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SECT. I. The several Sacrifices at the Feast of Tabernacles.

THE Jerusalem Talmud doth give this brief summary of the progress of their proceedings in the service of the Temple every day of this Feast. They went first to offer the daily Sacrifice in the morning; then the additional Sacrifices; after that the vows and free offerings; from thence to eat and drink (or to dinner) from thence to the study of the Law; and after that, to offer the Evening Sacrifice, and from thence they went to the joy of the pouring out of the water.

Now the constant or daily Sacrifices of these days of the Feast were unalteredly the same that they were on all other days, a Lamb in the Morning, and a Lamb at Even: but the additional Sacrifices for the time, were not only remarkable for their number (they and the daily Sacrifices of this time amounting to two hundred and fifteen the the number of the years of Israel's being in Egypt ) but they were most remarkable for this alteration, because a Bullock less was offered every day than had been offered on the day before; and yet the very same number of Rams, Lambs, and Goats, retained every day alike: For on the first day of the Feast were thirteen Bullocks offered, on the second day twelve, on the third day eleven and so downward, as may be seen in Numb. 29. and yet on every day two Rams, fourteen Lambs, and one Goat, without any alteration, as is apparent in the same place.

The reason of which decrescency of the Bullocks, may be better guessed at, then surely given, and variety of conjecture sooner produced of others, then any certainty determined by ourselves. Whether it were to reduce the whole number of the Bullocks to Seventy, in parallel to the Seventy Nations which should be abating and decaying, while Israel like the number of the Rams, Lambs, and Goats, remained fixed: or according to the seventy years of man's age, which is daily decaying; or whether it were to show the decay of Sacrifice in time to come; or to match seven Bullocks with the seventh day; or to reduce the number of Beasts on that day to an equality with the number of the four and twenty courses; or whether this abatement were because the people abated daily, and withdrew to their own homes; or what else was the cause of it, we shall not be solicitous to inquire further after, only we cannot but observe the manner of offering of these Sacrifices which were so numerous and so various, and the service with them.

The daily Sacrifice was offered according to the Ritual that hath been already observed by the Course appointed for that week, and according as everyone obtained his employment by the lottery. And at the offering of it the Levites sung the Hallel, of which mention and description hath been made before.

But as for additional Sacrifices, they found a way that every Course of the four and twenty, who were now all present, should have a share in offering of one beast or other, and they proportionated the business after this manner.

On the first day there were thirteen Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, sixteen beasts in all, and these were offered by sixteen of the Courses; there remained then fourteen Lambs for eight Courses, six whereof offered two Lambs apiece, and the other two Courses one Lamb apiece.

On the second day there were twelve Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, fifteen beasts offered by fifteen of the Courses; and then their remained fourteen Lambs for nine Courses to offer; five whereof offered two Lambs apiece, and four one apiece.

On the third day eleven Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, fourteen beasts offered by fourteen of the Courses: and then fourteen Lambs remained for ten Courses, of which four Courses offered two Lambs apiece, and six Courses one apiece.

On the fourth day ten Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, thirteen beasts offered by thirteen Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for eleven Courses, three Courses offered two apiece, and eight Courses one apiece.

On the fifth day nine Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by twelve Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for the other twelve Courses to offer, two Courses offered two a piece, and ten Courses one a piece.

On the sixth day eight Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by eleven Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for thirteen Courses to offer, one Course offered two Lambs, and twelve Courses offered one Lamb a piece.

On the seventh day seven Bullocks, two Rams, one Goat, and fourteen Lambs, four and twenty in all were offered by the four and twenty Courses, every Course offering one beast.

SECT. II. Their Palm and Willow branches. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

IT was enjoined by the Law, Ye shall take you on the first day (of the Feast of Tabernacles) fruit of goodly Trees, branches of Palm trees, boughs of thick Trees, and Willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days, Lev. 23. 40. Upon which Text there was a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, for what end these boughs and branches should be appointed: The Sadducees held that they were for the making of their Booths, but the Pharisees determined (and they carried it) that these were branches, and fruit of Trees, which at this Feast were to be carried in their hands.

* On the first day of the Feast therefore they prepared them branches of Palm, Willow, and Mirtle, and tied them together with gold or silver twist, or with other strings or twigs, and these they carried continually in their hand all the first day of the Feast throughout. In the morning did a man go out of his house, he had his Lulabb in his hand, for so they called this bundle of branches. If he went to the Synagogue, if he prayed, if he went to visit the sick, he kept it still in his hand, and he might not leave it out of his hand all that day long. And all the rest of the days of the Feast they went not to the Temple without these branches, and every day they went to the Temple purposely with them.

There was a place a little below Jerusalem, which was called Motsa, thither they went and got Willow branches, (it seems upon the banks of Kidron ) and everyone got two, namely one for his Lulabb, or to tie up with his Palm and Myrtle branches to carry in his hand, and one for the Altar. And once every day of the Feast, they went with these in their hands about the Altar, and stuck one of them there. At first it was their custom upon the first day of the Feast, to bring their branches into the Temple, and there to leave them till the next morning, sticking about the Cloister that encompassed the mountain of the house, and the next morning to come and take them in their hands again. But this bred scuffling and scrambling and difference among them about which was which, so that the Sanhedrin saw cause to decree that everyone should take his branch with him home, and bring it from home the next day.

Having therefore provided a Lulabb, or bundle to hold in their hands, and another Willow branch for the Altar, they came once every day into the Court, and went about the Altar, and set their boughs bending toward the Altar, and cried Hosanna, or save now I beseech O Lord; O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity, Psal. 118. 25. the Trumpets in the mean while sounding; and on the seventh day they walked about the Altar seven times, and this was called the great Hosanna: and every day when they went away they said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beauty be to thee O Altar, Beauty be to thee O Altar.

The consideration of this custom giveth light to that passage, John 12. 12, 13. Matth. 21. 8, 9, 15. and to that in Rev. 7. 9, 10.

SECT. III. Their Pomecitron apples. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

THere seemeth not to be either mention or footing of this matter that we have now in hand in all the Scriptures, yet have the Traditionaries drawn it into being and practice from that expression in the Text alleged even now, Ye shall take unto you 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the fruit of goodly trees, (as our English renders it, and the Seventy differ but little from it) which the Talmudists descant upon in this variety. It is written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is a tree whose fruit is goodly, and whose wood is goodly. And what is that, but a Pomecitron? And if thou say a Pomegranate; his fruit is goodly, but his wood is not goodly. If thou say a Charob; his wood is goodly, but his fruit is not goodly. R. Simeon ben Jochai saith, A Tree whose fruit is goodly, and its wood goodly; the taste of its fruit like the taste of its wood, its wood like its fruit, and its fruit like its woods, and what is this? A Pomecitron. It is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith Rabbi Levi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because it stayeth upon the tree from one year to another. Rabbi Tauchuma saith Aquila rendereth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for it is a tree that groweth by the waters. R. Abhu saith, read it not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for so in the Greek Tongue they call water 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Now what Tree is that that groweth besides all waters? It is a Pomecitron. And according to this received construction doth the Chaldee Paraphrast roundly render that clause in the Text alleged, Ye shall take unto you the fruit of the Pomecitron tree, which construction is generally received of all the Jews.

And so generally received, that as they carried a branch or bundle of branches in the one hand at the Feast of Tabernacles, and held that an undispensable command, so did they also carry a Pomecitron in the other hand, and held that as strict a command and duty as the other. About which Ceremonial Pomecitron (for so I may well call it) it would be tedious to produce the curiosities that are discussed, about the growth, quantity, quality, and complexion of it; I shall only relate one story about it, which is somewhat remarkable; and that is, of a Baithusaean, or Sadduce, who failing of the performance of a piece of service at the Altar, at the Feast of Tabernacles (of which service we shall speak anon) and not doing it as he should, all the company fell upon him, and pelted him (the Talmudic expression is they stoned him ) with their Pomecitrons. Whereupon King Jannai being himself a Sadduce, called for a sword and slew divers of the wise men. Whether this were that King Jannai of whom there is the remarkable story in the Treatise Sanhedrin, in the place alleged in the margin, (a story that it may be hath some reference to this fact) it is not time and place to examine here.

SECT. IV. Their pouring out of water 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the Rubric of every days Service.

THE Ceremonies and Customs used at this Feast, which have been mentioned already, were somewhat strange, but the strangest rite is yet behind, and that is their drawing and pouring out of water, and their great rejoicing for it, which pouring out of water was used every day of the Feast, and their rejoicing upon it, was so great, that in all this Feast, nay in all their Feasts throughout all the year, they had not the like. For the fuller view of which and of the whole Festivity of this solemn time, having now shewn you the men in their Festival garb, with their Branches in the one hand, and their Pomecitrons in the other, we will now take up in order, the several and particular services and passages of every day as they did occur.

First, They came with their Branches and Pomecitrons in their hands to the morning daily Sacrifice, and stood so attending while that was offered. And when the parts of this Sacrifice were laid on the Altar, then was there this pouring out of water upon the Altar, but mingled with Wine, and the manner thus: One of the Priests with a golden Tankard went to the Fountain or Pool of Siloam, and filled it there with water: He retnrned back again into the Court through that which was called the Water gate, (which we have taken the survey of it in its place:) and when he came there, the Trumpets sounded: He goeth up the rise of the Altar where stood two Basins, one with Wine in it, and into the other he put the water: and he pours either the Wine into the water or the water into the Wine, and then pours them out by way of libation: which action whilst he was going about the people cried to him, Hold up thy hand: And the reason of this admonition was, because of that Baitheusaean or Sadduce that we have newly mentioned, who when he was about this libation, and should have poured the Wine clear from him, he poured it upon his own feet, and this caused the multitude to pelt him with their Pomecitrons.

At the time of this Libation did the music and the song begin, and that song which they sung all the days of the Feast, at the daily Sacrifice was the Hallel (which we have described before) that being renewed daily, (saith the Jerusalem Talmud,) as their Lulabh or branches were renewed daily: Now when they came, in the Hallel, to the beginning of the hundred and eighteenth Psalm, O give thanks unto the Lord, all the company shook their branches: and so did they when they came to these words, Hosanna, or save now Lord I beseech thee: and again at the saying of that clause, O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity: and so likewise at the saying of the last verse of that Psalm, which was the last verse of the Hallel, O give thanks unto the Lord, &c.

After the service of the daily Sacrifice was done, then fell they to the offering of the additional Sacrifices which have been mentioned of so many Bullocks, Rams, Lambs, and a Goat: at which service the Songs-men sung again some peculiar and appointed part of a Psalm:

• As on the first day, Psal. 105.
• On the second day, Psal. 29.
• On the third day, Psal. 50. at verse. 16.
• On the fourth day, Psal. 94. at verse. 16.
• On the fifth day, Psal. 94. at verse. 8.
• On the sixth day, Psal. 81. at verse. 6.
• On the seventh day, Psal. 82. at verse. 5.

When these additional Sacrifices were also finished, the people departed home to dinner (having first sung their Hosanna about the Altar, as hath been related, with their palms in their hands) unless there were any that had vows or freewill offerings to offer, who stayed for that occasion. After dinner they went severally to the Divinity Schools or to the Study of the Law for a while; and when the time came, to the Evening Sacrifice, where the service was much answerable to what was in the mornig.

Towards night they began the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rejoicing for the pouring out, or drawing of the water, which mirth they continued far in the night every night of the Feast, and this their rejoicing was of so high a jollity, that they say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That he that never saw the rejoicing of the drawing of water, never saw rejoicing in all his life. At the time when the water was drawn or fetched from the pool of Siloam, and poured out upon the Altar, they had not the liberty of their jollity, because of the seriousness and solemnity of the service that was then in hand; but when all the service of the day was over and night was now come, they fall to their rejoicing for that matter, which rejoicing is equally strange both for the manner and the cause of it: The manner was thus,

They went into the Court of the women, and there the women placed themselves upon balcones round about the Court, and the men stood upon the ground. There were four Candlesticks (or Beacons rather I might call them) of an exceeding great bigness, and mounted of an exceeding great height, overtopping and overlooking the walls of the Court, and of the mountain of the house at a great elevation: By every Candlestick (which stood on every side of the Court one) there was a ladder, by which four young men of the Priests, did severally go up to the Candlesticks with plenty of Oil and Yarn, which was ravelled of the Priests old coats and girdles, and they set them a burning.

The Pipe of the Temple began to play, and many Levites with their instruments in great abundance, standing upon the fifteen steps that went down out of the Court of Israel into the Court of the Women, and whosoever of them and of the Priests was musical either with Instrument or with Voice, joined his Music: In the mean while the greatest Grandees of the people, as the members of the Sanhedrin, Rulers of the Synagogues, Doctors of the Schools, and those that were of the highest rank and repute for Place and Religion, fell a Dancing, Leaping, Singing and Capering, with torches in their Hands, with all their skill and might, whilst the Women and the common people looked on: and thus they spent the most part of the night. And the more they abased themselves (like David before the Ark) in this activity, the more they thought they did commendably, and deserved praise.

At last, far in the night two Priests, standing in the Gate of Nicanor, do sound their Trumpets; and then they come down to the tenth step and they sound there again; they come down into the Court of the Women, and there sound a third time, and so they go sounding all along the Court till they come to the East-gate of it, and there they turn themselves and look back up toward the Temple, and they say thus, Our Fathers which were in this place, turned their backs upon the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the East, towards the Sun, but as for us, we are towards him, and our eyes towards him.

As the Crandees danced, some of them would say thus, Blessed be thou O my youth which hast not shamed my old old age, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 These were called men of performances) And others would say, Blessed be thou O my old age which hast gainsaid my youth. (These were Chasidin and men of repentance.) And both of them would say, Blessed is he that hath not sinned, and he that hath sinned and his sin is pardoned.

At length weariness, sleepiness, and satiety with their mirth, concludes the jollity till another night, and so they part, some to their own homes, and others stay the night out in their places still, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nodding and sleeping sometimes as they stood or sat, upon one another's shoulders, even while the sport was in hand.

And now to come to search after the reason of this strange and extraordinary jucundity at this time, it were no great difficulty to show some cause why they might be more merry at the Feast of Tabernacles than at other Festivals, namely because they had now inned and gathered all their fruits, and therefore this Feast is called The Feast of ingathering in the end of the year, Exod. 23. 15, 16. But why they should take up so great joviality, upon the pouring out or drawing of the water mentioned, is somewhat strange to observe, and not easy to resolve.

Rabbi Akibah giveth this reason of the pouring out the water: The Law saith, (he saith) Bring an Omer of Barly at the Passover, for that is the season of Barly, that the Corn may be blessed. Bring wheat and the first fruits at Pentecost, which was the season of trees, that the fruit of trees may be blessed to thee. Bring 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the libation of water at the Feast of Tabernacles, that the showers may be blessed to thee. And accordingly it is said that whosoever will not come up to the Feast of Tabernacles shall have no rain. For now was the time of the latter rains, Joel 2. 23.

Maymony giveth this as the cause of the rejoicing, Because it was the rejoicing for the keeping of the Law, to which no joy can be comparable: And therefore saith he, The common people, and everyone that would, were not actors in this rejoicing, for they neither sang nor danced, but were only spectators, but the actors were the great men of Wisdom and Religion.

But remarkable is that passage in the Jerusalem Talmud, upon this question, Rabbi Levi saith, Why is the name of it called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The drawing of water? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because of the drawing or pouring out of the Holy Ghost: according to what is said, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation, Isaiah 12. 3.

Whatsoever was the reason, this was the manner of their carriage at this Feast, and upon this occasion: the observation of which helpeth to illustrate that passage in Joh. 7. 37, 38. which seemeth plainly to allude to this custom. For our Savior in the last and great day of this Feast, (as verse. 2.) when they had all the seven days kept this great mirthfulness in reference to the drawing and libation of water, out of the Pool Siloam, (which by some of their own confession referred to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost) he stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come to me and drink: He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water: speaking this of the spirit, &c. As if he had said to this purpose to them in more large expressions. Is it so much rejoicing to you to draw water out of Siloam, and pour it out, which doth but typify the pouring out of the Holy Ghost? I tell you I am he that can give you living water, and on him that believeth in me, shall the Holy Ghost be so abundantly poured out, as if streams of living water were always flowing out of his belly. And to confirm this his saying by a miracle, he doth presently after give sight to a man born blind, by sending him but to wash in the pool of Siloam, Joh. 9. 7.

Thus was the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles day after day. Every day they came with their branches to the Temple, had the Hallel sung, drew water out of Siloam, and poured it and Wine upon the Altar, encompassed the Altar, and sung their Hosanna, and at night had the rejoicing for the drawing of the water. Only there was this difference among the days; that on the night before the Sabbath that fell within the Feast, and on the night before the eighth day, which was a holy day, they used not their dancing, singing and rejoicing, but on the seventh day they went about the Altar seven times, missed their dancing that night, and on the eighth day had the same solemnities with the days before, ate their Pomecitrons which they might not do before: and at night had the great rejoicing in the Court of the Women, and so concluded the Feast: And therefore this by the Evangelist is called not only the last day, but also the great day of the Feast, both because it was a holy day, and because it was the conclusion.

SECT. V. Of the Feast of Trumpets, and Feast of Dedication.

OF the Feast of Trumpets and Dedication we have not much to speak, because they had not much peculiar at the Temple more than they had all over the land: save that there was with the sounding of Trumpets at the Temple, some additional Sacrifices the first of Tisri, which was the first day of the year: for which there is the injunction and the story, Num. 29. 1, 2, 3. Only this Tradition crept into that practice, That whereas in other places the beginning of the year was sounded with a Trumpet of Rams or Sheeps horn: at the Temple there was that and two silver Trumpets also used, and the Levites on that day sung the 81 Psalm.

The Feast of Dedication of which there is mention, Joh. 10. 22. had its original, from the regaining and restoring of the Temple Altar and Service from the hands of the Syrogrecian Tyrants, who had defiled, spoiled and ruined them. The institution of the Feast was by victorious Judas Maccabeus and his brethren and the whole Congregation appointing it from the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu, eight days forward: which fell about the former part of our December. The greatest owning of this Feast at the Temple in the service there was by singing over the Hallel every day of the eight, as hath been mentioned heretofore. ( d ) And the greatest Ceremony of this Feast in all other places was, the lighting of Candles every evening, and setting them up at the doors of their houses to burn in the night: And to such supererogation in this point, did some grow in time, that they used to light up a Candle for everyone that was in their Family. Nay some yet would go so high, as to double that number every night: as if there were ten in his house, he lighted up ten Candles the first night of the Feast, and twenty the second, and thirty the third, and so still increasing that on the eighth night the lighted up eighty Candles.

The reason of the Celebration of this Feast in this manner, is given by the Author cited next above in the Margin, in these words: When Israel prevailed against their enemy, and destroyed them, it was the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu, and they went into the Temple, and found not there any pure oil, but only one Bottle: And there was no more oil in it, than to keep the Lamps burning for one day only: yet, did they light them with it:

And a miracle was shown there withal (saith his Glossary there) for it maintained the Lamps burning eight nights: whereupon the wise men of that generation, did on the next year appoint these eight days for days of rejoicing and praise and for lighting up of candles at the doors of their houses.

SECT. I. The several Sacrifices at the Feast of Tabernacles.

THE Jerusalem Talmud doth give this brief summary of the progress of their proceedings in the service of the Temple every day of this Feast. They went first to offer the daily Sacrifice in the morning; then the additional Sacrifices; after that the vows and free offerings; from thence to eat and drink (or to dinner) from thence to the study of the Law; and after that, to offer the Evening Sacrifice, and from thence they went to the joy of the pouring out of the water.

Now the constant or daily Sacrifices of these days of the Feast were unalteredly the same that they were on all other days, a Lamb in the Morning, and a Lamb at Even: but the additional Sacrifices for the time, were not only remarkable for their number (they and the daily Sacrifices of this time amounting to two hundred and fifteen the the number of the years of Israel's being in Egypt ) but they were most remarkable for this alteration, because a Bullock less was offered every day than had been offered on the day before; and yet the very same number of Rams, Lambs, and Goats, retained every day alike: For on the first day of the Feast were thirteen Bullocks offered, on the second day twelve, on the third day eleven and so downward, as may be seen in Numb. 29. and yet on every day two Rams, fourteen Lambs, and one Goat, without any alteration, as is apparent in the same place.

The reason of which decrescency of the Bullocks, may be better guessed at, then surely given, and variety of conjecture sooner produced of others, then any certainty determined by ourselves. Whether it were to reduce the whole number of the Bullocks to Seventy, in parallel to the Seventy Nations which should be abating and decaying, while Israel like the number of the Rams, Lambs, and Goats, remained fixed: or according to the seventy years of man's age, which is daily decaying; or whether it were to show the decay of Sacrifice in time to come; or to match seven Bullocks with the seventh day; or to reduce the number of Beasts on that day to an equality with the number of the four and twenty courses; or whether this abatement were because the people abated daily, and withdrew to their own homes; or what else was the cause of it, we shall not be solicitous to inquire further after, only we cannot but observe the manner of offering of these Sacrifices which were so numerous and so various, and the service with them.

The daily Sacrifice was offered according to the Ritual that hath been already observed by the Course appointed for that week, and according as everyone obtained his employment by the lottery. And at the offering of it the Levites sung the Hallel, of which mention and description hath been made before.

But as for additional Sacrifices, they found a way that every Course of the four and twenty, who were now all present, should have a share in offering of one beast or other, and they proportionated the business after this manner.

On the first day there were thirteen Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, sixteen beasts in all, and these were offered by sixteen of the Courses; there remained then fourteen Lambs for eight Courses, six whereof offered two Lambs apiece, and the other two Courses one Lamb apiece.

On the second day there were twelve Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, fifteen beasts offered by fifteen of the Courses; and then their remained fourteen Lambs for nine Courses to offer; five whereof offered two Lambs apiece, and four one apiece.

On the third day eleven Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, fourteen beasts offered by fourteen of the Courses: and then fourteen Lambs remained for ten Courses, of which four Courses offered two Lambs apiece, and six Courses one apiece.

On the fourth day ten Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, thirteen beasts offered by thirteen Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for eleven Courses, three Courses offered two apiece, and eight Courses one apiece.

On the fifth day nine Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by twelve Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for the other twelve Courses to offer, two Courses offered two a piece, and ten Courses one a piece.

On the sixth day eight Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by eleven Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for thirteen Courses to offer, one Course offered two Lambs, and twelve Courses offered one Lamb a piece.

On the seventh day seven Bullocks, two Rams, one Goat, and fourteen Lambs, four and twenty in all were offered by the four and twenty Courses, every Course offering one beast.

SECT. II. Their Palm and Willow branches. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

IT was enjoined by the Law, Ye shall take you on the first day (of the Feast of Tabernacles) fruit of goodly Trees, branches of Palm trees, boughs of thick Trees, and Willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days, Lev. 23. 40. Upon which Text there was a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, for what end these boughs and branches should be appointed: The Sadducees held that they were for the making of their Booths, but the Pharisees determined (and they carried it) that these were branches, and fruit of Trees, which at this Feast were to be carried in their hands.

* On the first day of the Feast therefore they prepared them branches of Palm, Willow, and Mirtle, and tied them together with gold or silver twist, or with other strings or twigs, and these they carried continually in their hand all the first day of the Feast throughout. In the morning did a man go out of his house, he had his Lulabb in his hand, for so they called this bundle of branches. If he went to the Synagogue, if he prayed, if he went to visit the sick, he kept it still in his hand, and he might not leave it out of his hand all that day long. And all the rest of the days of the Feast they went not to the Temple without these branches, and every day they went to the Temple purposely with them.

There was a place a little below Jerusalem, which was called Motsa, thither they went and got Willow branches, (it seems upon the banks of Kidron ) and everyone got two, namely one for his Lulabb, or to tie up with his Palm and Myrtle branches to carry in his hand, and one for the Altar. And once every day of the Feast, they went with these in their hands about the Altar, and stuck one of them there. At first it was their custom upon the first day of the Feast, to bring their branches into the Temple, and there to leave them till the next morning, sticking about the Cloister that encompassed the mountain of the house, and the next morning to come and take them in their hands again. But this bred scuffling and scrambling and difference among them about which was which, so that the Sanhedrin saw cause to decree that everyone should take his branch with him home, and bring it from home the next day.

Having therefore provided a Lulabb, or bundle to hold in their hands, and another Willow branch for the Altar, they came once every day into the Court, and went about the Altar, and set their boughs bending toward the Altar, and cried Hosanna, or save now I beseech O Lord; O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity, Psal. 118. 25. the Trumpets in the mean while sounding; and on the seventh day they walked about the Altar seven times, and this was called the great Hosanna: and every day when they went away they said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beauty be to thee O Altar, Beauty be to thee O Altar.

The consideration of this custom giveth light to that passage, John 12. 12, 13. Matth. 21. 8, 9, 15. and to that in Rev. 7. 9, 10.

SECT. III. Their Pomecitron apples. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

THere seemeth not to be either mention or footing of this matter that we have now in hand in all the Scriptures, yet have the Traditionaries drawn it into being and practice from that expression in the Text alleged even now, Ye shall take unto you 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the fruit of goodly trees, (as our English renders it, and the Seventy differ but little from it) which the Talmudists descant upon in this variety. It is written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is a tree whose fruit is goodly, and whose wood is goodly. And what is that, but a Pomecitron? And if thou say a Pomegranate; his fruit is goodly, but his wood is not goodly. If thou say a Charob; his wood is goodly, but his fruit is not goodly. R. Simeon ben Jochai saith, A Tree whose fruit is goodly, and its wood goodly; the taste of its fruit like the taste of its wood, its wood like its fruit, and its fruit like its woods, and what is this? A Pomecitron. It is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saith Rabbi Levi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 because it stayeth upon the tree from one year to another. Rabbi Tauchuma saith Aquila rendereth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for it is a tree that groweth by the waters. R. Abhu saith, read it not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for so in the Greek Tongue they call water 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Now what Tree is that that groweth besides all waters? It is a Pomecitron. And according to this received construction doth the Chaldee Paraphrast roundly render that clause in the Text alleged, Ye shall take unto you the fruit of the Pomecitron tree, which construction is generally received of all the Jews.

And so generally received, that as they carried a branch or bundle of branches in the one hand at the Feast of Tabernacles, and held that an undispensable command, so did they also carry a Pomecitron in the other hand, and held that as strict a command and duty as the other. About which Ceremonial Pomecitron (for so I may well call it) it would be tedious to produce the curiosities that are discussed, about the growth, quantity, quality, and complexion of it; I shall only relate one story about it, which is somewhat remarkable; and that is, of a Baithusaean, or Sadduce, who failing of the performance of a piece of service at the Altar, at the Feast of Tabernacles (of which service we shall speak anon) and not doing it as he should, all the company fell upon him, and pelted him (the Talmudic expression is they stoned him ) with their Pomecitrons. Whereupon King Jannai being himself a Sadduce, called for a sword and slew divers of the wise men. Whether this were that King Jannai of whom there is the remarkable story in the Treatise Sanhedrin, in the place alleged in the margin, (a story that it may be hath some reference to this fact) it is not time and place to examine here.

SECT. IV. Their pouring out of water 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the Rubric of every days Service.

THE Ceremonies and Customs used at this Feast, which have been mentioned already, were somewhat strange, but the strangest rite is yet behind, and that is their drawing and pouring out of water, and their great rejoicing for it, which pouring out of water was used every day of the Feast, and their rejoicing upon it, was so great, that in all this Feast, nay in all their Feasts throughout all the year, they had not the like. For the fuller view of which and of the whole Festivity of this solemn time, having now shewn you the men in their Festival garb, with their Branches in the one hand, and their Pomecitrons in the other, we will now take up in order, the several and particular services and passages of every day as they did occur.

First, They came with their Branches and Pomecitrons in their hands to the morning daily Sacrifice, and stood so attending while that was offered. And when the parts of this Sacrifice were laid on the Altar, then was there this pouring out of water upon the Altar, but mingled with Wine, and the manner thus: One of the Priests with a golden Tankard went to the Fountain or Pool of Siloam, and filled it there with water: He retnrned back again into the Court through that which was called the Water gate, (which we have taken the survey of it in its place:) and when he came there, the Trumpets sounded: He goeth up the rise of the Altar where stood two Basins, one with Wine in it, and into the other he put the water: and he pours either the Wine into the water or the water into the Wine, and then pours them out by way of libation: which action whilst he was going about the people cried to him, Hold up thy hand: And the reason of this admonition was, because of that Baitheusaean or Sadduce that we have newly mentioned, who when he was about this libation, and should have poured the Wine clear from him, he poured it upon his own feet, and this caused the multitude to pelt him with their Pomecitrons.

At the time of this Libation did the music and the song begin, and that song which they sung all the days of the Feast, at the daily Sacrifice was the Hallel (which we have described before) that being renewed daily, (saith the Jerusalem Talmud,) as their Lulabh or branches were renewed daily: Now when they came, in the Hallel, to the beginning of the hundred and eighteenth Psalm, O give thanks unto the Lord, all the company shook their branches: and so did they when they came to these words, Hosanna, or save now Lord I beseech thee: and again at the saying of that clause, O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity: and so likewise at the saying of the last verse of that Psalm, which was the last verse of the Hallel, O give thanks unto the Lord, &c.

After the service of the daily Sacrifice was done, then fell they to the offering of the additional Sacrifices which have been mentioned of so many Bullocks, Rams, Lambs, and a Goat: at which service the Songs-men sung again some peculiar and appointed part of a Psalm:

• As on the first day, Psal. 105.
• On the second day, Psal. 29.
• On the third day, Psal. 50. at verse. 16.
• On the fourth day, Psal. 94. at verse. 16.
• On the fifth day, Psal. 94. at verse. 8.
• On the sixth day, Psal. 81. at verse. 6.
• On the seventh day, Psal. 82. at verse. 5.

When these additional Sacrifices were also finished, the people departed home to dinner (having first sung their Hosanna about the Altar, as hath been related, with their palms in their hands) unless there were any that had vows or freewill offerings to offer, who stayed for that occasion. After dinner they went severally to the Divinity Schools or to the Study of the Law for a while; and when the time came, to the Evening Sacrifice, where the service was much answerable to what was in the mornig.

Towards night they began the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rejoicing for the pouring out, or drawing of the water, which mirth they continued far in the night every night of the Feast, and this their rejoicing was of so high a jollity, that they say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That he that never saw the rejoicing of the drawing of water, never saw rejoicing in all his life. At the time when the water was drawn or fetched from the pool of Siloam, and poured out upon the Altar, they had not the liberty of their jollity, because of the seriousness and solemnity of the service that was then in hand; but when all the service of the day was over and night was now come, they fall to their rejoicing for that matter, which rejoicing is equally strange both for the manner and the cause of it: The manner was thus,

They went into the Court of the women, and there the women placed themselves upon balcones round about the Court, and the men stood upon the ground. There were four Candlesticks (or Beacons rather I might call them) of an exceeding great bigness, and mounted of an exceeding great height, overtopping and overlooking the walls of the Court, and of the mountain of the house at a great elevation: By every Candlestick (which stood on every side of the Court one) there was a ladder, by which four young men of the Priests, did severally go up to the Candlesticks with plenty of Oil and Yarn, which was ravelled of the Priests old coats and girdles, and they set them a burning.

The Pipe of the Temple began to play, and many Levites with their instruments in great abundance, standing upon the fifteen steps that went down out of the Court of Israel into the Court of the Women, and whosoever of them and of the Priests was musical either with Instrument or with Voice, joined his Music: In the mean while the greatest Grandees of the people, as the members of the Sanhedrin, Rulers of the Synagogues, Doctors of the Schools, and those that were of the highest rank and repute for Place and Religion, fell a Dancing, Leaping, Singing and Capering, with torches in their Hands, with all their skill and might, whilst the Women and the common people looked on: and thus they spent the most part of the night. And the more they abased themselves (like David before the Ark) in this activity, the more they thought they did commendably, and deserved praise.

At last, far in the night two Priests, standing in the Gate of Nicanor, do sound their Trumpets; and then they come down to the tenth step and they sound there again; they come down into the Court of the Women, and there sound a third time, and so they go sounding all along the Court till they come to the East-gate of it, and there they turn themselves and look back up toward the Temple, and they say thus, Our Fathers which were in this place, turned their backs upon the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the East, towards the Sun, but as for us, we are towards him, and our eyes towards him.

As the Crandees danced, some of them would say thus, Blessed be thou O my youth which hast not shamed my old old age, ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 These were called men of performances) And others would say, Blessed be thou O my old age which hast gainsaid my youth. (These were Chasidin and men of repentance.) And both of them would say, Blessed is he that hath not sinned, and he that hath sinned and his sin is pardoned.

At length weariness, sleepiness, and satiety with their mirth, concludes the jollity till another night, and so they part, some to their own homes, and others stay the night out in their places still, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nodding and sleeping sometimes as they stood or sat, upon one another's shoulders, even while the sport was in hand.

And now to come to search after the reason of this strange and extraordinary jucundity at this time, it were no great difficulty to show some cause why they might be more merry at the Feast of Tabernacles than at other Festivals, namely because they had now inned and gathered all their fruits, and therefore this Feast is called The Feast of ingathering in the end of the year, Exod. 23. 15, 16. But why they should take up so great joviality, upon the pouring out or drawing of the water mentioned, is somewhat strange to observe, and not easy to resolve.

Rabbi Akibah giveth this reason of the pouring out the water: The Law saith, (he saith) Bring an Omer of Barly at the Passover, for that is the season of Barly, that the Corn may be blessed. Bring wheat and the first fruits at Pentecost, which was the season of trees, that the fruit of trees may be blessed to thee. Bring 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the libation of water at the Feast of Tabernacles, that the showers may be blessed to thee. And accordingly it is said that whosoever will not come up to the Feast of Tabernacles shall have no rain. For now was the time of the latter rains, Joel 2. 23.

Maymony giveth this as the cause of the rejoicing, Because it was the rejoicing for the keeping of the Law, to which no joy can be comparable: And therefore saith he, The common people, and everyone that would, were not actors in this rejoicing, for they neither sang nor danced, but were only spectators, but the actors were the great men of Wisdom and Religion.

But remarkable is that passage in the Jerusalem Talmud, upon this question, Rabbi Levi saith, Why is the name of it called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The drawing of water? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because of the drawing or pouring out of the Holy Ghost: according to what is said, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation, Isaiah 12. 3.

Whatsoever was the reason, this was the manner of their carriage at this Feast, and upon this occasion: the observation of which helpeth to illustrate that passage in Joh. 7. 37, 38. which seemeth plainly to allude to this custom. For our Savior in the last and great day of this Feast, (as verse. 2.) when they had all the seven days kept this great mirthfulness in reference to the drawing and libation of water, out of the Pool Siloam, (which by some of their own confession referred to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost) he stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come to me and drink: He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water: speaking this of the spirit, &c. As if he had said to this purpose to them in more large expressions. Is it so much rejoicing to you to draw water out of Siloam, and pour it out, which doth but typify the pouring out of the Holy Ghost? I tell you I am he that can give you living water, and on him that believeth in me, shall the Holy Ghost be so abundantly poured out, as if streams of living water were always flowing out of his belly. And to confirm this his saying by a miracle, he doth presently after give sight to a man born blind, by sending him but to wash in the pool of Siloam, Joh. 9. 7.

Thus was the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles day after day. Every day they came with their branches to the Temple, had the Hallel sung, drew water out of Siloam, and poured it and Wine upon the Altar, encompassed the Altar, and sung their Hosanna, and at night had the rejoicing for the drawing of the water. Only there was this difference among the days; that on the night before the Sabbath that fell within the Feast, and on the night before the eighth day, which was a holy day, they used not their dancing, singing and rejoicing, but on the seventh day they went about the Altar seven times, missed their dancing that night, and on the eighth day had the same solemnities with the days before, ate their Pomecitrons which they might not do before: and at night had the great rejoicing in the Court of the Women, and so concluded the Feast: And therefore this by the Evangelist is called not only the last day, but also the great day of the Feast, both because it was a holy day, and because it was the conclusion.

SECT. V. Of the Feast of Trumpets, and Feast of Dedication.

OF the Feast of Trumpets and Dedication we have not much to speak, because they had not much peculiar at the Temple more than they had all over the land: save that there was with the sounding of Trumpets at the Temple, some additional Sacrifices the first of Tisri, which was the first day of the year: for which there is the injunction and the story, Num. 29. 1, 2, 3. Only this Tradition crept into that practice, That whereas in other places the beginning of the year was sounded with a Trumpet of Rams or Sheeps horn: at the Temple there was that and two silver Trumpets also used, and the Levites on that day sung the 81 Psalm.

The Feast of Dedication of which there is mention, Joh. 10. 22. had its original, from the regaining and restoring of the Temple Altar and Service from the hands of the Syrogrecian Tyrants, who had defiled, spoiled and ruined them. The institution of the Feast was by victorious Judas Maccabeus and his brethren and the whole Congregation appointing it from the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu, eight days forward: which fell about the former part of our December. The greatest owning of this Feast at the Temple in the service there was by singing over the Hallel every day of the eight, as hath been mentioned heretofore. ( d ) And the greatest Ceremony of this Feast in all other places was, the lighting of Candles every evening, and setting them up at the doors of their houses to burn in the night: And to such supererogation in this point, did some grow in time, that they used to light up a Candle for everyone that was in their Family. Nay some yet would go so high, as to double that number every night: as if there were ten in his house, he lighted up ten Candles the first night of the Feast, and twenty the second, and thirty the third, and so still increasing that on the eighth night the lighted up eighty Candles.

The reason of the Celebration of this Feast in this manner, is given by the Author cited next above in the Margin, in these words: When Israel prevailed against their enemy, and destroyed them, it was the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu, and they went into the Temple, and found not there any pure oil, but only one Bottle: And there was no more oil in it, than to keep the Lamps burning for one day only: yet, did they light them with it:

And a miracle was shown there withal (saith his Glossary there) for it maintained the Lamps burning eight nights: whereupon the wise men of that generation, did on the next year appoint these eight days for days of rejoicing and praise and for lighting up of candles at the doors of their houses.

SECT. I. The King reading the Law.

MOSES had commanded, saying At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release in the Feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this Law, before all Israel in their hearing: The circumstances of time, place, and person, for this reading, the Jews do determine thus. The reader was to be the King, the place, in the Court of the women, and the time, towards the end of the first holy day in the Feast of Tabernacles weeks. There was then a pulpit of wood set up in the midst of the Court of the women, for thither might women and children come to hear, as they were enjoined, per. 12. which they might not do into the upper Court: And the King goes up into the Pulpit and sits him down. The Minister of the Congregation 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 takes the Book of the Law and gives it to the chief of the Congregation or Head of the Congregation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) The chief of the Congregation or Head of the Synagogue (for now they were in a Synagogue model) gives it to the Sagan, the Sagan gives it to the High-priest, and the High-priest to the King. The King stands up to receive it, and standing uttereth a Prayer, as everyone did that was to read the Law in public before he read: and then if he thought good he might sit down and read, but if he read standing, it was thought the more honorable, and so it is recorded that King Agrippa did when he was upon this employment.

He began to read at the beginning of Deuteronomy, and read to verse. 10. of the 6. Chap. Thence he skipt to the thirteenth verse of the eleventh Chapter, and read to the two and twentieth verse of the same Chapter. There he skipt again to the two and twentieth verse of the fourteenth Chapter, and read to the second verse of the nine and twentieth Chapter. For they thought it was enough if he read those portions only, that were most pregnant and pertinent for the stirring of them up, to the observing of the Commandments, and for the strengthening of their hands in the Law of truth. And the Talmud relates of King Agrippa, that when he was upon this Service, and came to read that passage in Deut. 17. 15. One from among thy brethren thou shall set King over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother, his eyes trickled down with tears, in remembrance that he was not of the seed of the Jews, so that the people were glad to cheer him up, and cried out three times to him, Fear not Agrippa, thou art our brother.

The reading is called, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The lection of the King, and it is reckoned by the Jews to be one of those eight things that must undispensably be uttered in the Hebrew Tongue: Those eight things are these,

• 1. The words of him that presented his first fruits, Deut. 26. 5.
• 2. The words of the woman that pulled off the shoe, Deut. 25. 7, 8, 9.
• 3. The blessings and the curses, Deut. 27. & 28.
• 4. The blessing of the Priests, Numb. 6. 24, 25, 26.
• 5. The blessing of the High-priest on the day of Expiation.
• 6. This lection of the King.
• 7. The words of the Priests encouraging to battle, Deut. 20. 3.
• 8. The words of the Elders over the beheaded Heifer, Deut. 21. 7, 8.

SECT. II. The Priests burning of the red Cow.

THE Law about burning a red Cow to ashes, and the use of those ashes for the purifying of those that were unclean by the dead, is given and described at large in Num. 19. and the significancy of that rite and other sprinklings is touched upon Heb. 9. 13. The manner of their going about and performing this great business) for so it was not unjustly held, because it was for the cleansing from the greatest uncleanness) was exceeding curious, and their circumspection about the matter was so nice and great, that in none of the Ceremonious performances, they shown more Ceremony than in this.

Not to trace their great curiosities in choosing out a Cow that was exactly fit for this business, and how many exceptions and cautions, and scrutinies they had about her, which are nicely discussed in the two first Chapters of the Treatise Parah: Nor to dispute whether this work of burning her, belonged only to the High Priest, or whether another might do it as well as he: the managing of that business when it came to it, was after this manner.

Seven days before a Cow was to be burnt, the Priest that was to burn her, was put apart into a Chamber of the Temple, which stood in the North-east Angle of the Court of Israel, which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The house of stone, meaning The house of stone vessels, as we have cleared it, in the survey and description of it: And the reason of this his separation was, that he might be sure to be free for all that time from any Pollution by a Grave or Corps: For since the ashes of this burnt Cow was the great and only purger from that defilement, it was their choice, care and heedfulness, that they should be clear from that defilement, that went about the burning of her, or sprinkling her ashes.

When the day of her burning came, the Priest that was to do it, and they that were to accompany him in that work, marched out at the East-gate of the Mountain of the Temple, which Gate was also called Shushan, and went over the Valley of Cidron to Mount Olivet, to a pitch of the Hill just over against the Gate where they had come out, and in the face of the Temple: all the way over the Valley was a Causey made upon double Arches, that is, one Arch still standing upon two Arches, and so levelied on the surface as made a plain and even way all along: And the reason of this great cost and curiosity was, that all the way might be secure against unseen or unknown graves (by which these passengers might have been defiled) the stone Arches not permitting to interre a Corps. The like Arches for the like prevention, we have observed in its due place, were all under the Courts of the Temple, and the like Archedness was there on Mount Olivet, under the very place where the Cow was to be burnt, for the same security.

The Elders of the People marched before the Priest and his company all along this Causey, to the place of the burning, and there when the Priest came up, they laid their hands upon him, and called upon him to bath himself, for there was a place for that purpose, and so he did. Then was the Pile made of Wood in and on which she was to be burnt; and tying her legs with Cords, they lay her on, her head lying toward the South, and her face turning to the West. The Priest standing on the East side of her, and his face toward the West, kills her with his right hand, and takes the blood with the left.

Now it was commanded by the Law, that the sprinkling of her blood should be directly before the Tabernacle of the Congregation seven times, Numb. 19. 4. For the answering of which command, the Priest having slain her, and taken her blood, did sprinkle it so many times towards the Temple, looking directly over the Gate Shushan upon the Porch of the Temple: the Battlements of which Gate were for this very purpose made lower than the Battlements of any other of the Gates about the Sanctuary; that over it he might see the face of the Poroh which through it he could not reach to do.

Having sprinkled her blood, he sets his Pile of Wood afire, and sets her a burning, and as she was burning he takes Cedar Wood and Hyssop, and Scarlet Wool, and shows them and saith to the standers by, This is Cedar wood, this is Cedar wood, this is Cedar wood, three times over, and they answer him three times over, well, well, well: so likewise he saith, This is Hyssop, this is Hyssop, this is Hyssop; This is Scarlet wool, this is Scarlet wool, this is Scarlet wool, and they answer him as before, three times to either of them, and then he casts those things into the fire, and they burn all together.

When all was burnt, they took up the ashes, and pounded and sifted them, and one part of them they laid up in some place of Mount Olivet for the sprinkling of the People: Another part was delivered to the four and twenty Courses for the sprinkling of the Priests, and a third part was laid up in the Chel, or inclosure of the Court, to be kept for a Memorial. Nine of this Kine were burnt between the first giving of the Law about this Rite, and the fatal fall and destruction of the Temple. One in the time of Moses, one burnt by Ezra, two by Simeon the just, two by Jochanan the father of Matthias, one by Elioenai the son of Hakkoph, one by Hanameel Hammizri, and one by Ishmael the son of Fabi; and the Jews look for a tenth in the days of the Messias; where, by the way, we cannot but observe how their traditions had increased their defilements: for two of these Kine served till Ezra 's time, which was near upon a thousand years, and the time after, which was not half the space, took up seven.

Now whereas the Law enjoined that for the cleansing of the unclean, these ashes were to be sprinkled by a clean person, Num. 19. 18. their Tradition strained it to a person that had never been defiled by a dead Corps in all his life; therefore that such persons might be had, there were Arches wrought in a Rock in Jerusalem after the manner forementioned, and houses built over those Arches. And thither as to a place secure from Graves, certain Women with Child were brought when they were near the time of their Delivery, and there they were brought to bed. And their Children were there brought up continually for this very employment, that they might be ready, as they were capable, and and as there was occasion, to sprinkle these ashes. Which when any of them went to do, he rode on a seat on Oxens backs, first to the Pool of Siloam, where he lighted in the water (for there he might presume there was no Grave to defile him) filled his Pitcher, and got up again, rode to Mount Olivet, besprinkled the party that was to be cleansed, and rode in like manner to his Cell again.

SECT. III. The trial of the suspected Wife.

THE Law concerning jealousy, and about the trial of a Wife suspected, given in Num. 5. was understood and practiced by the Jews according to these Constructions and Traditions.

A man before two witnesses had charged his Wife, saying, See thou speak not to such a man; though she did, yet she was still free to her Husband: but if she went with that man into private, and there staid with him such a space, then she was forbidden her Husbands company, and he was to bring her to the Sanhedrin that was next to him; and they sent with him and her two scholars of the wise to the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, lest he should lie with her by the way. Being there they terrified her with terrible and dreadful words, to bring her to confess her fault. If she confessed that she was defiled, she tore her Matrimonial Writing in pieces and departed, and so was divorced. But if she stood to justify her innocence, they brought her through the East Gates (saith the Talmud) which are before the door of the Gate of Nicanor. Which Rambam upon the place expoundeth to mean, that they tugged and toiled her up and down the stairs of those East Gates, to bring her by weariness and faintness to confession. If she yet confessed not, but still pleaded innocent, then she was set in the Gate of Nicanor, which was the East Gate of the Court. And the Priest that was to put her to her trial, laid hold upon her bosom and rent her clothes open, till he had laid her breasts bare as low as her heart: if she were arrayed in white, black was put upon her, her hair was dishevelled to hang about her shoulders, and if she had Rings or Jewels on, they were taken from her, and he tied a Cord about her, over her Paps. And whosoever would might come and behold her, unless it were her servants. And here the Talmudic Observation is not impertinent; With what measure one meteth (say they) they measure to him again. She decked herself to transgress, but God defiles her deckage; She uncovered herself for sin, God discovers her shame; She stood in the gate to show herself, she is now set in the Gate to show her reproach; She spread a veil on her head, the Priest lays it under her feet; She platted her hair, the Priest dishevels it; She girded herself in a fair girdle, the Priest girds her with the girdle of affliction; She decked her face, her face is spit on; She decked her eyes, her eyes stare forth; She made signs with her fingers, her nails are pared; Her thigh first began to transgress and then her belly, therefore her thigh is first punished, and then her belly, and her whole body escapeth not.

Her offering which was in a Wecker Basket the Priest put into her hand according to the injunction of the Law, Num. 5. 15, 18. Then took he an earthen Pot and put a little water into it out of the Laver, and going within the Temple door, he took up some dust from under a stone that was left loose for that purpose, (where it lay we have observed in its proper place) and this dust he strewed upon the water. Then denounced he the curse and wrote it in a Book, even those words, Num. 5. 19, 20, 21, 22. If no man hath lien with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness, &c. But if thou hast gone aside, &c. the Lord make thee a curse, &c. And this water which causeth the curse, shall go into thy bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the Woman answered Amen, Amen. Then blotted he the curses out of the book with the bitter water, and gave her the water to drink. If upon the donuncing of the curses she were so terrified that she durst not drink the water, but confessed she was defiled, the Priest flung down the water, and scattered her offering among the ashes; but if she confessed not, and yet would not drink, they forced her to drink; and if she were ready to cast it up again, they got her away that she might not defile the place. The operation of these waters (say the Rabbins) followed after, though sometimes it appeared not of two or three years, for she bare no children, she was sickly, languished, and died of that death.

SECT. IV. The atoning for a cleansed Leper.

IN the North-west corner of the Court of the Women, there was a piece of Building which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the chamber, or room of the Lepers, whither the Leper resorted after his cleansing in the Country, or at his own house. And now I am sensible of a mistake and inadvertency which fell from me in another place, and which I here retract, and crave the Readers patience, and that was in that I asserted (in the Notes on John 2. 15.) that the Lepers were tried in this room by the Priests, and had access to the Mountain of the House, and to the Public Service of the Temple. It is true indeed that the Lepers had access to the Public Service in those Synagogues that were not in walled Towns, being placed there apart by themselves, so that they came not near others, but their offering to come into the Temple did fall under a very sharp penalty, as was shown before, nay they were excluded even out of Walled Cities. Their trial therefore was in the Country, and there they were cleansed by the Priest, with variety of Ceremony in the business: and on the seventh day of their cleansing he shaved himself again, for he had done so before, and washed himself in water, and then he might come within Jerusalem. On the eighth day he came up into the Mountain of the House, and brought three Lambs with him, for a burnt offering, sin offering, and trespass offering, and bathed himself in that room in the corner of the Court of the Women, that was from hence called the Room of the Lepers,

When the Migrephah or the Bell, (for so let it be called) was rung by those that went into the Temple to burn the incense, the President or chief man of the station then serving went and fetched him, and whosoever else had been unclean and came now for their purifying, and set them in the gate of Nicanor. But here two contrary exigence were to be provided for; for neither might the Leper tread on the ground of the Court, because he yet wanted his atonement, nor might the blood of the trespass offering which was to be his atonement, be brought out of the Court, and yet it was to be put upon his thumb, great toe, and tip of his ear, Lev. 14. 14. A temper therefore for these two repugnacies was this, that he went into the Gate as far as possibly he might, so that he trod not within the Court. Thither did the Priest bring the trespass offering to him, and he stretched out his hands into the Court, and laid them upon him. And when he was slain, the Priest brought the blood, himself standing within the Court, and the Leper stretched out his neck, and thrust his head within the Virge of the Court, and he put some of the blood upon the tip of his right ear; and likewise he stretched out his hand and his foot within the Virge of the Court, and he put the blood upon his thumb, and his great toe, and so he was cleansed. The cleansing of other unclean persons, as those that had issues, and Women after Child-birth, was in the same place, and much after the same manner, save that the blouding of the ear, thumb and toe was not used, so that they need not a particular discourse by themselves.

SECT. V. The manner of bringing and presenting their first fruits.

NOT to insist upon the several sorts of things out of which the first fruits were to be paid, nor upon the manner of setting them apart for first fruits at their own homes, of which the Talmud doth debate at large; this being somewhat out of the Virge of our discourse, because so far out of the Virge of the Temple; their custom and Ceremony in bringing of them up thither and presenting them there, cometh nearer within our compass, and that was thus, All the Cities that belonged to such or such a station, met together at the chief City of the station, and there lodged all night in the streets; and the reason of this their gathering thus together, was because they would go together by multitudes, according to what is said, the multitude of People is the Kings honor; and the reason of their lodging in the streets was, lest going into houses they should be defiled. In the morning the President or chief among them, called them up betime with this note, Arise and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God, and they set away: Before them there went an Ox with his horns gilded, and a Garland or Crown of Olive branches upon his head: and a Pipe playing before them, till they came near to Jerusalem, and they often rehearsed that saying, I was glad when they said, Let us go up to the house of the Lord, compare Isaiah 30. 29. They travelled not all day when they travelled, but only two parts of it, because they would not spoil their solemnity with toiling: when they were come near Jerusalem, they sent in a Messenger to give notice of their coming, and they flowred and decked their baskets, and exposed some of the freshest fruits to sight: upon notice of their coming, the chief men of the Priesthood went out to meet them; and when they were come within the City, they rehearsed these words, Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem: and all the Tradesmen in their shops stood up as they came by, and saluted them, O our brethren of such a place you are welcome. The Pipe went playing before them, till they came to the Mountain of the House, and when they came there, everyone ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) yea, though it were King Agrippa himself, (saith the Tradition) was to take his Basket upon his shoulder, and so to walk up till he came to the Court; and all the way as they went, they said over the hundred and fiftieth Psalm, Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his Sanctuary, &c.

Being come into the Court, the Priests began and sung the Thirtieth Psalm, I will extol thee O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

With his Basket on his shoulder, the man begins and says, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come into the Country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us, Deut. 26. 3. and then beginning to say, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, &c. he takes down the Basket from his shoulder, and holds it by the edges, and the Priest putting his hands under it, waves it up and down, and he goes on and says, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, &c. even to the middle of the tenth verse; and so he sets down his Basket by the side of the Altar, and boweth and goeth forth. They used by their Baskets as they brought them, to hang Turtles or Pigeons, which were to be for an offering, and the fruits themselves went to the Priests of the Course that then served; and the party that brought them must lodge in Jerusalem all night after he had presented them, and the next morning he might return home. They might not offer their first fruits before the Feast of Pentecost (compare Act. 2. and Rom. 8. 23.) nor after the Feast of Dedication.

SECT. VI. Their bringing up wood for the Altar.

IT was a singular and a strict command, that the fire of the Altar should never go out, Lev. 6. 13. And as the Jews observe, that Divine Providence did comply with the keeping of it in, for they say, that Rains from Heaven never put the fire out, so did the Nation provide for the continual burning of it, by a penalty of whipping decreed, agreed against him that should extinguish it, and by a constant supply of wood brought up to the Temple for the maintaining of it. Josephus speaketh of their Xylophoria, or certain set and solemn times, on which the People brought up Wood for this purpose: his words are these, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . It was a feast of the wood carrying, at which it was the custom for all to bring up wood for the Altar, that it might not want fuel for the fire, which might never go out. The Talmudic Treatise Taanith, reckoneth nine special days in the year used for this solemn employment, and alotteth the work to nine special Families of those that are mentioned to have returned out of captivity. The wood-carrying times (saith it) for the Priests and the People were nine. On the first of Nisan, the sons of Arah a son of Judah. On the twentieth of Tammuz, the sons of David a son of Judah. On the fifth of Ab, the sons of Parosh a son of Judah. On the seventh of the same, the sons of Jonadab the son of Recab. On the tenth of the same, the sons of Senaah a son of Benjamin. On the fifteenth of the same month, the sons of Zattu a son of Judah, and with them the Priests and Levites, and whosoever knew not their own Tribe, &c. On the twentieth of the same month, the sons of Pahath Moab a son of Judah. On the twentieth of Elul, the sons of Addin a son of Judah. And on the first of Tebeth, the sons of Parosh came a second time. And on the first of Tebeth there was no station (made by the stationary men) because on that day the Hallel was sung, and there was an additional offering, and an oblation, or bringing up of wood.

The wood thus brought up to the Temple, it was first laid up in that building in the North-east corner of the Court of the Women, which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The wood room, where it was searched by those of the Priests lineage that had blemishes, and so were uncapable of serving at the Altar, whether it had worms or no in it, for any wood that had any worms in it was unclean and unfit for the Altar fire: that that was found free from worms, and so reputed fit for the Altar, was brought up into another room, called also the wood room, and the room Parhedrin, on the South side of the Court of Israel, and there it lay near and ready when there was occasion for its use. That wood that had worms in it, and so might not touch the Altar, was used either for boiling, baking, or frying of the offerings that were boiled, or baked, or fried, or for keeping fires for the Priests and Levites in their attendance and guards in cold weather.

SECT. I. The King reading the Law.

MOSES had commanded, saying At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release in the Feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this Law, before all Israel in their hearing: The circumstances of time, place, and person, for this reading, the Jews do determine thus. The reader was to be the King, the place, in the Court of the women, and the time, towards the end of the first holy day in the Feast of Tabernacles weeks. There was then a pulpit of wood set up in the midst of the Court of the women, for thither might women and children come to hear, as they were enjoined, per. 12. which they might not do into the upper Court: And the King goes up into the Pulpit and sits him down. The Minister of the Congregation 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 takes the Book of the Law and gives it to the chief of the Congregation or Head of the Congregation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) The chief of the Congregation or Head of the Synagogue (for now they were in a Synagogue model) gives it to the Sagan, the Sagan gives it to the High-priest, and the High-priest to the King. The King stands up to receive it, and standing uttereth a Prayer, as everyone did that was to read the Law in public before he read: and then if he thought good he might sit down and read, but if he read standing, it was thought the more honorable, and so it is recorded that King Agrippa did when he was upon this employment.

He began to read at the beginning of Deuteronomy, and read to verse. 10. of the 6. Chap. Thence he skipt to the thirteenth verse of the eleventh Chapter, and read to the two and twentieth verse of the same Chapter. There he skipt again to the two and twentieth verse of the fourteenth Chapter, and read to the second verse of the nine and twentieth Chapter. For they thought it was enough if he read those portions only, that were most pregnant and pertinent for the stirring of them up, to the observing of the Commandments, and for the strengthening of their hands in the Law of truth. And the Talmud relates of King Agrippa, that when he was upon this Service, and came to read that passage in Deut. 17. 15. One from among thy brethren thou shall set King over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother, his eyes trickled down with tears, in remembrance that he was not of the seed of the Jews, so that the people were glad to cheer him up, and cried out three times to him, Fear not Agrippa, thou art our brother.

The reading is called, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The lection of the King, and it is reckoned by the Jews to be one of those eight things that must undispensably be uttered in the Hebrew Tongue: Those eight things are these,

• 1. The words of him that presented his first fruits, Deut. 26. 5.
• 2. The words of the woman that pulled off the shoe, Deut. 25. 7, 8, 9.
• 3. The blessings and the curses, Deut. 27. & 28.
• 4. The blessing of the Priests, Numb. 6. 24, 25, 26.
• 5. The blessing of the High-priest on the day of Expiation.
• 6. This lection of the King.
• 7. The words of the Priests encouraging to battle, Deut. 20. 3.
• 8. The words of the Elders over the beheaded Heifer, Deut. 21. 7, 8.

SECT. II. The Priests burning of the red Cow.

THE Law about burning a red Cow to ashes, and the use of those ashes for the purifying of those that were unclean by the dead, is given and described at large in Num. 19. and the significancy of that rite and other sprinklings is touched upon Heb. 9. 13. The manner of their going about and performing this great business) for so it was not unjustly held, because it was for the cleansing from the greatest uncleanness) was exceeding curious, and their circumspection about the matter was so nice and great, that in none of the Ceremonious performances, they shown more Ceremony than in this.

Not to trace their great curiosities in choosing out a Cow that was exactly fit for this business, and how many exceptions and cautions, and scrutinies they had about her, which are nicely discussed in the two first Chapters of the Treatise Parah: Nor to dispute whether this work of burning her, belonged only to the High Priest, or whether another might do it as well as he: the managing of that business when it came to it, was after this manner.

Seven days before a Cow was to be burnt, the Priest that was to burn her, was put apart into a Chamber of the Temple, which stood in the North-east Angle of the Court of Israel, which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The house of stone, meaning The house of stone vessels, as we have cleared it, in the survey and description of it: And the reason of this his separation was, that he might be sure to be free for all that time from any Pollution by a Grave or Corps: For since the ashes of this burnt Cow was the great and only purger from that defilement, it was their choice, care and heedfulness, that they should be clear from that defilement, that went about the burning of her, or sprinkling her ashes.

When the day of her burning came, the Priest that was to do it, and they that were to accompany him in that work, marched out at the East-gate of the Mountain of the Temple, which Gate was also called Shushan, and went over the Valley of Cidron to Mount Olivet, to a pitch of the Hill just over against the Gate where they had come out, and in the face of the Temple: all the way over the Valley was a Causey made upon double Arches, that is, one Arch still standing upon two Arches, and so levelied on the surface as made a plain and even way all along: And the reason of this great cost and curiosity was, that all the way might be secure against unseen or unknown graves (by which these passengers might have been defiled) the stone Arches not permitting to interre a Corps. The like Arches for the like prevention, we have observed in its due place, were all under the Courts of the Temple, and the like Archedness was there on Mount Olivet, under the very place where the Cow was to be burnt, for the same security.

The Elders of the People marched before the Priest and his company all along this Causey, to the place of the burning, and there when the Priest came up, they laid their hands upon him, and called upon him to bath himself, for there was a place for that purpose, and so he did. Then was the Pile made of Wood in and on which she was to be burnt; and tying her legs with Cords, they lay her on, her head lying toward the South, and her face turning to the West. The Priest standing on the East side of her, and his face toward the West, kills her with his right hand, and takes the blood with the left.

Now it was commanded by the Law, that the sprinkling of her blood should be directly before the Tabernacle of the Congregation seven times, Numb. 19. 4. For the answering of which command, the Priest having slain her, and taken her blood, did sprinkle it so many times towards the Temple, looking directly over the Gate Shushan upon the Porch of the Temple: the Battlements of which Gate were for this very purpose made lower than the Battlements of any other of the Gates about the Sanctuary; that over it he might see the face of the Poroh which through it he could not reach to do.

Having sprinkled her blood, he sets his Pile of Wood afire, and sets her a burning, and as she was burning he takes Cedar Wood and Hyssop, and Scarlet Wool, and shows them and saith to the standers by, This is Cedar wood, this is Cedar wood, this is Cedar wood, three times over, and they answer him three times over, well, well, well: so likewise he saith, This is Hyssop, this is Hyssop, this is Hyssop; This is Scarlet wool, this is Scarlet wool, this is Scarlet wool, and they answer him as before, three times to either of them, and then he casts those things into the fire, and they burn all together.

When all was burnt, they took up the ashes, and pounded and sifted them, and one part of them they laid up in some place of Mount Olivet for the sprinkling of the People: Another part was delivered to the four and twenty Courses for the sprinkling of the Priests, and a third part was laid up in the Chel, or inclosure of the Court, to be kept for a Memorial. Nine of this Kine were burnt between the first giving of the Law about this Rite, and the fatal fall and destruction of the Temple. One in the time of Moses, one burnt by Ezra, two by Simeon the just, two by Jochanan the father of Matthias, one by Elioenai the son of Hakkoph, one by Hanameel Hammizri, and one by Ishmael the son of Fabi; and the Jews look for a tenth in the days of the Messias; where, by the way, we cannot but observe how their traditions had increased their defilements: for two of these Kine served till Ezra 's time, which was near upon a thousand years, and the time after, which was not half the space, took up seven.

Now whereas the Law enjoined that for the cleansing of the unclean, these ashes were to be sprinkled by a clean person, Num. 19. 18. their Tradition strained it to a person that had never been defiled by a dead Corps in all his life; therefore that such persons might be had, there were Arches wrought in a Rock in Jerusalem after the manner forementioned, and houses built over those Arches. And thither as to a place secure from Graves, certain Women with Child were brought when they were near the time of their Delivery, and there they were brought to bed. And their Children were there brought up continually for this very employment, that they might be ready, as they were capable, and and as there was occasion, to sprinkle these ashes. Which when any of them went to do, he rode on a seat on Oxens backs, first to the Pool of Siloam, where he lighted in the water (for there he might presume there was no Grave to defile him) filled his Pitcher, and got up again, rode to Mount Olivet, besprinkled the party that was to be cleansed, and rode in like manner to his Cell again.

SECT. III. The trial of the suspected Wife.

THE Law concerning jealousy, and about the trial of a Wife suspected, given in Num. 5. was understood and practiced by the Jews according to these Constructions and Traditions.

A man before two witnesses had charged his Wife, saying, See thou speak not to such a man; though she did, yet she was still free to her Husband: but if she went with that man into private, and there staid with him such a space, then she was forbidden her Husbands company, and he was to bring her to the Sanhedrin that was next to him; and they sent with him and her two scholars of the wise to the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, lest he should lie with her by the way. Being there they terrified her with terrible and dreadful words, to bring her to confess her fault. If she confessed that she was defiled, she tore her Matrimonial Writing in pieces and departed, and so was divorced. But if she stood to justify her innocence, they brought her through the East Gates (saith the Talmud) which are before the door of the Gate of Nicanor. Which Rambam upon the place expoundeth to mean, that they tugged and toiled her up and down the stairs of those East Gates, to bring her by weariness and faintness to confession. If she yet confessed not, but still pleaded innocent, then she was set in the Gate of Nicanor, which was the East Gate of the Court. And the Priest that was to put her to her trial, laid hold upon her bosom and rent her clothes open, till he had laid her breasts bare as low as her heart: if she were arrayed in white, black was put upon her, her hair was dishevelled to hang about her shoulders, and if she had Rings or Jewels on, they were taken from her, and he tied a Cord about her, over her Paps. And whosoever would might come and behold her, unless it were her servants. And here the Talmudic Observation is not impertinent; With what measure one meteth (say they) they measure to him again. She decked herself to transgress, but God defiles her deckage; She uncovered herself for sin, God discovers her shame; She stood in the gate to show herself, she is now set in the Gate to show her reproach; She spread a veil on her head, the Priest lays it under her feet; She platted her hair, the Priest dishevels it; She girded herself in a fair girdle, the Priest girds her with the girdle of affliction; She decked her face, her face is spit on; She decked her eyes, her eyes stare forth; She made signs with her fingers, her nails are pared; Her thigh first began to transgress and then her belly, therefore her thigh is first punished, and then her belly, and her whole body escapeth not.

Her offering which was in a Wecker Basket the Priest put into her hand according to the injunction of the Law, Num. 5. 15, 18. Then took he an earthen Pot and put a little water into it out of the Laver, and going within the Temple door, he took up some dust from under a stone that was left loose for that purpose, (where it lay we have observed in its proper place) and this dust he strewed upon the water. Then denounced he the curse and wrote it in a Book, even those words, Num. 5. 19, 20, 21, 22. If no man hath lien with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness, &c. But if thou hast gone aside, &c. the Lord make thee a curse, &c. And this water which causeth the curse, shall go into thy bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the Woman answered Amen, Amen. Then blotted he the curses out of the book with the bitter water, and gave her the water to drink. If upon the donuncing of the curses she were so terrified that she durst not drink the water, but confessed she was defiled, the Priest flung down the water, and scattered her offering among the ashes; but if she confessed not, and yet would not drink, they forced her to drink; and if she were ready to cast it up again, they got her away that she might not defile the place. The operation of these waters (say the Rabbins) followed after, though sometimes it appeared not of two or three years, for she bare no children, she was sickly, languished, and died of that death.

SECT. IV. The atoning for a cleansed Leper.

IN the North-west corner of the Court of the Women, there was a piece of Building which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the chamber, or room of the Lepers, whither the Leper resorted after his cleansing in the Country, or at his own house. And now I am sensible of a mistake and inadvertency which fell from me in another place, and which I here retract, and crave the Readers patience, and that was in that I asserted (in the Notes on John 2. 15.) that the Lepers were tried in this room by the Priests, and had access to the Mountain of the House, and to the Public Service of the Temple. It is true indeed that the Lepers had access to the Public Service in those Synagogues that were not in walled Towns, being placed there apart by themselves, so that they came not near others, but their offering to come into the Temple did fall under a very sharp penalty, as was shown before, nay they were excluded even out of Walled Cities. Their trial therefore was in the Country, and there they were cleansed by the Priest, with variety of Ceremony in the business: and on the seventh day of their cleansing he shaved himself again, for he had done so before, and washed himself in water, and then he might come within Jerusalem. On the eighth day he came up into the Mountain of the House, and brought three Lambs with him, for a burnt offering, sin offering, and trespass offering, and bathed himself in that room in the corner of the Court of the Women, that was from hence called the Room of the Lepers,

When the Migrephah or the Bell, (for so let it be called) was rung by those that went into the Temple to burn the incense, the President or chief man of the station then serving went and fetched him, and whosoever else had been unclean and came now for their purifying, and set them in the gate of Nicanor. But here two contrary exigence were to be provided for; for neither might the Leper tread on the ground of the Court, because he yet wanted his atonement, nor might the blood of the trespass offering which was to be his atonement, be brought out of the Court, and yet it was to be put upon his thumb, great toe, and tip of his ear, Lev. 14. 14. A temper therefore for these two repugnacies was this, that he went into the Gate as far as possibly he might, so that he trod not within the Court. Thither did the Priest bring the trespass offering to him, and he stretched out his hands into the Court, and laid them upon him. And when he was slain, the Priest brought the blood, himself standing within the Court, and the Leper stretched out his neck, and thrust his head within the Virge of the Court, and he put some of the blood upon the tip of his right ear; and likewise he stretched out his hand and his foot within the Virge of the Court, and he put the blood upon his thumb, and his great toe, and so he was cleansed. The cleansing of other unclean persons, as those that had issues, and Women after Child-birth, was in the same place, and much after the same manner, save that the blouding of the ear, thumb and toe was not used, so that they need not a particular discourse by themselves.

SECT. V. The manner of bringing and presenting their first fruits.

NOT to insist upon the several sorts of things out of which the first fruits were to be paid, nor upon the manner of setting them apart for first fruits at their own homes, of which the Talmud doth debate at large; this being somewhat out of the Virge of our discourse, because so far out of the Virge of the Temple; their custom and Ceremony in bringing of them up thither and presenting them there, cometh nearer within our compass, and that was thus, All the Cities that belonged to such or such a station, met together at the chief City of the station, and there lodged all night in the streets; and the reason of this their gathering thus together, was because they would go together by multitudes, according to what is said, the multitude of People is the Kings honor; and the reason of their lodging in the streets was, lest going into houses they should be defiled. In the morning the President or chief among them, called them up betime with this note, Arise and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God, and they set away: Before them there went an Ox with his horns gilded, and a Garland or Crown of Olive branches upon his head: and a Pipe playing before them, till they came near to Jerusalem, and they often rehearsed that saying, I was glad when they said, Let us go up to the house of the Lord, compare Isaiah 30. 29. They travelled not all day when they travelled, but only two parts of it, because they would not spoil their solemnity with toiling: when they were come near Jerusalem, they sent in a Messenger to give notice of their coming, and they flowred and decked their baskets, and exposed some of the freshest fruits to sight: upon notice of their coming, the chief men of the Priesthood went out to meet them; and when they were come within the City, they rehearsed these words, Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem: and all the Tradesmen in their shops stood up as they came by, and saluted them, O our brethren of such a place you are welcome. The Pipe went playing before them, till they came to the Mountain of the House, and when they came there, everyone ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) yea, though it were King Agrippa himself, (saith the Tradition) was to take his Basket upon his shoulder, and so to walk up till he came to the Court; and all the way as they went, they said over the hundred and fiftieth Psalm, Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his Sanctuary, &c.

Being come into the Court, the Priests began and sung the Thirtieth Psalm, I will extol thee O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

With his Basket on his shoulder, the man begins and says, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come into the Country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us, Deut. 26. 3. and then beginning to say, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, &c. he takes down the Basket from his shoulder, and holds it by the edges, and the Priest putting his hands under it, waves it up and down, and he goes on and says, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, &c. even to the middle of the tenth verse; and so he sets down his Basket by the side of the Altar, and boweth and goeth forth. They used by their Baskets as they brought them, to hang Turtles or Pigeons, which were to be for an offering, and the fruits themselves went to the Priests of the Course that then served; and the party that brought them must lodge in Jerusalem all night after he had presented them, and the next morning he might return home. They might not offer their first fruits before the Feast of Pentecost (compare Act. 2. and Rom. 8. 23.) nor after the Feast of Dedication.

SECT. VI. Their bringing up wood for the Altar.

IT was a singular and a strict command, that the fire of the Altar should never go out, Lev. 6. 13. And as the Jews observe, that Divine Providence did comply with the keeping of it in, for they say, that Rains from Heaven never put the fire out, so did the Nation provide for the continual burning of it, by a penalty of whipping decreed, agreed against him that should extinguish it, and by a constant supply of wood brought up to the Temple for the maintaining of it. Josephus speaketh of their Xylophoria, or certain set and solemn times, on which the People brought up Wood for this purpose: his words are these, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . It was a feast of the wood carrying, at which it was the custom for all to bring up wood for the Altar, that it might not want fuel for the fire, which might never go out. The Talmudic Treatise Taanith, reckoneth nine special days in the year used for this solemn employment, and alotteth the work to nine special Families of those that are mentioned to have returned out of captivity. The wood-carrying times (saith it) for the Priests and the People were nine. On the first of Nisan, the sons of Arah a son of Judah. On the twentieth of Tammuz, the sons of David a son of Judah. On the fifth of Ab, the sons of Parosh a son of Judah. On the seventh of the same, the sons of Jonadab the son of Recab. On the tenth of the same, the sons of Senaah a son of Benjamin. On the fifteenth of the same month, the sons of Zattu a son of Judah, and with them the Priests and Levites, and whosoever knew not their own Tribe, &c. On the twentieth of the same month, the sons of Pahath Moab a son of Judah. On the twentieth of Elul, the sons of Addin a son of Judah. And on the first of Tebeth, the sons of Parosh came a second time. And on the first of Tebeth there was no station (made by the stationary men) because on that day the Hallel was sung, and there was an additional offering, and an oblation, or bringing up of wood.

The wood thus brought up to the Temple, it was first laid up in that building in the North-east corner of the Court of the Women, which was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The wood room, where it was searched by those of the Priests lineage that had blemishes, and so were uncapable of serving at the Altar, whether it had worms or no in it, for any wood that had any worms in it was unclean and unfit for the Altar fire: that that was found free from worms, and so reputed fit for the Altar, was brought up into another room, called also the wood room, and the room Parhedrin, on the South side of the Court of Israel, and there it lay near and ready when there was occasion for its use. That wood that had worms in it, and so might not touch the Altar, was used either for boiling, baking, or frying of the offerings that were boiled, or baked, or fried, or for keeping fires for the Priests and Levites in their attendance and guards in cold weather.