nature and manner of their sacrifices: (for as for the offering of their firstlings and their tenths, they were not so different from those mentioned, that they need a discourse by themselves, and about the Paschals we shall speak anon.) There are only two things more concerning their sacrifices to be inquired after, and they are these, First, how these sacrifices of sin and trespass offerings, and burnt offerings became paid, (as we have seen how they became due.) For it may be the Offender had no mind to be at such charges, though he knew he did owea sacrifice upon such a sin and trespass: but he would spare the cost of a Lamb, or Goat, and would think it better saved than spent, if he could come fairly off, and keep his money. The provision in this case was twofold, Conscience and Penalty, and if the first prevailed not, the second took place, if the offense were known. Those that had any Conscience, or regard of Religion, or of themselves, needed no other instigation to bring their offering, when they knew they were under an offense that called for it, but their Conscience and that regard: And they had a double motive to urge them to it; first, the obedience to God's Commandment which called for it; and secondly, the expiation of their sin, which they believed was obtained by the offering: But if the party were not swayed by Conscience or Religion, but had rather, and was readier to save his money, than either regard God's Command or his own expiation, if there were witness found that came forth and said, that he had committed such a sin or trespass, it was best for him then to think of setting apart an offering, or else he was in danger of a Penalty, as he lay under guilt: Had he committed sin ignorantly against any of those negative precepts, the transgressing against which willfully, had brought him under the danger of Cutting off; and now, when he comes to know that he had done amiss, he refuseth to bring that sacrifice, that was due for such an offense, this contempt and refusal heightened the offense, so that now it appeared a willful sin, when he refuseth to seek his peace for it as for one of ignorance, and if he were called to an account for it, and witness produced of what he had done, and he convented, he must either clear himself of the action, or be challenged his offering; compare Mat. 8. 4. But as far as this matter rested upon their devotion, (and where there was true devotion, it needed no further promoter,) the Nation was so zealous of their Rites, and the sins that deserved cutting off, were brought into so little compass, and so plain, and not very obvious to be stumbled against through ignorance, that the failing to the render of these sacrifices when they became due, was indifferently well prevented, by one or other of these things, either this zeal, or their plainness, especially this concurring that the People held, that ex opere operato these made their peace: The letter of the Law was, that he should offer of his own voluntary will, Lev. 1. 4. And yet saith Rabbi Solomon upon the place. It teacheth that they urged him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it may be whether he would or no. But the text saith, he must do it of his own freewill. How then? They urged him till he said, I am willing.

A second scruple about these sacrifices is, concerning the time of their presenting and offering. A man that lived at a great distance from Jerusalem, was fallen under such an offense as that a sacrifice was due from him: what must he do? Must he away presently thither to offer his offering? Must he neglect his implovements at home, and travel up to Jerusalem, at a charge double and treble, and more to the charge of the sacrifice that he was to offer, and lay all things aside till that be done? The Provision in this case was, That he that became liable to any offering might stay the paying of it till the next solemn Festival of the three came, when all must appear before the Lord at Jerusalem. And so his pains and cost of going up thither did accrue upon that general and comprehensive Command for their appearance, and not from his own private and particular occasion: They make this one of the Two Hundred Eight and Forty affirmative precepts, that they pick up in the Law, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That a man should bring all his offerings that are either due from him, or voluntarily dedicate, at the solemn festival that cometh next: And so, as the Lord by appointing those three solemn times, in the Spring and Summer, did provide for the ease and accommodation of the people in that general service; so by this Law was provision made for every man's particular exigent, and devotion. And this command and practice they ground upon those words, Deut. 12. 5, 6. Unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shalt thou come. And thither shall ye bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, &c. Eight things (saith Baal Hatturim) are named here according to the eight times using the words Before the Lord, in the Law concerning the three festivals. And so would he construe that Text, to the sense that we are discoursing of by a Massoretick Arithmetical collection, as it is his common way and use to do; but those that go more seriously to work, conclude, their bringing of their particular and occasional devotions, at those general appearances from that Text, by expounding, the seeking and going to the habitation of the Lord, of the most eminent, and singularly commanded going thither: According to this construction and practice, the Chaldee Paraphrast understands what is said concerning Elkanah, that he went up out of his City to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Sam. 1. 3. for he hath rendered it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From the time of one solemn Festival to another: what exceptions there might be in this matter, and whether, and upon what occasions, the bringing of those their sacrifices, might be deferred beyond the next coming Festival to another, and how those that were nearer to Jerusalem, and were so minded, might come with their gifts at other times, it is not much requisite to insist upon.




SECT. I. Burnt-offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

IT is disputed among the learned of the Jews, what should be the occasion of burntofferings, and whereupon they became due. And I find the debate concluding in this resolution, that either they were to expiate for the evil thoughts of the heart, as sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings were to do for evil actions: or to expiate for the breach of affirmative precepts, as those did for negative. Rabbi Akibah questioned, For what doth a burnt-offering expiate? For matters whereupon there is a penalty, &c. or concerning affirmative precepts, and concerning negative precepts, whereunto some affirmative precept doth refer. And the body of the Beast (saith Ibn Ezra) that is offered to expiate for that that comes up into the heart, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the offering for a sin, or a trespass, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 To which sense the Chaldee paraphrase of Jonathan also speaketh, when rendering those words in Lev. 6. 9. This is the Law of the burnt offering; &c. he glosseth thus, This is the Law of the burnt offering, which cometh to expiate for the thoughts of the heart; upon which the Hebrew marginal glossgiveth this explanation; It is so written in Vajikrah Rabbah, that a burnt-offering cometh not, but for the thoughts of the heart: and there is an intimation of this in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That that is come up into your heart shall in no wise come to pass.

Burnt-offerings were of any of the five living Creatures named, and the manner of their offering was thus:

If his burnt offering were a Bullock, he might take him from eight days old and upward, and so also might he do by a Lamb or Kid: And it must be a male, because the burnt offering being the noblest offering faith Ibn Ezra, it required the noblest of the kind that was, to be offered.

1. He was to bring it into the Court, for the law was express that he must present his offering before the Lord, Lev. 1. 3. Now this Phrase, before the Lord, was understood from the gate of Nicanor and inward; and the bringing of the Sacrifice into the Court was of so strict and an inviolable obligation, that women, who otherwise were absolutely forbidden to come into the Court, yet if they brought a Sacrifice they were bound and necessitated to go in thither, as was touched but even now.

2. He must lay his hand upon the head of it whilst it was yet alive, Lev. 1. 4. All the Sacrifices that any single man offered of beasts, whether it were an offering of duty, or an offering of free will, he must lay his hand upon it while it is yet alive, except only the firstling, the tenth and the Passover. This laying on of hands, was a Rite of transmission as it were, of the man's sin unto the Sacrifice that was to die for him, and in his death which was now ready, he acknowledged his own desert to die, and so it was a figure of the laying of our sins upon Christ, and an emblem of repentance.

About the laying on of the hands, they had these divers Traditions, as 1. That it was to be in the Court; and if he laid his hands on him before he came into the Court, he must do it there again; and if the offerer of the Sacrifice stood without the Court, and put his hands within, and laid it on the head of the Beast within, it served the turn: as is observed elsewhere about the Leper in the gate of Nicanor. 2. The owner of the beast must lay on his hands himself, and might not do it by proxy; which is to be understood in reference to particular men's sacrifice, for some of the Sacrifices of the whole Congregation had their Deputies or Proxies to lay their hands on them, as was observed even now. 3. If divers men joined in one Sacrifice [ as divers might] everyone was to lay on his hand particularly one after another. 4. There is some dispute among the Hebrew Doctors whether they laid on one hand or both, and there are assertors on both sides, but all conclude in this, that whether one or both, he must lay them on with all his strength, and all the stress he can. And so the Targum of Jonathan (which holds for one hand only) saith, He shall lay on his right hand with all his force: and Maimonides (which holds for both the hands) saith, he was to lay on both his hands and that with all his might. 5. The place where he stood to lay on his hands, was ordinarily the place where the Sacrifices were slain at the place of the rings, and so upon this occasion an Israelite might and must come within the Court of the Priest. 6. The manner was thus; the Sacrifice was so set, as that the offerer, standing with his face towards the West, laid his two hands between his horns, and confessed his sin over a sin offering, and his trespass over a trespass offering, and over a burnt offering he confesseth his transgression both against affirmative and negative precepts, and his confession was in this wise; I have sinned, I have done perversely, I have rebelled and done thus and thus; but I return by repentance before thee, and let this be my expiation: And presently after this his confession, was the beast to be slain.

3. The killing of the Sacrifice was regularly and ordinarily the Priests work and office, yet might it upon occasion be done by another: or if it were done by another, it was allowable: For whereas the Law saith, And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord, and the sons of Aaron the Priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it, Levite. 1. 5. as making a distinction betwixt the he that killed the bullock, and the Priests that took the blood, the Hebrew Doctors have observed not impertinently from hence, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The killing of the Sacrifices was lawful by strangers, yea of the most holy sacrifices, were they the sacrifices of a particular person, or of the whole Congregation: And upon these words, And the sons of Aaron the Priests shall bring the blood: it is a received tradition, that from thence most properly did begin the Priests office more peculiarly, see 2 Chron. 30. 16, 17.

4. The fleaing of the slain Sacrifice was not so inseparably the Priests office, but that a stranger, or one that was not a Priest might do it. And so Maimonedes asserteth in the place cited above, that the fleaing of the sacrifice, and the dividing of it into pieces, and bringing wood to the Altar done by strangers, was lawful. This they did especially at the Passover and other festival times when the Paschal Lambs, and the other offerings were so many that the Priests could not serve to kill and flea them; but whosoever killed or flayed, the Priests ever sprinkled the blood, and none else might do it.

When the number of the beasts to be flayed were not too many for that receipt, they hung him by the legs upon the hooks that were fastened in the lower pillars, (which we have described elsewhere) and in the transom over them for that purpose; but at Passover when there were more Lambs than that room would admit, two men took a staff or bar, (divers of which staves stood there for that end) and laying it upon their shoulders, they hung the Lamb upon it, and as he hung thus between them, they flayed him. Rabbi Eliezer saith, if the Passover fell on the Sabbath (on which day they might not meddle so well with carrying of Staves) a man laid his hand upon his fellows shoulder, and his fellow laid his hand upon his shoulder, and upon their arms they hanged up the Lamb, and so flayed him. All the skins of the most holy sacrifices, that is, burnt offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings, fell to the Priests, and the Priests of the Course salted them all week, and on the eve of the Sabbath divided them; but the skins of the other sacrifices, fell to the offerers, or owners themselves.

5. The sprinkling of the blood, was to be before the sacrifice was flayed, for this was the rule, and that agreeable to the Law 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They flayed them not till one had sprinkled the blood; for in the Law there is mention of the sprinkling the blood, before there is mention of fleaing, Lev. 1. 5, 6. The manner of their sprinkling of the blood upon the Altar, and the circumstances about that, were very various; we will take up the chiefest of them in their order.

First, The blood that was to be sprinkled, was to be taken in a dish or vessel of the service, and not in a common vessel of a man's own; and that is a constant and rational maxim 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That the taking of the blood of the Sacrifices must be in a vessel hallowed for the service.

Secondly, These several sorts of people might not take the blood to sprinkle it, and if they did it was polluted. 1. A stranger, or one that was not a Priest. 2. A Priest a mourner, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, he that had one dead in his family that day; for whosoever had one dead in his house, all that day of the parties death, he was called a mourner 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 3. He that had been unclean, so that he was to wash that day, and his Sun was not yet down. 4. He that had been under a longer uncleanness, and his atonement not yet made. 5. A Priest that had not all the holy garments on that he ought to wear. 6. One uncircumcised. 7. One that was unclean. 8. One that sat, or stood on anything whilst he took the blood, but on the very pavement of the Court; for in the service they might not stand upon any vessel, or beast, or hide, or on his neighbors foot, but on the bare pavement. 9. He that took the blood with the left hand, some held it unlawful, but others were of another mind.

Thirdly, Whereas there was a red line about the Altar just in the middle between the bottom and the top, the blood of some sacrifices were to be sprinkled beneath that line, and some above, and if that that was to be sprinkled below, was sprinkled above; and if that that was to be sprinkled above, was sprinkled below, it was unlawful.

Fourthly, The sprinkling of the blood of burnt offerings, and trespass offerings, and peace offerings, went all by one rule and manner, and it was thus; The Priest bringing it to the Altar, was to sprinkle it below the red line, and he was to sprinkle it into the fashion of the Greek Gamma, or into this form Γ; for so is the tradition in the Gemara of the Treatise Zevachim cited ere while; and so is the meaning of Maymony, when he saith it was to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Now the meaning of the thing is this; He was to go (as the margin of the Talmud glosseth) to a corner of the Altar, and to cast the blood out of the vessel so, as that it should spread to two sides of the Altar at once; which my last named Author gives more plainly thus, and more at large. He was to sprinkle it out of the vessel, but two sprinklings upon two sides of the Altar, namely, at the North-east corner and at the South-west corner; and he must take care to sprinkle the blood at the corner, so as that it may go on both the sides of the Altar, like a Gamma ( thus Γ,) so that the blood at the two sprinklings may be found upon all the four sides of the Altar. Their meaning is this, that as he stood on the East side of the Altar, near to the North-east corner, he must cast the blood out of the vessel with such a compassed and kembo cast, that part of it may light on the East side, on which he stands, and part of it on the North side. And the like was he to do standing on the West side, near the South-west corner, that part of it might light on the West side, on which he stood, and part of it on the South. And thus they accounted that they answered the command, which did enjoin them that they should sprinkle the blood round about, upon the Altar, Lev. 1. 5. & 3, 8. And the rest of the blood they poured upon the foundation of the Altar on the Southside. By this may that difficult expression be understood, which occurreth exceeding frequently in the Jewish writers, when they are speaking about sprinkling the blood of the Sacrifices, that such and such Sacrifices blood 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to have two sprinklings, which are four. The disposal of the blood in sprinkling they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a giving; and some bloods were to have 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 four givings, or sprinklings, namely, on the four corners of the Altar, and others were to have but two, as these mentioned at the two corners of the Altar: but these two proved as much as four, because they sprinkled all the four sides of it, after the manner described.

The sprinkling of the blood upon the horns of the Altar, (as the blood of the sin offerings was used) shall be observed by and by, and so shall the extraordinary conveyance of the blood of the Paschal Lambs to the Altar, be observed when we come to Treat of the Passover.

6. The Lamb to be slain (for of the daily Sacrifice we will take an example) was bound his forelegs and hinder legs together, and laid thus bound with his head toward the South, and his face toward the West, and he that killed him stood on the East side of him with his face Westward. He killed him, and one took the blood and sprinkled it, and then he hanged him up upon some of the hooks in the low pillars, and began to flee him: He flayed till he came down to the breast, and when he was gone so far, he cut off his head, and gave it to him that was allotted to take it, and carry it to the Altar; he cut off the legs and gave them to another, and so he goes on and fleas him out; he then cuts open the heart and brings out the blood there; cuts out the two shoulders and gives them to him that was allotted for their carriage; cuts off the right leg and with it the stones; opens him quite, and takes out the fat, and lays it at the slaughter place; he takes out the bowels and gives them some to wash, who first washed them well in the washing room, and then washed them a little again on the marble tables; then takes he the knife and parts between the lights and the liver, but takes them not out yet; he takes off the breast and gives it to him that was to carry it, and so goes along the right side and cuts that out, and goes down to the spine bones, and there cuts out the oins, and so proceeds in other parcels; the manner how is at large related in the Treatise and Chapter cited above in the margin, but not so very material or necessary to our present pursuit, as to spend much time and labor thereupon: the learned Reader will peruse it there; and the unlearned, would think it too tedious to peruse it here.

7. The several Priests with the several parts of the divided Sacrifice in their hands, come to the rise of the Altar and there they lay them down and salt them. For this, the Law was very strict, Lev. 2. 13. With all thine offerings thou shalt offer Salt; and their observance of it was answerably strict also, for nothing came on the Altar unsalted, but only the wine of the drink offering, the blood sprinkled, and the wood of the fire: and in three places they used salt; in the chamber of the salt they salted the skins of the Sacrifices; upon the rise of the Altar they salted the parts of the Sacrifices; and on the top of the Altar they salted the handful of flour and oil, and the frankincense, Lev. 2. 2. and the most offerings that were to be burnt, and the burnt offerings of birds. This Typical Law, our Savior raiseth, to signify the seasoning of every man with the Word of God, which he calleth salting with fire, Mark. 9. 49. for the word is called fire, Deut. 33. 2. Jer, 5. 14. & 20. 9. & 23. 29. 1 Cor. 3. 13, &c. And when he saith, Everyone shall be salted with fire, Non praedicit aliquid futurum, sed ostendit quid ab omnibus requiratur, nempe ut verbo incorrupto conditi sese Deo consecrent.

The parts of the Sacrifice being salted, the Priest that was to offer them, took them up, carried them up to the Altar, and threw them confusedly into the fire; he first cut out the sinew that shrank, and threw it among the ashes, and then he cast all the pieces on an heap into the fire without any order. For though the Law enjoined that the pieces should be laid in order upon the fire, Lev. 1. 8. and although their manner was to lay the beast on the fire, as like to his posture whilst he was alive as they could, namely, his head before, and his shoulders and foreparts next, and the rest in order; yet at the first laying of them on, they thought they found some color in the Law of injunction, that they should scatter the flesh as well as sprinkle the blood, and therefore they threw them on at the first without any order, or distinction, and then they ordered them, and so let them lie to burn.




SECT. II. Sin offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

THE Law concerning Sin offerings, doth particularize no more about the occasion of them, but only thus, that they were to be offered for sins ignorantly committed against any of the Commandments of the Lord, concerning things which ought not to be done, Lev. 4. 2, 13, 22, 27. that is, that they were offered for sins of ignorance, against negative precepts: But the Hebrew Doctors do generally confine them to those sins done ignorantly against negative precepts, that if they had been done wittingly, had deserved cutting off, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A sin offering was not not offered (saith Rabbi Solomon) but for a matter which if wittingly done against a negative command, deserved cutting off; but being ignorantly done, it required a sin offering. And so the Talmudic Treatise Kerithuth, when it had reckoned up the six and thirty offenses against such precepts that bring under the liableness of being cut off; it concludeth thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Any of these committed willfully, deserve cutting off, but if ignorantly done, they require a sin offering. And whosoever (saith Maymony) transgresseth ignorantly against any of the negative precepts, in which there is an action, for which men become liable to cutting off; he is bound to bring a sin offering, and it is an affirmative command that he offer a sin offering for his error: and every transgression, for the doing of which willfully, a man deserves cutting off; for the doing of it ignorantly he is to bring a sin offering. Ibn Ezra goeth yet a little further, but for ought I find, he goeth alone; for he desineth a sin offering to be for a sin of ignorance against a negative precept, which if willfully committed, deserved cutting off, or whipping. In the addition of this last word whipping, I find not the rest of his Nation to agree with him; for divers offenses against prohibitions of the Law fell under whipping, that fell not under cutting off; and the Jews do most unanimously apply a sin offering to a sin of ignorance only, whose willfulness had incurred cutting off. And the reason of this their limitation, is in regard of the nature of the transgression, or offense; for whereas they number 365 negative precepts, according to the number of the days in the year, yet do they bring the number of sin offerings only in reference to three and forty of them; meeting those sins of ignorance only with sin offerings, which were most near a kin to those of the bighest danger, but that ignorance did mitigate, and make the qualification▪

It is true indeed, that there are some sin offerings appointed by name, which cannot exactly be brought under this predicament, of which we are speaking; as was the sin offering of Aaron upon his consecration, Lev. 9. 2. the sin offering of the woman at her purification, Lev. 12. 6. and of the Leper at his cleansing, Lev. 14. 19. for we can hardly ascribe these, as offered for some particular sin of ignorance against some negative precept, the willful violation of which, had deserved cutting off; But they seem rather to be offered, that they might make sure work to meet with that danger or offense, that it was possible, they might lie under, and not know of it; and so they were very near the nature of trespass offerings, as a sin offering is also called, Lev. 5. 6. But where the Law doth give the rules for sin offerings, it nameth not any particular offense, but only this general, that they were to be presented, in reference to the ignorant offending against a negative command, and therefore to reduce them to particulars, it was most pertinent to allot them to that ignorant offending, which if it had proved willfulness, had made the forest breach betwixt God and Man; the reconciling of whom was the end of Sacrifice. Let us take one or two examples for the better understanding of what hath been spoken, and then we will look after the sin offerings in their several kinds.

It was a negative precept, the willful and witting violation of which deserved cutting off; Thou shalt do no work on the seventh day. And what is a man liable to for working on the Sabbath? If he did it of his own will presumptuously, he is liable to cutting off; and if witnesses and evidence of it came in, he was to be stoned; but if he did it ignorantly, he was to bring the appointed sin offering, when he knew what he had done. And all along the Treatise of the Sabbath (they are the words of Maymony) wheresoever it is said he that doth such or such things, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Guilty; it meaneth he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 liable to cutting off; and if there be witness and evidence, he is liable to be stoned; but if he did it ignorantly, he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bound to bring a sin offering.

Another offense that deserved cutting off, was going into Sanctuary in uncleanness, which was contrary to that frequent prohibition, that no unclean person should come there. And if any unclean person did wittingly and presumptuously go in thither in his uncleanness, he became liable to cutting off; if witness came in, that he had done this presumingly and knowingly, he was to be whipt or mauled with the rebels heating, as hath been observed; and if he did it ignorantly, he was to bring his offering: which offering in something indeed differed from the sin offerings in other cases, (for whereas everyone of them was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an appointed sin offering of some beast or other, this was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an offering ascending, or descending, that is, of a higher or lower value according to the persons ability that did offer it; if he were rich, he brought some Beast, but if he were poor, two Turtles, or Pigeons, or a tenth deal of flower,) yet was the rise or occasion of this his offering suitable to all the other. By these examples may easily be apprehended the like proceeding in the rest of the six and thirty, or three and forty, (for into so many the six and thirty do branch themselves) but concerning the committing the thing willfully and suffering for it; or ignorantly, and offering for it.

Now (for the distinguishing of sin offerings) they were either sin offerings of the whole Congregation, or sin offerings of particular persons, Lev. 4. 3, 13, 22, &c. But when we speak of the sin offerings of the whole Congregation, the words admit some scrupling▪ whether it mean the whole body of the people, or the Sanhedrin only, who were their representatives: And we must answer, that it meaneth both: For,

1. There was the sin offering Goat, which was offered on the day of expiation; it was an offering for the whole Congregation Lev. 16. 15. (the disposal of which, we shall observe afterward) and this we may take for the whole body of the people undividedly.

2. There was the sin offering Bullock for the whole Congregation, whereof mention is made, Lev. 4. 13, &c. which by the Jews is commonly called in their writings 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullock for the thing hid, because it is said in the Text alleged, And the thing he hid from the eyes of the Assembly: In this matter, both the Sanhedrin and the people were included; and so included, that the Sanhedrin was the first transgressor ignorantly, and the people transgressed also by their error. Rabbi Solomon explains it thus, By the Congregation of Israel is meant the Sanhedrin; and by the thing being hid, is meant, that they have erred in teaching concerning any of the cuttings off in the law, that such or such a thing is free, and the Assembly have done according to their determination. But Maymony more largely, and more clearly thus, In anything for which being ignorantly committed, men were bound to bring the sin offering appointed, if the great Sanhedrin erred in their determinations, and taught to loose what was bound; and the people erred by their determination, and did the thing relying upon their determination, and afterward it comes to the knowledge of the Sanhedrin that they have erred; Behold the Sanhedrin is bound to bring a sin offering for their error in their determination, although they themselves did not the thing itself; because the actions of the Sanhedrin are not looked after whether they do so, or do not so, but it is looked after how they determine: And as for the rest of the people, they are quit from an offering, because they relied upon the Sanhedrins decree: Now what offering was it that they brought? If they had erred about any of the cuttings off (except Idolatry) every Tribe was to bring a Bullock: and so particular persons were acquitted, and one Bullock for every Tribe atoned both for the Tribes, and for the Sanhedrin, who were their representatives. And something to this sense looketh the Targum of Jonathan when he rendereth the fifteenth verse of that fourth chapter of Leviticus thus: And twelve Elders of the Congregation that are set as Rulers over the twelve Tribes, shall lay their hands on the head of the Bullock: where his Hebrew marginal glossary takes Rab and Rabbi Solomon to task for holding a less number of persons laying on of their hands upon his head. I am not of opinion (saith he) either with Rab or Rabbi Solomon, the one whereof, saith that three, and the other, that five laid on their hands. For the matter is plain from what is written: [and the Elders of the Congregation shall lay on their hands] that it meaneth Elders of all the Congregation: and it appeareth also from this, because all the Congregation have sinned, and why should three or five only lay on their hands? But they were twelve, namely of every Tribe one: where though he seem to hold that there was but one Bullock, and the Targumist upon whom he comments, speak but of one neither, yet is it apparent by other writers of their Nation, that the Bullocks were twelve, and upon what ground they brought them to that number whereas the Text speaketh but of one, shall be observed within a few lines.

3. If the Sanhedrin erred about the matter of Idolatry and determined concerning it, what was not right, and the people upon their determination did practice accordingly, and erred also, then was there a Bullock and a Goat to be brought for every Tribe for a sin offering when the error came to be known and taken notice of, and this they collect from Numb. 15. 24. by this manner of Logic; whereas it is there said [ If ye have erred and have not observed all these Commandments:] what sin is that that breaketh all the Commandments? That is Idolatry, It breaketh the yoke, violateth the covenant, and discovereth the face, or is impudent in evil. And whereas it is said at Levite. 4. 14. Then the Congregation shall offer 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they construe it distributively both in this case and in that last before, Every Congregation shall offer, that is, everyone of the Tribes, and so there were twelve Bullocks in the case before, and twelve Bullocks and twelve Goats in this case in hand. These Goats are commonly called in Jewish writers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Goats for Idolatry, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The burned Goats, and the Bullocks, called the burned Bullocks. Not but that the Bullocks that were offered in reference to other matters, than Idolatry, were burnt also, but because by this means a distinction is made between 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullocks of the Congregation for the matter hid, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullocks of the Congregation for the matter of Idolatry.

The blood of these Bullocks, that referred both to the one matter and to the other, was brought within the holy place, and there the Priest dipping his finger into it, sprinkled of it seven times before the Vail. And then he came out and put some of it upon the horns of the Altar, and the rest he poured upon the Altar foundation. The f •• he burnt upon the Altar, but his skin, flesh, head, legs, inwards, and dung, he burnt without the Camp. And so also disposed he of the Goats.

Christ our Sacrifice, who offered himself for an atonement for sin, is most commonly by the Scripture resembled to the Sacrifice of the Congregation, because he died for all his people, and to the Sacrifice of a sin offering, because he died to prevent a curse, and cutting off: He is called the Lamb of God, Joh. 1. 29. in allusion to the Lamb of the daily Sacrifice which was an offering of the whole Congregation; and he is said to be made sin for us, that is, a sin offering, though himself knew no sin, 2 Cor. 5. 21. And to resemble those Sacrifices whose blood was brought within the Sanctuary for sin, and whose bodies were burnt without the Camp, Heb. 13. 11. This burning of their bodies without the Camp, was not only a figure of his suffering without the Gate, as the Apostle there applies it; but both that, and his suffering without the Gate, was in token of his dying for his people among the Gentiles, who were on the outside of Israel's Camp: and the bringing of the blood into the holy place, denoted the appearing and presenting of the merit of his blood continually before the Lord, for the atonement for the sins of his Congregation.

The sin-offerings of particular persons, were these.

  • 1. The High-priests sin offering Bullock, on the day of expiation, Levite. 16. 6. whose blood was brought within the Vail, verse. 14. and his flesh burnt without the Camp, verse. 27.
  • 2. The High-priests Bullock, for ignorantly committing something that should not be done, Levite. 4. 3. the blood of this Bullock was brought within the holy place, and his flesh and skin, &c. burnt without the Cam , verse. 11. This Bullock is called by the Hebrew writers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Bullock that was offered in reference to all the Commandments. And there are some that say, that he was to offer such a sin offering once every year: which as it was for an atonement for himself, so (as Baal Turint applies it) it was for encouragement to others to confess their sins. The Law commands (saith he) that the sin offering of the High-priest be burnt publicly in the place of the ashes, that no man might be ashamed to confess his sin, for lo the High-priest sinned, and confessed his sin, and brought his sin offering.
  • 3. There was the sin offering of the Ruler, Levite. 4. 22. this was to be a male Kid, verse. 23. his blood put on the horns of the Altar, his fat burnt on the Altar, and the flesh eaten, verse. 25. &c.
  • 4. There was also the sin offering of any particular private person, Lev. 4. 27. this was to be a Lamb or Kid, but females, the blood put on the horns of the Altar, the fat burnt, and the flesh eaten by the Priests.

These were the several sin offerings that were to be offered, some upon express and singular command, and some upon the general rule of seeking atonement upon discovery of a sin unwittingly committed. Now for the more complete understanding of the manner of the managing and disposing of these sin offerings we may observe these several particulars and circumstances about them.

  • 1. That the place and manner of presenting, killing, and laying hands upon the sin offering, was the same with the place and manner of these things with the burnt offering.
  • 2. That the blood of those that was brought into the holy place was thus disposed. The Bullocks that were burnt and the Goats that were burnt without the Camp, between the time of their killing and sprinkling of their blood (upon the Altar of burnt offering) the Priest went in and stood between the Golden Altar and the Candlestick: the Altar was before him, he dipt in his finger, and sprinkled the blood seven times towards the most holy place, and at every dipping and sprinkling he also put the blood upon a horn of the Altar.
  • 3. The blood that was not brought within the holy place, was put upon the horns of the burnt offering Altar, and so was some of the blood also that was brought out of the holy place again, and the manner of that rite was thus.

    The Priest went up the rise or bridge of the Altar, and went off on the right hand to the circuit of the Altar, and first to the South-east horn of it; he dipped his foremost finger of his right hand in the blood which was in the vessel, and dropt it, or sprinkled it upon the horn, and then wiped his finger on the side of the dish, and got off the blood that remained on it: then went he to the North-east horn, and did after the very same manner; and so at the North-west corner, and likewise at the South-west. And this was the blood that was bestowed above the red line that went about the Altar just in the middle: and only the blood of sin offerings was sprinkled with the finger.

  • 4. Whereas it is said that the rest of the blood he poured at the bottom of the Altar, it is to be understood upon the foundation, and either upon the South or West side, because in the South-west corner of it were the two holes into which the blood sunk; of which we have spoken in the description of the Altar. Some distinguish the pouring of the blood, thus, that which had been in the holy place was poured on the West side, and that which had not been there was poured on the South; but Rabbi Simeon saith, both the one and the other were poured on the West side; and they fell into an underground channel, and they were conveyed into the valley of Kidron, and sold to the Gardiners to fatten their grounds. But R. Meir asserteth that the wise men said, that they were not put to any use at all.
  • 5. Those Goats and Bullocks that were burnt without the Camp, were cut into pieces skins and all upon them, and cast into the fire, even as the burnt offering was laid on the fire upon the Altar.
  • 6. These sin offerings that were not so burnt without the Camp, were eaten by the Priests, after the fat was offered upon the Altar, Levite. 6. 25, 26. & 10. 17. and the eating of them was in the Court. And in corrupt times it is charged upon the Priests, that in their service they regarded not devotion, but only to fill their own bellies, making those their God. They eat up the sin [that is, the sin offerings] of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity, Hos. 4. 8.



SECT. III. Trespass Offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

TRespass Offerings (as to the cause and occasion of their offering up) were so like to sin offerings, as that they seem brethren, and it is something nice and intricate to distinguish betwixt them. For as Sin-offerings came for offenses against negative precepts, so did these; and as those were offered for such offenses ignorantly committed, so likewise were these: and as those had a reference to the danger of cutting off, so had these also; and yet a difference is betwixt them, but such a difference, as that these Trespass offerings were but in order to the other.

Now Trespass-offerings were of these two kinds; there was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a doubtful trespass offering, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a trespass offering undoubted: and these were so called, not in regard that there was any doubt in the offering, whether it were an offering or no, when it was presented, but because there was some doubtfulness, or there was undoubtedness in the cause of its Offering.

The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Doubtful or Suspensive Offering (for so the word most properly signifieth) is conceived by some of the Jewish Writers to be so called, because it suspended the party that had committed a Trespass from that penalty that was due to him for it, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because it suspendeth and fenceth him against the due castigations: Which though indeed it carrieth a truth with it, yet is the Etymology of the Phrase more generally given to be, because there is a suspense and doubtfulness in and about the matter, concerning which it was to be offered. There is a story in the Treatise Kerithuth concerning Baba Ben Bota, that he offered one of these suspensive trespass offerings every day in the year, but only on the next day after the day of expiation: And one day he said, By this Temple, if they had let me alone, I had brought such an Offering on that day also, but they said to me, stay till thou come into some doubtfulness: And the wise men say, they bring not a suspensive trespass offering 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but for such an offense, as which wittingly committed, deserveth cutting off, and unwittingly committed claimeth a sin offering.

Agreeable to these last words there is a passage in another place of the same Treatise, where having reckoned the six and thirty transgressions that deserve cutting off, it concludeth that any of these committed wittingly, deserve cutting off, and if unwittingly, a sin offering, and if it be not known, then a suspensive, or doubtful trespass offering.

By both which testimonies it is apparent, that sin offerings, and these suspensive trespass offerings were so near a kin, that the latter is not accounted due, unless there be a possibility of the dueness of the other, and the one is offered for a thing committed unwittingly, and the other for a thing committed unwittingly and unknown. The main difference of them lay in this; a sin offering was for a thing done indeed unwittingly against one of the negative precepts, and now known to be certainly done: but a trespass offering was for a thing do •… indeed, but doubtful whether a precept was violated by the action; and the party is not yet knowing whether he trespassed or not; yet was he to bring a trespass offering, which (as was said before) might fence him against the penalty of cutting off; and if he once came to know that he did offend against a Commandment in the action, then he was to bring a sin offering: The Talmudists give these examples in the case.

He that eats fat (namely that fat of the inwards, which in any Sacrifice was to be offered up) if he did it wittingly, he was to be cut off; if he did it unwittingly, he was to bring a sin offering as soon as he knew what he had done: But our case in hand is this, A man is at a Table where there is that fat that might not be eaten, and another fat that might (for they might eat fat Beef, or Mutton, though they might not eat the fat of the inwards,) he eateth one of these fats, he knoweth not whether; he supposeth he eateth the fat that was lawful to be eaten, but it is possible he eateth that that is unlawful: for this possibility or probability that he may be under a guilt, he is to bring a trespass offering suspensive 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 though he knew not whether he offended yet or no.

He that wittingly lay with his sister, was to be cut off; he that he did it unwittingly, was to bring a sin offering as soon as he knew what he had done. But here is the case we are about; A man's Wife and his Sister are both in one bed, he lieth with one of them supposing it to be his Wife, it is possible it was his Sister, for this he is to bring a doubtful or suspensive trespass offering, because it is doubtful whether he be not under a transgression. And this kind of Offering was in this regard called doubtful or suspensive, because it was in suspense whether he were guilty or no, and it did also suspend that guilt and penalty which did lie, or might light upon him.

Divers such particular examples might be produced, we shall only add one or two more in the words of the Author of Tosaphta. There are two men together, and the one of them offends, but it is not known which of them, Rabbi Josi saith, that both the one and the other must bring a suspensive trespass offering, and make confession. He that eateth the quantity of an olive of fat, or the quantity of an olive of flesh that hath lain so long before it be sacrificed that it stinketh, or the quantity of an olive of what is left of the Sacrifice, or the quantity of an olive of what is unclean, unwittingly, he is to bring a sin offering; but if it is doubtful whether he eat it, or eat it not, then he is to bring a trespass offering. He that lieth with his Sister, or his Fathers Sister, or his Mothers Sister, or his Wifes Sister, or his Brothers Wife, or his Fathers Brothers Wife, or a Woman in her separation, he is to bring a sinoffering, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But if it be doubtful whether he lay with them or no, he is to bring a suspensive or doubtful trespass offering. A man's Wife and his Sister are together, and he lieth with one of them, but he knoweth not whether: He hath two Wives, the one is in her Separation, and the other is not; he lieth with one of them, but he knoweth not whether: There is before him fat, and something left of the Sacrifice, he eateth of the one, but he knows not whether: There is the Sabbath and the day of Expiation, he worketh on the one of them, but he knows not whether: Rabbi Eliezer adjudged him to bring a sin offering: But Rabbi Joshua acquitted him: Now Rabbi Josi saith, although that Rabbi Joshua acquitted him from a sin offering, yet he adjudged him to a trespass offering suspensive.

By these examples it is reasonably well apparent, of what nature 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the suspensive trespass offering was in the repute of the Hebrew Doctors; but for the greater clearing of it, we may yet go with them one step further; A man finds himself in this possibility of having offended, though it be utterly uncertain to him, whether he have offended or no, yet in Conscience was he bound to bring this his suspensive trespass offering, because it is possible he is in the offense, this is the case in the examples given: But this is not the utmost, there comes in witness that he did undoubtedly eat of the fat that was forbidden, that it was his Wife in her separation that he lay withal, or that it was his sister, or the like; he is not yet convinced that it was so, but yet is doubtful, and in suspense he is to bring his suspensive trespass offering, because though it be certain in itself that he hath offended, yet is it not so as yet to him: But whensoever he shall be convinced that he did commit the offense indeed, then is he to bring his sin offering. And thus was the suspensive trespass offering in order to a sin offering, and in reference to those precepts whose violation deserved cutting off, but it being doubtful whether the offense was committed, this doubtful and suspensive offering was to be offered, to keep off the cutting off, the danger of which it is possible he lay under, See Lev. 5. 17.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The certain or apparent trespass offering, is so called, because the Law doth punctually and determinatively appoint as what is to be offered, so by what persons, and upon what occasions it was to be offered, and those are five.

  • 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering for a thing stolen, or unjustly gotten, or detained, of which is mention Levitious 6. 2, 3, 6.
  • 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering for sacrilege, of which there is mention, Levite. 5. 16.
  • 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering concerning a bond maid▪ about which the Law is given, Lev. 19. 20, 21.
  • 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering of the Nazarite, Numbers 6. 12.
  • 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The trespass offering of the Leper, Levite. 14. 12.

Now the manner of disposing of these Sacrifices when they came to be offered, was according to the disposal of the sin offering: They were killed, flayed, the inwards taken out, washed, salted, and burnt like that, and the flesh eaten by the Males of the Priests in the Court: Only about the sprinkling of their blood there was some difference; for whereas the blood of the sin offering was put upon the horns of the Altar, the blood of these, was sprinkled with that sprinkling which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the two sprinklings, which were sour, that is, at two corners of the Altar forementioned, and into the fashion of the Letter Gamma; those were sprinkled above the red line that went about the middle of the Altar, and these below, as was the blood of the burnt offering. And among all the rest, the Nazarites Ram of trespass offering was accounted one of the lesser Sacrifices or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 whereas all the rest went in the rank of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The most holy offerings; and whereas those were slain on the North side of the Court, this was on the South, and those were eaten only by the Males of the Priests, and in the Court, but this might be eaten by others, and in the City.

The eating of the most holy offerings in the Court, is very commonly called by the Jews 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the eating within the Curtains, in which expression they allude to the Court of the Tabernacle, encompassed with Curtains round about. For as within those Curtains, there was that space which was called the Camp of the Lord (the Camp of Levi being pitched without) so from the Gate of Nicanor inward only, was reputed the Lord's Camp, (the Camp of the Levites being that without to the Gate of the Mountain of the Temple.) Now it was an express Command, that every oblation, meat offering, sin offering, trespass offering, should be holy for the Priests, and for their sons, and should be eaten in the most holy place, that is, in the Court, Numb. 18. 10. Ezek. 42. 13. David Kimchi upon the latter place cited, hath these words, The most holy offerings were eaten within the Court of Israel more innerly, and that was called Emphatically the Court: and that was the holy place for the eating of the most holy things, if they were so minded: But in the Court of the Priests, which was within the Court of Israel, there were Chambers of the Priests, and there they eat their holy things. In which passage, he both reduceth the eating of the most holy offerings into a narrower compass than either was needful, or than the rest of his Nation do, and also he findeth Buildings and Chambers for the Priests within the Court of the Priests, which unless they were those Chambers joining to the body of the Temple, are not imaginable, nor have been discovered by any hitherto. As the Command confined the Priests within the Compass of the Court, whilst they were eating these things, so it may well be supposed that the place of their eating of them, was according to the season and the best conveniency, in warm Weather under the Cloisters in open Air, and in colder seasons in some of the Chambers that stood within the Court, as Gazith, Mokadh, Nitsots, or what if in some of the Rooms joining to the Temple.

It appeareth by the Tradition concerning their eating of these things, that they fell not aboard with them till towards the Evening, and made them not their dinner at any time, but their supper, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Hence is the common saying of the Talmudists, They might eat of them till midnight, but after that it was unlawful: And in the Treatise Beracoth, this is set as it were the Clock, to fix the time for the evening rehearsal of their Phylacteries. From what time (say they) do they say over their Phylacteries at even? and it is answered, from the time that the Priests go in to eat their Offerings, &c. Whether the Priests fasted all day till this time or no: and whether the Christian 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 did any whit follow this Copy of their Temple Feasts, and whether this their feasting before the Lord, were not a resemblance of the blessed society of the glorified in the Presence of God, we shall not argue, but refer it to the Reader.

Among these Offerings that we have mentioned of Bullocks, Goats, Rams, and Lambs, we must not forget that there were the like Offerings of Birds; and of all Birds there were only two kinds allowed, and these were Turtles and young Pigeons, and they were ever offered by Couples. In the Talmud Language they are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or nests, of which Title, and upon which subject there is a Treatise in that Code, and they were ordinarily sold in the Temple, Joh. 2. 14. and Women especially (though not only) dealt in this kind of Offering of all other: For the cases concerning their uncleanness, issues, births, abortions (besides their vows and free gifts) were so many, that they multiplied these Offerings to an incredible number; Let one Example give evidence concerning the rest.

A woman saith the Treatise Kerithuth] that hath the doubtfulness of five births (together) and five fluxes, she is to bring one offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifices, and there is no further offering due from her; Hath she five Births certain, and five fluxes certain, she is to bring one Offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifice; but there is a due from her for the rest. There was this passage, Doves stood one day in Jerusalem at a Denarius of Gold. Rabban Simeon the son of Gamaliel said, By this Temple, I will not sleep this night till they be at a Denarius of silver; he went into the Sanhedrin, and determined thus; A Woman that hath five apparent births, and five apparent fluxes, is to bring one Offering, and she may eat of the Sacrifices, and there is no more due from her upon the rest. And thus Doves came that day to half a Denarius.

The manner of offering of these Birds was thus: If they came for a Burnt Offering, the Priest went up the rise of the Altar, and turned off to the circuit, and there at the Southeast corner he wrung off their heads, opened them, wrung out their blood upon the side of the Altar, salted the head where it was wrung off, and cast it into the fire, took out the inwards, and cast them to the heap of Ashes, salted the Birds, and cast them into the fire. And if they came for a sin offering, he wrung off their heads, sprinkled the blood on the side of the Altar, and squeezeth out the rest of the blood at the foundation, and there was no more▪to be done, but the Priest to take the birds for his own to eat. Only in the sprinkling of the blood of these birds either being for burnt offering, or sin offering, the manner was clean different and contrary to the sprinkling of the blood of Beasts; for the blood of beasts in burnt offerings was sprinkled beneath on the Altar below the red line that went about it, and the blood of sin offerings above: but as for those birds, their blood when they were offered for burnt offerings was sprinkled above, and when for sin offerings, it was sprinkled beneath.




SECT. IV. Peace Offerings, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

WE need not to go very far to find out the reason and notation of Peace Offerings, (as some have done, concluding that they were so called because they made peace in the World, peace for the Altar, peace for the Priests, and peace for the owners ) but do but set them in Antithesis and opposition to those Offerings that have been spoken of already, and their name and nature will show itself; Burnt Offerings, Sin Offerings, and Trespass Offerings, were presented and offered up under the notion of some offense committed, and some guilt that he that brought them, either did or might lie under; but Peace Offerings came not under any such liableness, offensiveness or suspicion, but were presented in reference to the parties more comfortable, and more unguilty condition, as being offered either by way of thanksgiving for good obtained, or by way of Vow or free Devotion.

And this sense (it may be) the Septuagint looked after when they translate Peace Offerings 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Sacrifices of deliverance or salvation.

The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from whence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which signifieth peace offerings, is derived, doth signify, as it is well known, either peace or prosperity, and the peace offerings accordingly may be conceived to have relation to this double signification: For some peace offerings were offered in way of devotion, as free will offerings to continue or to compass peace with God: Some in way of thanksgiving, and these were for prosperity or good obtained already; and some by way of vows, and these were offered that prosperity or good might be obtained for the future. For this division of peace offerings into thanks offerings, free will offerings, and offerings for Vows, is held out by the Law, Levite. 7.

We will first begin with some peace offerings that were of an extraordinary quality, and Heteroclites from the common rule; and these were the peace offerings of the Heathen, which even they offered at the Temple. The Mountain of the House is very commonly called by Christian Writers The Court of the Gentiles, as hath been said before, for into that might even Heathens come, and they might bring offerings with them, and those offerings were offered up, even as were the Sacrifices of the Israelites. And in allusion to this it is that in the Revelation, when the Angel is measuring the Temple, he is bidden not to measure the outer Court, but to leave that out, for that was given to the Gentiles, Rev. 11. 2. Concerning these Sacrifices presented by the Heathen, Maimonides gives us this testimony and Tradition. They receive not of the Heathen but burnt Offerings only, because it is said, From the hand of the son of a stranger, ye shall not offer the bread of your God: They receive even burnt offerings of birds from an Heathen, yea though he be an Idolater: But they receive not from them peace offerings, nor meat offerings, nor sin offerings, nor trespass offerings: And likewise for burnt offerings, they receive them not from the Heathen, if they come not by way of free will offering, or by way of Vow. A Heathen that bringeth peace offerings, they offer them as burnt offerings, because the Heathens mind is towards Heaven; Doth he vow peace offerings and gives them to Israel that Israel may be atoned for, the Israelites eat them as if they were the peace offerings of Israelites; and if he give them to the Priest, the Priest eateth them. An Apostate Jew that is fallen to Idolatry, and that profaneth the Sabbath presumptuously ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) they receive not from him an offering at all, no not a burnt offering which they would receive from the Heathen.

In which relation of his, when he saith they do not receive peace offerings of the Heathen, and yet afterward he saith they do, and so seemeth to contradict himself; these things observed, will clear his meaning, and show that he speaketh exceeding full and good sense. 1. That they refused not a Heathens offering, because in tendering of it, he shown that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his mind was something towards God, and that some devotion was in him; Yet 2. they would not receive a sin offering, nor a trespass offering from him, because he was not under those Laws, upon which sin offerings and trespass offerings did arise. 3. Nor yet would they receive a meat offering, or a peace offering from him, under that notion, or in that latitude of a peace offering, because bread was to be offered with it, and it was prohibited that they should offer the bread of their God received from a stranger. 4. But every Sacrifice that he offered, must be offered by him under one of those two notions, under which a peace offering came; namely, either as a free will offering or a vow, and yet it must not be sacrificed under the notion of a peace offering, but must be offered up as a burnt offering, because brought in devotion to God, and not to be eaten by Israelites. But if 5. out of love to Israel, and desire of their prosperity, he brought a peace offering even under that notion, to this end, that it might be for an atonement between Israel and God, it was now become Israel's peace offering, and it might be offered as a peace offering and the Israelites might eat it: or if in love to the Priests then serving, he brought it to be a peace offering for atonement between God and those Priests, the property was now altered, and it was become the Priests peace offering, and so it might be offered up and eaten.

Now to return to the Peace Offerings of the Israelites, they were either of the whole Congregation, or of particular persons. The Peace Offerings of the whole Congregation, were only two Lambs offered at one time of the Year, and that was at Pentecost, Lev. 23. 19. And these were killed, flayed, their blood sprinkled, their inwards burnt, and the flesh eaten by the Males of the Priests in the Court, even as the sin offerings were: for these of peace offerings only were accounted 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 most holy Sacrifices, whereas all the rest were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sacrifices less holy.

The Peace Offerings of particular persons were threefold.

1. Peace Offerings that were offered without bread with them; such were their Offerings that were offered for their Hagigah and Simchah, or for their festivity and rejoicing at the three solemn festivals: Now although these were offered without bread, and so might seem to have been proper for Heathens to have offered, as being clear from that exception of the Law, of not offering the bread of a stranger, yet might not Heathens offer these peace offerings, because that they were not under the command of the three festivals, nor of the festivity and rejoicing at them.

2. Peace offerings that were offered with bread, of which there is mention in Lev. 7. and where they are described at large: These peace offerings might be of Bullocks, or Kine, of Lambs Male, or female, and so of Goats, Lev. 3. The occasion of their Offering as was mentioned before, was either for thanksgiving, or of a free devotion, or for a Vow. Rabbi Solomon confines the thanksgiving offering to such occasions as those mentioned in the hundred and seventh Psalm, as namely for deliverance from tempests at Sea, from dangers in travail in the wilderness, from sickness, and from prison, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for some remarkable and wonderful deliverance or mercy that was wrought for him; or as Ibn Ezra expresseth it, because he is delivered out of any strait. In which Gloss they straiten the thanksgiving offering the rather to such singular and extraordinary occasions, because their Offerings of tithes, firstlings, first fruits, &c. were as thanksgivings for their common and constant mercies; and yet I see not, but these Peace Offerings might also come sometime in reference to their common mercies and prosperity, as for their health, comforts in their children, success in their business, or the like. And as for the Peace Offerings that came as Vows, and those that came of free gift, as the rise of them was of different ground, the one of pure devotion, the other upon some conditional reference, so do the Jews observe, that if the Offerings that were vowed, died, or were stolen, they were to be made good by presenting others in their stead: but if those that were set apart of free gift, either were stolen or died, the party was not bound to any such reparation.

These Peace Offerings that we have in mention were slain in any part of the Court, but most commonly on the South side, and their blood was sprinkled as was the blood of the burnt offering 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 namely with two sprinklings in form of the Letter Gamma, which two besprinkled the four sides of the Altar. The breast of the Peace Offering, and the right shoulder, were the Priests due that offered it, and so was a part of the Bread or Cakes that were offered with it, and this is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Muram ordinarily by the Rabbins, that is, that that was taken of the Sacrifice, by the Priests and for them. The breast was to be waved before the Lord, and for this action the Offerer was to go into the Court of the Priest, and to join his hand in the rite, and the manner of waving was thus; The Priest laid the fat in the owners hand, and upon the sat he laid the breast and right shoulder, and upon them he laid the kidneys and the Caul of the Liver, and if it were a thanksgiving offering he laid some of the bread aloft on all; then he put his hand under the hands of the owner, and he waved his hands this way and that way, and up and down, and all towards the East: and after this waving he salted the inwards, and burnt them upon the Altar; and the waved breast and shoulder the Priest took for his part, and the owner the rest, and they were to be eaten. It was lawful for the party that brought the Peace Offering to eat his part of it in any part of Jerusalem; and so is the Talmudic expression which frequently occurreth in this case to be understood, which saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The remaining parts of it were u en (not in any City, but) in any part of the City: and this is one of the privileges of Jerusalem above other Cities, because the lesser holy things might be eaten in it, and not in any other: They ordinarily boiled their Peace Offerings in the Temple itself, in one of the corners of the Court of the Women, where we have observed in its description, boiling places for this purpose; See 2 Chro. 35. 13. And in the like manner they did at Shiloh, upon which business the sons of Eli shown their wickedness, when instead of contenting themselves with the wave breast, and heave shoulder, they brought up a Custom to strike a three forked hook into the Cauldron where the peace offering was boiling, and to take whatsoever it brought up, 1 Sam. 2.

The Peace offering of thanksgiving was eaten the same day, but a Vow or Free-will Offering might be eaten on the morrow, Lev. 7. 15, 16. and herein the Priests and the Offerer came under the same restriction, for the one, and liberty for the other: and the whole Families of the one and the other, Wives, Sons, Daughters, Servants might eat of them: and the Offerer, if he would, might eat his part in the Temple, and the Priests, if they would, might eat theirs in Jerusalem: an accursed imitation of these peace Offerings, and eating of them in the Temple, was taken up among the Heathens, 1 Cor. 8. 10.

3. There was a third peace offering of a particular person, and that was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as it is commonly called, The Nazarites Ram, of which the Law and Story is set down, Num. 6. 17. and the manner of its disposal was thus: He was killed, and his blood sprinkled; then were the inwards taken out, and the right shoulder and breast separated, and the rest of the flesh the Nazarite boiled in the corner of the Court of the Women, in the place called the room of the Nazarites. Then took the Priest the sodden shoulder of the Ram, and a tenth part of the bread that was brought with him, and the heave shoulder, and wave breast, and the inwards, and put them in the hands of the Nazarite, and put his own hand under his, and waved them as before; and all that was waved was the Priests Portion, but only the inwards that were to be burnt upon the Altar, and the Nazarite had the rest.




SECT. V. Meat Offerings, and Drink Offerings. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

THere were Twelve sorts of Meat Offerings; Three of the whole Congregation, and Nine of particular persons: The three of the whole Congregation were these:

  • 1. The twelve Loaves of Shew-bread, which were set before the Lord every Sabbath, Exod. 25. 3. Lev. 24. 5, 6, 7. and when they were taken away, they were eaten by the Priests.
  • 2. The Sheaf or Omer of the first fruits of their Harvest, Lev. 23. 9. This was of Barley, the Corn that was first ripe: and there was but one Meat Offering more of Barley, of all the twelve; all the rest were of Wheat. This Sheaf was waved before the Lord, this way and that way, and up and down, and then it was part offered, and part eaten. Rabbi Solomon giveth this reason of the waving of it, if it may be taken, Every waving (saith he) is bringing it this way, and that way, up and down; and the waving it this way, and that way, was for the restraining of evil winds, and the waving it up and down, was for the restraining of evil dews.
  • 3. The two wave Loaves offered at Pentecost, Lev. 23. 17.

The nine Meat Offerings of particular persons were these:

  • 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The daily meat Offering of the High-priest.
  • 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of initiation; which every Priest brought in his hand at his first entrance into the Office.
  • 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The sinners meat offering: This was the offering of a poor man that should have brought a sin offering and was not able; I here cannot but observe a passage in the Mishnah, and in Tosaphta that speak of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the sinners meat offering of the poor Priest, that was so poor as that he was not able to bring a sin offering; intimating in what poor condition some of them lived, though some again of them were as rich and stately.
  • 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Jealousy meat offering of the suspected Wife, Num. 5. 15. this was of Barley meal.
  • 5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of fine flower unbaked.
  • 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in a pan.
  • 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in a frying-pan.
  • 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering baked in the Oven.
  • 9. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Wafers.

Now besides these names, we read of, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The meat offering of the Heathen, and of Women, and The meat offering with a drink offering, which are but names different from some of these that are named, for the things themselves did not differ: when a Heathen Man would present a meat Offering under the limitations forementioned, it was some of these mentioned, and also a meat offering that was offered with a drink offering, was some of these that are mentioned; but they are called by these distinctive names, only in regard of these circumstances, and not in regard of the difference of Materials.

As for the making and managing of these meat offerings, these were the main and general rules by which they went.

  • 1. That no meat offering should consist of less than the tenth part of an Ephah of Corn, (which was but very little differing from the tenth part of our bushel) and of a log of oil, which was somewhat above thirteen ounces. Now as many tenth parts might be offered, as the offerer could find in his heart to offer, so that there were not above 60 in one Vessel, and to every tenth part he must join a log of oil; but under one tenth part, and under one log, there must be no meat offering. This tenth part of an Ephah was called an Omer, Exod. 16. 36.
  • 2. That when the meat offering was any of the four sorts baked, they commonly made ten cakes, or pieces of the tenth deal, and accordingly if more tenth deals were offered than one, they made ten cakes of every tenth deal that was offered; only the High-priests meat offering was made into twelve cakes; and when these cakes were baked, everyone of them was broken in two, and twelve halfs were offered in the morning, and twelve at even.
  • 3. Some meat offerings required both oil, and frankincense, some required oil, but not frankincense, some frankincense, but not oil, and some neither frankincense nor oil. Those that required both frankincense and oil, were these. The meat offering of fine flower unbaked, those four that were baked, the meat offering of the High priest, that of the Priests initiation, the Omer of first fruits, and the meat offerings of Heathens and of Women. The meat offering joined with a drink offering, required oil, but not frankincense. The Shew-bread required frankincense but not oil: and the sinners meat offering, and the meat offering of the suspected wife, had neither oil nor frankincense.
  • 4. All the meat offerings that were made in a vessel, had three pourings of oil about it: as the unbaked meat offering of fine flower 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , first oil was put into the vessel, and the flower after it, then oil was poured upon the flower, and they mingled together, then was it put into the vessel of the service, in which it was to be brought to the Altar, and oil poured on it again, and frankincense put aloft on all; and so those meat offerings that were baked in the pan or frying pan, oil was put into a vessel, flower upon it, and oil upon the flower again; these being blended together, it was baked, and being baked it was broken into its pieces, and more oil put upon the pieces, and frankincense upon all: Only what was made and baked wafer wise, they were anointed with oil, and their anointing was to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 after the form of the letter Chi, as the Talmud expresseth it, which the Gloss explaineth to be, After the form of the Greek Kappa, or the Hebrew Teth; as is the parting between the Thumb and the Finger, that is, he poured the oil so upon them, that it went this way, and that way, into two parts.
  • 5. Of some of the meat offerings the Priest took out one handful, and burnt it on the Altar, and the rest he had for himself to eat: and some meat offerings were wholly burnt, and the Priest had no part: Now these are they, of which a handful was taken only, and the rest fell to the Priests. The unbaked meat offering of fine flower, and the four baked, the meat offering of Heathens and of Women, the Omer of first fruits, and the sinners meat offering, and that of Jealousy. But the meat offering of the High-priests, and of the Priests initiation, and that that was offered with a drink offering, the Priests had no share in these, but the Altar had all.
  • 6. The manner of offering these meat offerings was thus: He brought it in a Silver or Golden Dish, in which it was mingled, and puts it into one of the Holy Vessels of the Service, and hallowes it in the Holy Vessel, and puts the oil and the frankincense upon it: then goes and he brings it up to the South-east horn of the Altar, standing on the South-side of the horn. He had laid the frankincense on the one side; then takes he his handful from the oily place, and lays it in the midst of another Holy Vessel, and hallows it in the midst of the Vessel, then gathers he up the frankincense, and lays it aloft, and brings it to the top of the Altar, there salts it and lays it on the fire, and the rest was for the Priests to eat.

The meat offering that was offered with the daily sacrifice, had also a drink offering presented with it, and so had divers other Sacrifices the like, Num. 15. Now the drink offering was only such a quantity of Wine, more or less, according to the Sacrifice as is there prescribed; which was neither mingled, nor any of it poured into the •• re as the meat offering was, but it was poured upon the foundation of the Altar, as the blood was; and when the Wine of the daily meat offering was poured out, the Song of the Temple began, as we have observed.

There was a meat offering offered every morning with the morning Sacrifice, and yet it is observable, that the time of the evening Sacrifice only is called Minchab (which was the title of the meat offering) and the time of the morning sacrifice not so, 1 Kin. 18. 29. And again, the time of the Sacrifice is called by the name of the meat offering, rather than by the name of the Sacrifice itself, Dan. 9. 21. the reason of which is somewhat hard to give, and almost as hard to find any that have given any guess at it; whether the former were not because the private meat offerings, or those of particular persons were most commonly offered in the afternoon: or whether it were not because the incense of the evening was offered at the time of the meat offering, which at the morning Sacrifice it was not: and whether the latter were not, because of the variety of materials in the meat offering, which was not in the sacrifice itself, or because the sacrifice was not complete till the meat offering came on, be it referred to the learned to judge.

And thus have we a brief account of the nature and manner of their sacrifices: (for as for the offering of their firstlings and their tenths, they were not so different from those mentioned, that they need a discourse by themselves, and about the Paschals we shall speak anon.) There are only two things more concerning their sacrifices to be inquired after, and they are these, First, how these sacrifices of sin and trespass offerings, and burnt offerings became paid, (as we have seen how they became due.) For it may be the Offender had no mind to be at such charges, though he knew he did owea sacrifice upon such a sin and trespass: but he would spare the cost of a Lamb, or Goat, and would think it better saved than spent, if he could come fairly off, and keep his money. The provision in this case was twofold, Conscience and Penalty, and if the first prevailed not, the second took place, if the offense were known. Those that had any Conscience, or regard of Religion, or of themselves, needed no other instigation to bring their offering, when they knew they were under an offense that called for it, but their Conscience and that regard: And they had a double motive to urge them to it; first, the obedience to God's Commandment which called for it; and secondly, the expiation of their sin, which they believed was obtained by the offering: But if the party were not swayed by Conscience or Religion, but had rather, and was readier to save his money, than either regard God's Command or his own expiation, if there were witness found that came forth and said, that he had committed such a sin or trespass, it was best for him then to think of setting apart an offering, or else he was in danger of a Penalty, as he lay under guilt: Had he committed sin ignorantly against any of those negative precepts, the transgressing against which willfully, had brought him under the danger of Cutting off; and now, when he comes to know that he had done amiss, he refuseth to bring that sacrifice, that was due for such an offense, this contempt and refusal heightened the offense, so that now it appeared a willful sin, when he refuseth to seek his peace for it as for one of ignorance, and if he were called to an account for it, and witness produced of what he had done, and he convented, he must either clear himself of the action, or be challenged his offering; compare Mat. 8. 4. But as far as this matter rested upon their devotion, (and where there was true devotion, it needed no further promoter,) the Nation was so zealous of their Rites, and the sins that deserved cutting off, were brought into so little compass, and so plain, and not very obvious to be stumbled against through ignorance, that the failing to the render of these sacrifices when they became due, was indifferently well prevented, by one or other of these things, either this zeal, or their plainness, especially this concurring that the People held, that ex opere operato these made their peace: The letter of the Law was, that he should offer of his own voluntary will, Lev. 1. 4. And yet saith Rabbi Solomon upon the place. It teacheth that they urged him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it may be whether he would or no. But the text saith, he must do it of his own freewill. How then? They urged him till he said, I am willing.

A second scruple about these sacrifices is, concerning the time of their presenting and offering. A man that lived at a great distance from Jerusalem, was fallen under such an offense as that a sacrifice was due from him: what must he do? Must he away presently thither to offer his offering? Must he neglect his implovements at home, and travel up to Jerusalem, at a charge double and treble, and more to the charge of the sacrifice that he was to offer, and lay all things aside till that be done? The Provision in this case was, That he that became liable to any offering might stay the paying of it till the next solemn Festival of the three came, when all must appear before the Lord at Jerusalem. And so his pains and cost of going up thither did accrue upon that general and comprehensive Command for their appearance, and not from his own private and particular occasion: They make this one of the Two Hundred Eight and Forty affirmative precepts, that they pick up in the Law, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That a man should bring all his offerings that are either due from him, or voluntarily dedicate, at the solemn festival that cometh next: And so, as the Lord by appointing those three solemn times, in the Spring and Summer, did provide for the ease and accommodation of the people in that general service; so by this Law was provision made for every man's particular exigent, and devotion. And this command and practice they ground upon those words, Deut. 12. 5, 6. Unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your Tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shalt thou come. And thither shall ye bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, &c. Eight things (saith Baal Hatturim) are named here according to the eight times using the words Before the Lord, in the Law concerning the three festivals. And so would he construe that Text, to the sense that we are discoursing of by a Massoretick Arithmetical collection, as it is his common way and use to do; but those that go more seriously to work, conclude, their bringing of their particular and occasional devotions, at those general appearances from that Text, by expounding, the seeking and going to the habitation of the Lord, of the most eminent, and singularly commanded going thither: According to this construction and practice, the Chaldee Paraphrast understands what is said concerning Elkanah, that he went up out of his City to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1 Sam. 1. 3. for he hath rendered it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From the time of one solemn Festival to another: what exceptions there might be in this matter, and whether, and upon what occasions, the bringing of those their sacrifices, might be deferred beyond the next coming Festival to another, and how those that were nearer to Jerusalem, and were so minded, might come with their gifts at other times, it is not much requisite to insist upon.




CHAP. IX. The manner and managing of the daily Service.

ON the North-side of the Court of the Temple, well towards the North-west corner of it, as we have observed in its due place, there was a great piece of building which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beth Mokadh, the fire room, or the House of burning: and the reason of the name was, because in that room there was constantly a fire kept in all cold weather, both by day and by night. By day for the Priests to warm themselves by, when they came from the service, and by night for them to keep their guard by, for this was the chiefest Court of guard of the Priests, of all the three. Here the Elders of the House of their Fathers warded, and had the keys of the Court gates hanging by them, being committed to them by Amarcalin: If they had a mind to sleep at any time, there were benches round about the room, on which they laid them down and slept: And the younger Priests that were with them (for such also were there) when they would sleep, they laid themselves down on the ground, and the holy garments in which they were to serve, they wrapped up and laid under their heads, as it were a pillow, and slept in their ordinary wearing garments.

Now betimes in the morning, against the President of the service should come, they had bathed themselves in water, and put on the garments of the service, and made themselves ready against he came: They had this Maxim concerning their bathing in water for the service, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That a man, yea though he were clean, yet might he not go into the Court to serve, till he had bathed himself in water. And for this purpose they had their bathing places in several rooms, some for the High-priest, and some for the other Priests, which places we have particularly observed in our survey. Having bathed themselves in the morning, they needed not to do that again of all the day, unless upon doing their easments of nature by seige, but they washed their hands and their feet, upon their making of water; and as oft as ever they came within the Court about the service, did they go out and in never so oft. And to this custom our Savior seemeth to allude, Joh. 13. 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. At last the President cometh, and knocketh at the door, and they open to him: what President it was, whether of the Lots, or the Sagan, we will not dispute [ Maymony saith, it was the president of lots ] but the Talmudic dispute about the time of his coming, may be worth our marking: At what hour (saith the Treatise Tamid) did the President come? And it answers thus, Not at all times alike: sometimes he comes at Cocks crowing, sometimes near unto it, sometimes before it, and sometimes after: which nominated uncertainty of the time, and yet their readiness for him whensoever he came, is so parallel to those words of our Savior, Mark 13. 35. that if those were not spoken in some allusion to this custom, yet may they be well illustratedby it.

Out of the room Beth mokadh, they go through a wicket into the Court, carrying candles in their hands: and there as soon as they were all come in, they divide themselves, and half of them go (in the Cloister walk) about the Temple, on the West and South sides of the Court, and the other half along the North and East sides, and both Companies met at the Pastry man's Chamber, which was on the left hand of the gate of Nicanor: and being met there they asked one another, Is all safe and well? Yes, all is well: And then they called the Pastry man up to go about his business, to make the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cakes for the High-priests meat offering.

SECT. I. The manner of their casting lots, for every man's several employment.

THEN did the President call upon them to go and cast lots, to decide and appoint what work everyone must go about. The place where they were to do this, was in the building Gazith, namely in that room of it that stood within the Court: for some part of it stood within the Court, and that part upon some occasions was as the Chapel of the Temple, and some part of it stood out into the chel 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in that there sat the great Sanhedrin.

Being come together into the place, they all stand round, and conclude upon a number that they will count, as threescore, fourscore, or a hundred, or what they thought good. Then the President of the lottery takes off someone of their caps, and puts it on again, and Here (saith he) will I begin to count: Now put up your fingers: They put up their fingers, one, or two, or three, as they pleased: and he begins at him whose cap he had taken off, and tells the fingers that were held up round: He at whose fingers the tale or sum agreed upon is up, he is the man on whom the lot is fallen, and to him doth that particular service accrue, for which the lot was cast.

The first lotting was to determine who should first cleanse the burnt offering Altar of its ashes. They had used to run and scramble for this service, and first come to the Altar, first do it: But (besides the roughness and irreverence this manner of doing carried with it) a special occurrence and inconvenience that befell at one time, (which was, that one of the Priests thus shuffling for this business, was thrust down by his fellow from off the rise off the Altar, and brake his leg) did cause the Sanhedrin to take order that the work should be done with more reverence and calmness, and therefore they decreed that the lottery should appoint who should do it, and this was the first employment that they lotted for, and he at whom the number agreed upon is up, must have it.

SECT. II. The cleansing and dressing of the burnt offering Altar.

HE to whom it was allotted to cleanse the burnt offering Altar (which was the first lot cast, and the first work to be done) leaves his fellows in the room Gazith, and having first washed his hands and his feet at the laver, he goes about the work.

There were three fires continually made upon the Altar: the first was the great fire which was made for the burning of the sacrifices. A second less than it was made upon the side of it, from which they took coals to carry into the holy place to burn the incense. And a third was made for no other use, but to keep the fire in, that it might burn continually, and not go out: And they give their reason for this number of fires, which I shall not insist upon: Now he that was to dress the Altar of its ashes first, he takes a silver chafing dish which usually stood on the West side of the Altar, and going to the Altar top, he scrapes the coals this way, and that way, and takes up his dish full of burnt coals, and comes down with them to the pavement, and when he comes there, he turns his face towards the North, and goes so along, till he comes to the Eastside of the Altar rise, and there he lays down the coals on a heap, hard by the rise, in a place where they also laid the garbage of the Birds, and the ashes that were cleansed off the golden Altar.

When his fellow Priests perceived that he was come down from the Altar, they hasted and washed their hands and feet; and taking the shovels and hooks that were for that service, they turned the pieces of the last nights sacrifice, if any were yet left unburnt, to the sides of the Altar, and if the sides would not hold them, they laid them upon the Altar rise. Then do they scrape together the ashes from all the sides to the middle of the Altar, upon a great heap, and take from thence as much as filled a great vessel of half an Homer (this vessel was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pesachtar ) and this they bring down with them, yet leaving a reasonable big heap of ashes still, which they call Tapuahh. When they had brought this great vessel of ashes down, others of the Priests in lesser vessels carried them away, even out of the City: and laid them in a calm place, that the wind might scatter them as little as possible: and these ashes might not be put to any use.

This cleansing of the Altar every morning, they began most commonly about the dawning: but on the three solemn Festivals they began much sooner, and on the day of Expiation, they began from midnight. When therefore they had thus brought off the ashes, they go about to make the fire: And first they begin with the great fire for the burnt sacrifices, which they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The great pile, and this they made something towards the East side of the Altar. The second fire which was for the coals for the Incense, was made of the wood of fig tree only, and that was made toward the Southwest corner, as that place being nearest to the Priests standing upon the Altar rise, and the coals there being the readiest to be taken away. As for the third fire, which was for the keeping of the fire continually burning, it was made indifferently in any part of the Altar: Now besides all the other wood which was laid on the great fire, they added two singular billets, (for which they produce singular Tradition) to it, when the sacrifice came on; which at the morning sacrifice was carried and laid on by one Priest, but at the Evening sacrifice by two. Having thus made the fire, they lay the pieces of the last nights sacrifice that were not burnt, upon it again; and so they come down, and return into the room Gazith again; and there the President calls them to a lottery again.

There were thirteen particular services more to be assigned to particular men; as killing the Sacrifice, sprinkling the Blood, cleansing the golden Altar, dressing the Lamps, bringing the parts of the Sacrifice to the rise of the Altar, &c. The first of which was appointed by lot in the same manner as before, and the rest fell in order to the persons, as they stood in order beyond him: they therefore conclude again upon another sum or number, hold up their fingers, and he counts again. The man at whose fingers the count is up, 1. He is appointed to kill the Sacrifice. 2. He that stands next beyond him must take and sprinkle the Blood. 3. The next beyond him must cleanse the incense Altar. 4. The next beyond must dress the Candlestick and Lamps. 5. The next must bring the Head and Legs of the Sacrifice to the rise of the Altar. 6. The next must bring his two Shoulders. 7. The next the Rump and the Feet. 8. The next the Breast, Weasand and Plucks. 9. The next the two Loins. 10. The next the Inwards. 11. The next the meat Offering. 12. The next the High-priests meat Offering. 13. And the next the drink Offering. And thus these thirteen several employments were distributed severally to thirteen men, the first by the lottery, and all the rest by the men's standing, and this was the second lot.

There were two lots for two services more used, namely for the burning of the incense, and for the bringing of the pieces of the sacrifice from the rise of the Altar, to the Altar top, and laying them on, but those two lots were not cast till a little further in the day, then the time that we are now upon. Now the reason why they counted Fingers or Hands in their lotting, and not the persons themselves, was, because they held it not convenient to number Israelites by their persons, but by some other thing: the reason of which conceit they give, but it is out of the rode of our present pursuit, to follow the inquiry after it.

Those who were missed, and were not either by the lot, or by their standing appointed to any of these employments, that are mentioned, they put off their Priests garments, all but their linen breeches, and went about the more servile works; as to fetch out the vessels, that were to be used, to carry away the ashes, that were fetched off the Altars, and the like.

SECT. III. The killing of the morning sacrifice, dressing the lamps and incense Altar.

THEN doth the President say to them, Go and see whether it be time to kill the daily sacrifice: One or another went to the top of some of the buildings about the Temple, and when he sees it fair day, he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is fair day. I, but (saith the President) is the Heaven bright all up to Hebron? He answers, Yes. Then saith he, Go and fetch the Lamb out of the Lamb room; and so they do, and though he were searched before, whether he were right and faultless, yet do they now search him again by candlelight, but they may not kill him but by daylight: yet once (as the Talmud relateth) they were deceived by the moonlight, and thought it had been day, and so slew the morning sacrifice by night.

He that was allotted to kill the Lamb, and had fetched him out of the Lamb room, brought him to the place of the rings, where the sacrifice was usually slain; and the rest that were to sprinkle the blood, and to carry the parts to the Altar, go with him thither, and wait for their employment till it come: others go into the room where the vessels of the service lay, and from thence they bring ninety three silver and gold vessels, which were all to be used that day; in one of them they give the Lamb water to drink, for that, they thought made him to flea the better.

The Seniors that carried the keys of the gates of the Court, when they saw their time they caused the gates to be opened, and at the opening of the last gates of the two Courts, the trumpets sounded, and gave warning to the Levites and Stationary men, for their attendance: At last the gate of the Temple itself was opened, for those two to go in at, that were to dress the golden Altar and the Lamps, who took with them for that purpose, two golden vessels, the one they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Teni, and the other 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Coz.

As soon as the noise of the opening of the Temple door was heard, he that was to slay the Sacrifice slew him: and as near as might be, he that cleansed the incense Altar, cleansed it while the Sacrifice was in slaying. And when they sprinkled the blood, he that was to dress the Lamps, dressed some of them at the time of sprinkling.

The manner of cleansing the incense Altar was thus. He took the golden dish Teni, and set it before the Altar, and took his handful of coals and ashes of the Altar, put them into it, and brushed the rest into it; left it standing there, and so came out.

The dressing of the Lamps was in this manner. There was a great stone that lay before the Candlestick, in which there were hewed three steps; whereby, he that was to dress the Lamps, stepped up. What Lamps were out, he took out the yarn and oil, and put in new, and lighted them at some of the Lamps that were not out. Only that which they called the Western Lamp, if that were out, it must not be lighted but by some fire fetched from the Sacrifice Altar.

The Western Lamp 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was not that which stood most Westward of all the seven, but the middlemost of all, and it was so called, because it was set bending Westward, towards the most holy place, and all the rest of the Lamps stood bending towards this.

As for those Lamps that he found burning, he snuft them, dressed them, and supplied them with new oil. And thus he did only by five Lampt at this time, for he dressed not all the seven at once: and having thus done, he sets down his golden dish Coz, on the second step on which he had gone up, and so he came out.

In the mean while they without were sprinkling the blood, flaying the sacrifice, and dividing it into its pieces: which so divided, the several men, appointed to carry the pieces to the rise of the Altar, brought them thither, salted them, and left them there, and now again go into the room Gazith, which was as their Chapel, to their prayers.

SECT. IV. Their Public Prayers, their Phylacteries.

THEN the President calls upon them to go to prayers; which they began thus, Thou hast loved us O Lord our God with an everlasting love, with great and abundant compassion hast thou campassionated us, O our Father our King: for our fathers sakes who trusted in thee, and thou taughtest them statutes of life. So be gracious to us also, O our Father, O most merciful Father, O thou compassionate one, pity us. And put into our hearts, to know, understand, obey, learn, teach, observe, do and perform all the words of the Doctrine of thy Law in love, and enlighten our Eyes by thy Law, and cause our hearts to cleave to thy commandments, and unite our hearts to love and to fear thy Name, &c.

After this Prayer they rehearsed the Ten Commandments, and after the Ten Commandments they said over their Phylacteries.

There is mention of their Phylacteries in the Scripture, Matth. 23. 5. and they were four Sections or Paragraphs of the Law, written in two Parchments, which Parchments they wore about them continually, as Memorandums of their observance of the Law, and evidences of their devotion: and therefore they were called in the Greek Tongue Phylacteria, or Observatories, and in the Hebrew Tephillin, or Oraisons.

The portions of the Law that were written in these Parchments were these:

  • I. Exod. chap. 13. verse. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  • II. Exod. chap. 13. verse. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
  • III. Deut. chap. 6. verse. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
  • IV. Deut. chap. 11. verse. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

The manner and curiosity of writing these sentences in their several columns, and in what Parchment, and with what ink, is largely discoursed by the Author cited in the margin, with which I shall not trouble the Reader at this time: only I may not omit the reason why these were used, rather than any other sentences of the Law, which was this, because in everyone of the Sections there is mention, either of Those words being Totaphoth, or frontlets between their eyes, or a memorial between their eyes, or that they should bind them upon their hands. And accordingly the place where they wore these two parchments was, the one upon their foreheads downwards, towards between their eyebrows, and the other upon their left arm: whereupon Tanchuma hath taken occasion to expound God's swearing by his strong arm, of his swearing by the Phylacteries.

I doubt whether all the Nation used these Phylacteries indifferently, or only those who were called, The Scholars of the wise, who pretended more knowledge, devotion, and study of the Law than the common people: It is recorded by the Jewish writers, that the Sadducees though they could not away with the Pharisees traditions, yet that they used Phylacteries as well as they, but only that they differed from them in opinion, about the place where they should wear them: but whether Husbandmen, Tradesmen, and the rest of the common people wore them, as well as Scholars, and the learned of the Nation; this one passage of Maymony amongst other arguments, may give some occasion to suspect: He speaking of those things, for which a man might be allowed, to pass by a Synagogue whilst they were at prayers there and not come in; among other things he saith thus, Were his Phylacteries seen upon him, then that was a sign that he neglected not the Law, and so though he had occasion to pass the Synagogue at that time, yet his Phylacteries appearing, spake for him, that it was not for want of devotion, that he passed the Synagogue, but was called away by some business or occasion.

Howsoever the common people did not wear these Phylactery parchments, as the learned did, yet both learned and unlearned were bound alike to the rehearsing or saying over the Phylactery sentences contained in them morning and evening every day. Yea workmen that were on the top of a tree, or on the top of a piece of timber, (rearing or repairing a house) they were bound to this rehersal there, when the time of the day for it was come.

This rehearsal is commonly called by the Hebrews 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Keriath Shema, the saying over of Shema, because one of the Sections began with Shema Israel, Hear O Israel, &c. Deut. 6. 4. which though it were not the first of the four, as they stand written in the book of the Law, nor the first written in their parchments which they wore, yet was it ever the first in their rehearsal; and the reason is given, because it containeth the first and the foundation of all other duties, and that is, to love the Lord.

The time of their Keriath Shema, or rehearsal of their Phylactery sentences in the morning, is thus determined in their Traditions. At what time of day do they say over their Phylacteries in the morning? Namely, from such time as a man can see to distinguish between blew and white: Rabbi Eliezer saith, between blew and green, even until sun rising, Rab. Joshua saith, until the third hour. And at what time do they say them over at Evening? Namely, from the time that the Priests go in to eat their offerings until the end of the first watch, &c.

Now besides this daily rehearsal of these sentences morning and evening, to which they were all bound by their traditions, they also held it a great piece of piety to say them over at the hour of death: so it is related of one of the ten Martyrs of the Kingdom, (for so let me Translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) that as he was saying over his Phylacteries, he was slain and cast unto the dogs. And to speak from more later times, Joseph the Priest in his various History of the Turks, Jews, and Christians (a book very rare to be had) describing a massacre raised by the red Cross Soldiers that went under Godfrey of Bulloine, and the rest to the holy war, against the Jews in Germany: he recordeth it several times over, that when such and such murdered Jews were ready to expire, yea even children in their mothers arms, they said their Keriath Shema, or their Phylactery sentences over, and with those in their mouths they gave up the Ghost.

SECT. V. The burning of Incense, and the rest of their Prayers.

COncerning the time of the burning of Incense, they have this Tradition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That the Incense of the morning was offered between the sprinkling of the blood, and the laying of the pieces upon the Altar: and of the Evening, between the laying on of the pieces on the Altar, and the drink offering. Now for this employment of offering the Incense, they go to lotting again, to be resolved who should do it; and so there was another lot likewise cast, to determine who should bring the pieces from the rise of the Altar and lay them on.

He that was allotted to burn the Incense, took a silver dish in which there was a Censer full of Frankincense; another took another dish and went to the top of the Altar, and thence took some burning coals and came down. These two must go into the Temple; now as they go, there was a great vessel or instrument, or what shall I call it? (they call it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Migrephah ) which being rung or struck upon, made an exceeding great sound; and so great, that they set it out by this hyperbole 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 One man could not hear another in Jerusalem, when the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Migrephah sounded: It was as a Bell that they rung to give notice of what was now in hand. And the ringing of it, as saith the Treatise Tamid, served for these three purposes. 1. Any Priest that heard the sound of it, knew that his brethren were now ready to go in and worship, and he made haste and came. 2. Any Levite that heard it, knew that his brethren the Levites were going in to sing, and he made haste and came. And 3. the head or chief of the Station hearing the sound of it, brought up those that had been unclean and had not yet their atonement made, into the gate of Nicanor to have them there atoned for.

The two men then, that are going into the Temple to burn Incense, ring upon this Migrephah as they go by it, (for it lay between the Altar and the porch) to give notice to all who were to attend, that now the service was in beginning, and to chime them in. As they go up the steps, they two that had been in before, to cleanse the Incense Altar, and to dress the Lamps, go up before them: He that had cleansed the Altar goeth in, and taketh up his dish Teni, and worshippeth, and cometh out. He that had dressed the five Lamps before, dresseth now the other two, and taketh up his dish Coz, and worshippeth, and cometh out. He that went in with the Censer of coals after a little office done towards the disposing of the Incense, leaves the other there, and he also comes out.

Now he that is left there alone for the burning of the Incense, he offers not to kindle it, till the president from without with a loud voice give him notice when he shall begin: yea though it were the High▪priest himself that offereth the Incense, yet he begins not to do it, till the President have called to him, Sir offer: and as soon as he hath given the signal to the Incense offerer that he shall begin and offer, all the company in the Court withdraws downward from the Temple, and fall to other of their Prayers.

SECT. VI. The rest of their Prayers.

BEsides the Prayers and Rehearsal of the Decalogue and of their Phylacteries mentioned before, they had three or four Prayers more which they used at the morning Service, and they were these; The first they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Emeth and Jatsib, because it began with those two words, and it referred to their Phylacteries, and it was of this form. Truth and stability, and firm and sure, and upright and faithful, and beloved and lovely and delightful, and fair and terrible and glorious, and ordered and acceptable and good and beautiful is this word for us forever and ever. The truth of the everlasting God our King, the Rock of Jacob, the shield of our salvation forever and ever. He is sure and his Name sure, and his Throne settled, and his Kingdom and Truth established for evermore, &c.

The second is called by the Talmud Text 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Avodah, but by Maymony 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Retseh, yet they both agree in one as to the prayer itself, only the one names it after the first word in it, and the other after one of the chiefest words in it. The tenor of it was thus, Be pleased O Lord our God with thy people Israel, and with their prayer, and restore the service to the Oracle of thy house, and accept the burnt offering of Israel and their prayer in love, with well pleasedness; and let the service of Israel thy people, be continually well pleasing to thee. And they conclude thus, We praise thee who art the Lord our God, and the God of our Fathers, the God of all flesh, our Creator, and the maker of all the Creation, blessing and praise be to thy great and holy Name, because thou hast preserved and kept us; so preserve and keep us, and bring back our captivity to the Courts of thy holiness, &c.

A third prayer ran thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Appoint peace, goodness, and blessing, grace, mercy, and compassion for us, and for all Israel thy people: bless us O our Father, even all of us as one man, with the light of thy countenance, for in the light of thy countenance thou O Lord our God hast given us the Law of life, and loving mercy and righteousness and blessing and compassion and life and peace, let it please thee to bless thy people Israel at all times. In the book of life, with blessing and peace, and sustentation let us be remembered and written before thee, we and all thy people the house of Israel, &c.

And a fourth prayer was used on the Sabbath as a blessing, by the Course that went out, for a farewell, upon the Course that came in, in these words, He that caused his name to dwell in this house, cause to dwell among you love, and brotherhood, and peace, and friendship. Compare 2 Cor. 13. 11.

Now whereas there is some seeming doubtfulness among the Talmudical writers, about the time of these prayers, they leaving it somewhat uncertain whether they were uttered immediately before the offering of the Incense, or in the very time of its offering, the Evangelist Luke hath determined the question, and resolved us, that the multitude was praying at the very time of the Incense, Luke 1. 10. and even the Gloss upon the Talmud itself, doth tell us, that these prayers were the people's prayers, the last only excepted.

When those prayers were done, he whose lot it was to bring up and lay the pieces of the Sacrifice upon the Altar, did that business in that manner as hath been mentioned before, namely, first flinging them into the fire, and then taking them up again, and laying them in order.

After which things performed, the Priests, especially those that had been in the holy place, (with the holy vessels in their hands that they had used) standing upon the stairs that went up into the porch, lifted up their hands and blessed the people. Compare Luke 1. 22.

Not to insist upon the large disputes and discourses that are among the Jews about their lifting up their hands, the blessing they pronounced was that in Numb. 6. 24, 25, 26. The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And the manner was thus, they lift up their hands above their heads, with their fingers spread, and one of them saith over this blessing word by word, and they say after him, and they make it all one blessing (but in the Synagogues they made it three) and when they have ended it, the people answered, Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

After this blessing the meat offering was offered, and after that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 meat offering of the High-priest, and last of all the drink offering; and then began the song and music, of which we have spoken before; and upon every stop of the song, the trumpets sounded and the people worshipped; and having done so at the last close they departed.

Thus was the ordinary and common service of the Temple Morning and Evening, save that at the Evening service there was some small difference from this Rubric, which was not very material: as that then they cast not lots for their several employments, but those that the lot had assigned them in the Morning, they retained in the Afternoon: only about the matter of burning the Incense they cast lots anew amongst those of the house of the Father that served that day, that had never burnt Incense in their lives: but if all of them had at one time or other been upon that employment, then he that had had it by lot at the Morning Service, did also perform it at the Evening: likewise at the Evening Sacrifice the burning of Incense was a little later than at the Morning, as was touched before; for it was between the laying on of the pieces of the beast upon the Altar, and the offering of the drink offering: so that then the burning of Incense and the public Prayers fell in just with the time of the Minchah or meat offering. The Priests also lifted not up their hands in blessing the people at the Evening Service on some days, as they did in the Morning, and the reason why they did not, is given, and the matter discussed in the beginning of the fourth chapter of the Treatise Taanith, but it may seem more tedious to the Reader than either useful or delightsome to insist upon it.




SECT. I. The manner of their casting lots, for every man's several employment.

THEN did the President call upon them to go and cast lots, to decide and appoint what work everyone must go about. The place where they were to do this, was in the building Gazith, namely in that room of it that stood within the Court: for some part of it stood within the Court, and that part upon some occasions was as the Chapel of the Temple, and some part of it stood out into the chel 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in that there sat the great Sanhedrin.

Being come together into the place, they all stand round, and conclude upon a number that they will count, as threescore, fourscore, or a hundred, or what they thought good. Then the President of the lottery takes off someone of their caps, and puts it on again, and Here (saith he) will I begin to count: Now put up your fingers: They put up their fingers, one, or two, or three, as they pleased: and he begins at him whose cap he had taken off, and tells the fingers that were held up round: He at whose fingers the tale or sum agreed upon is up, he is the man on whom the lot is fallen, and to him doth that particular service accrue, for which the lot was cast.

The first lotting was to determine who should first cleanse the burnt offering Altar of its ashes. They had used to run and scramble for this service, and first come to the Altar, first do it: But (besides the roughness and irreverence this manner of doing carried with it) a special occurrence and inconvenience that befell at one time, (which was, that one of the Priests thus shuffling for this business, was thrust down by his fellow from off the rise off the Altar, and brake his leg) did cause the Sanhedrin to take order that the work should be done with more reverence and calmness, and therefore they decreed that the lottery should appoint who should do it, and this was the first employment that they lotted for, and he at whom the number agreed upon is up, must have it.




SECT. II. The cleansing and dressing of the burnt offering Altar.

HE to whom it was allotted to cleanse the burnt offering Altar (which was the first lot cast, and the first work to be done) leaves his fellows in the room Gazith, and having first washed his hands and his feet at the laver, he goes about the work.

There were three fires continually made upon the Altar: the first was the great fire which was made for the burning of the sacrifices. A second less than it was made upon the side of it, from which they took coals to carry into the holy place to burn the incense. And a third was made for no other use, but to keep the fire in, that it might burn continually, and not go out: And they give their reason for this number of fires, which I shall not insist upon: Now he that was to dress the Altar of its ashes first, he takes a silver chafing dish which usually stood on the West side of the Altar, and going to the Altar top, he scrapes the coals this way, and that way, and takes up his dish full of burnt coals, and comes down with them to the pavement, and when he comes there, he turns his face towards the North, and goes so along, till he comes to the Eastside of the Altar rise, and there he lays down the coals on a heap, hard by the rise, in a place where they also laid the garbage of the Birds, and the ashes that were cleansed off the golden Altar.

When his fellow Priests perceived that he was come down from the Altar, they hasted and washed their hands and feet; and taking the shovels and hooks that were for that service, they turned the pieces of the last nights sacrifice, if any were yet left unburnt, to the sides of the Altar, and if the sides would not hold them, they laid them upon the Altar rise. Then do they scrape together the ashes from all the sides to the middle of the Altar, upon a great heap, and take from thence as much as filled a great vessel of half an Homer (this vessel was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pesachtar ) and this they bring down with them, yet leaving a reasonable big heap of ashes still, which they call Tapuahh. When they had brought this great vessel of ashes down, others of the Priests in lesser vessels carried them away, even out of the City: and laid them in a calm place, that the wind might scatter them as little as possible: and these ashes might not be put to any use.

This cleansing of the Altar every morning, they began most commonly about the dawning: but on the three solemn Festivals they began much sooner, and on the day of Expiation, they began from midnight. When therefore they had thus brought off the ashes, they go about to make the fire: And first they begin with the great fire for the burnt sacrifices, which they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The great pile, and this they made something towards the East side of the Altar. The second fire which was for the coals for the Incense, was made of the wood of fig tree only, and that was made toward the Southwest corner, as that place being nearest to the Priests standing upon the Altar rise, and the coals there being the readiest to be taken away. As for the third fire, which was for the keeping of the fire continually burning, it was made indifferently in any part of the Altar: Now besides all the other wood which was laid on the great fire, they added two singular billets, (for which they produce singular Tradition) to it, when the sacrifice came on; which at the morning sacrifice was carried and laid on by one Priest, but at the Evening sacrifice by two. Having thus made the fire, they lay the pieces of the last nights sacrifice that were not burnt, upon it again; and so they come down, and return into the room Gazith again; and there the President calls them to a lottery again.

There were thirteen particular services more to be assigned to particular men; as killing the Sacrifice, sprinkling the Blood, cleansing the golden Altar, dressing the Lamps, bringing the parts of the Sacrifice to the rise of the Altar, &c. The first of which was appointed by lot in the same manner as before, and the rest fell in order to the persons, as they stood in order beyond him: they therefore conclude again upon another sum or number, hold up their fingers, and he counts again. The man at whose fingers the count is up, 1. He is appointed to kill the Sacrifice. 2. He that stands next beyond him must take and sprinkle the Blood. 3. The next beyond him must cleanse the incense Altar. 4. The next beyond must dress the Candlestick and Lamps. 5. The next must bring the Head and Legs of the Sacrifice to the rise of the Altar. 6. The next must bring his two Shoulders. 7. The next the Rump and the Feet. 8. The next the Breast, Weasand and Plucks. 9. The next the two Loins. 10. The next the Inwards. 11. The next the meat Offering. 12. The next the High-priests meat Offering. 13. And the next the drink Offering. And thus these thirteen several employments were distributed severally to thirteen men, the first by the lottery, and all the rest by the men's standing, and this was the second lot.

There were two lots for two services more used, namely for the burning of the incense, and for the bringing of the pieces of the sacrifice from the rise of the Altar, to the Altar top, and laying them on, but those two lots were not cast till a little further in the day, then the time that we are now upon. Now the reason why they counted Fingers or Hands in their lotting, and not the persons themselves, was, because they held it not convenient to number Israelites by their persons, but by some other thing: the reason of which conceit they give, but it is out of the rode of our present pursuit, to follow the inquiry after it.

Those who were missed, and were not either by the lot, or by their standing appointed to any of these employments, that are mentioned, they put off their Priests garments, all but their linen breeches, and went about the more servile works; as to fetch out the vessels, that were to be used, to carry away the ashes, that were fetched off the Altars, and the like.




SECT. III. The killing of the morning sacrifice, dressing the lamps and incense Altar.

THEN doth the President say to them, Go and see whether it be time to kill the daily sacrifice: One or another went to the top of some of the buildings about the Temple, and when he sees it fair day, he saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is fair day. I, but (saith the President) is the Heaven bright all up to Hebron? He answers, Yes. Then saith he, Go and fetch the Lamb out of the Lamb room; and so they do, and though he were searched before, whether he were right and faultless, yet do they now search him again by candlelight, but they may not kill him but by daylight: yet once (as the Talmud relateth) they were deceived by the moonlight, and thought it had been day, and so slew the morning sacrifice by night.

He that was allotted to kill the Lamb, and had fetched him out of the Lamb room, brought him to the place of the rings, where the sacrifice was usually slain; and the rest that were to sprinkle the blood, and to carry the parts to the Altar, go with him thither, and wait for their employment till it come: others go into the room where the vessels of the service lay, and from thence they bring ninety three silver and gold vessels, which were all to be used that day; in one of them they give the Lamb water to drink, for that, they thought made him to flea the better.

The Seniors that carried the keys of the gates of the Court, when they saw their time they caused the gates to be opened, and at the opening of the last gates of the two Courts, the trumpets sounded, and gave warning to the Levites and Stationary men, for their attendance: At last the gate of the Temple itself was opened, for those two to go in at, that were to dress the golden Altar and the Lamps, who took with them for that purpose, two golden vessels, the one they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Teni, and the other 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Coz.

As soon as the noise of the opening of the Temple door was heard, he that was to slay the Sacrifice slew him: and as near as might be, he that cleansed the incense Altar, cleansed it while the Sacrifice was in slaying. And when they sprinkled the blood, he that was to dress the Lamps, dressed some of them at the time of sprinkling.

The manner of cleansing the incense Altar was thus. He took the golden dish Teni, and set it before the Altar, and took his handful of coals and ashes of the Altar, put them into it, and brushed the rest into it; left it standing there, and so came out.

The dressing of the Lamps was in this manner. There was a great stone that lay before the Candlestick, in which there were hewed three steps; whereby, he that was to dress the Lamps, stepped up. What Lamps were out, he took out the yarn and oil, and put in new, and lighted them at some of the Lamps that were not out. Only that which they called the Western Lamp, if that were out, it must not be lighted but by some fire fetched from the Sacrifice Altar.

The Western Lamp 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was not that which stood most Westward of all the seven, but the middlemost of all, and it was so called, because it was set bending Westward, towards the most holy place, and all the rest of the Lamps stood bending towards this.

As for those Lamps that he found burning, he snuft them, dressed them, and supplied them with new oil. And thus he did only by five Lampt at this time, for he dressed not all the seven at once: and having thus done, he sets down his golden dish Coz, on the second step on which he had gone up, and so he came out.

In the mean while they without were sprinkling the blood, flaying the sacrifice, and dividing it into its pieces: which so divided, the several men, appointed to carry the pieces to the rise of the Altar, brought them thither, salted them, and left them there, and now again go into the room Gazith, which was as their Chapel, to their prayers.




SECT. IV. Their Public Prayers, their Phylacteries.

THEN the President calls upon them to go to prayers; which they began thus, Thou hast loved us O Lord our God with an everlasting love, with great and abundant compassion hast thou campassionated us, O our Father our King: for our fathers sakes who trusted in thee, and thou taughtest them statutes of life. So be gracious to us also, O our Father, O most merciful Father, O thou compassionate one, pity us. And put into our hearts, to know, understand, obey, learn, teach, observe, do and perform all the words of the Doctrine of thy Law in love, and enlighten our Eyes by thy Law, and cause our hearts to cleave to thy commandments, and unite our hearts to love and to fear thy Name, &c.

After this Prayer they rehearsed the Ten Commandments, and after the Ten Commandments they said over their Phylacteries.

There is mention of their Phylacteries in the Scripture, Matth. 23. 5. and they were four Sections or Paragraphs of the Law, written in two Parchments, which Parchments they wore about them continually, as Memorandums of their observance of the Law, and evidences of their devotion: and therefore they were called in the Greek Tongue Phylacteria, or Observatories, and in the Hebrew Tephillin, or Oraisons.

The portions of the Law that were written in these Parchments were these:

  • I. Exod. chap. 13. verse. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  • II. Exod. chap. 13. verse. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
  • III. Deut. chap. 6. verse. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
  • IV. Deut. chap. 11. verse. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

The manner and curiosity of writing these sentences in their several columns, and in what Parchment, and with what ink, is largely discoursed by the Author cited in the margin, with which I shall not trouble the Reader at this time: only I may not omit the reason why these were used, rather than any other sentences of the Law, which was this, because in everyone of the Sections there is mention, either of Those words being Totaphoth, or frontlets between their eyes, or a memorial between their eyes, or that they should