After the destruction of the temple, it is evident that all these ceremonies could not be observed: and therefore Calmet gives us the manner in which the Jews continued to observe it in succeeding ages. The earlier Jews prepared themselves during all the nine preceding days of the month by fasting, prayer, and acts of penance; confessing themselves thrice every day. On the ninth day they took a cock, which ought to be white, but might be any colour but red, repeated some prayers, and striking their heads three times with the cock's head, said at each blow, "This cock shall be for my redemption, shall suffer the death which I merited, shall be my reconciliation, shall die for me, and I shall go into a life of bliss and immortality with all Israel." After this, they cut its throat, embowelled, dressed, and ate it. Leo of Modena, however, says that this ludicrous custom is suppressed in Italy and the Levant, as being an unfounded superstition. Accordingly, the • modern way of observing it among the Jews is, after preparing themselves by prayer on the day before, to go to the place where they bury their dead, and beg of God to forgive sinners in regard to the memory of the saints there interred, and to plunge themselves in water, that the ablution of their sins might be entire. They prepare also wax candles for the next day every one carrying one to the synagogue, and the most devout having two, the one for their body and the other for the soul, by which names they call them. In the evening, when the fast of annual expiation begins, they go to the synagogue, where each lights his wax candle, and sings aloud. The women also light up candles in their houses at home, from the brightness of which, and the con a In his Dict. art. Expiation; also Buxtorff, De Synag. Judaica, cap. 26, 27. In his Ceremonies of the Jews, part. iii. ch. 6. sistency of the tallow or wax, they form presages. If the light be clear and bright, they conclude that their sins are forgiven; if it be dim, they are disturbed at it; and if the wax or tallow run, they dread the effects of God's anger. The next day, early in the morning, they go to the synagogue again; the whole day is spent in strict fasting, without regard to age or sex, excepting children under twelve years of age. They read a long prayer, in which they declare, that all the oaths and promises which have been unperformed throughout the whole year, are made void, because the atonement is made for sin; continuing their prayers all day, and sometimes all the following night. At the conclusion of the fast, the Rabbi gives the blessing to the people with uplifted hands; and the people, out of respect to the priest's hands, or rather to the majesty of God, whom he represents, put their hands before their eyes, and cover their faces. Lastly, they sound the horn in memory of the Jubilee, and believe that God causes his voice to be heard, declaring his forgiveness of sins, and that every one may return home in this confidence, put on clean white clothes, and break their fast." Thus ended the solemn fast of the annual atonement: but there are certain reflections arising from it which deserve the serious attention of Christians. For, in the first place, by the appointment of a yearly fast for national humiliation among the Jews, it appears the duty of other nations to copy their example, and at certain intervals to humble themselves in the presence of God. Secondly, The circumstance of the scape goat carrying away, in typical representation, the sin of the people, naturally reminds us of the gracious Saviour who bare The above account is also given in Basnage's History and Religion of the Jews, book v. ch. 14. our griefs and carried our sorrows; on whom was laid the iniquity of us all; and who kindly appeared as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of an elect world. Lastly, The entrance of the high priest into the holiest of all, reminds us of Jesus the great High Priest of our profession; but, as may naturally be expected, the intercession of the one is infinitely superior to the intercession of the other: For, 1, The one entered the presence with the blood of bulls and of goats only; but the other "neither by the blood of bulls nor of goats, but by his own blood, entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." 2, The high priest was permitted this near access but one day in the year; remained there but for a short time; and stood while he remained: but "this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, is for ever sat down on the right hand of God." "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood of others (for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world ;) but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." 3, When the Jewish high priest entered the most holy place, he carried an expiation for himself as well as for the people, because he himself also was compassed with infirmity: but Christ had no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Lastly, The sacrifice of the one was only intended to remove ceremonial pollution, for it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take Heb. ix. 12. b Ib. x. 12. Ib. ix. 24-26. a Ib. v. 2, 3. ix. 7. away sins but the sacrifice of the other was intended to remove moral guilt: and hence the apostle argues that, "if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" SECTION III. The Sabbath. Its original observance. The manner of doing it in the days of our Saviour. The length of a Sabbath day's journey. The Sabbatical calender for the Jews at Amsterdam. THE original institution of the sabbath, or rest on the seventh day, was simple and salutary. It was intended as a day of rest and devotion: but it was afterwards much loaded with tradition. The following is an abstract of particulars as they existed in the days of our Saviour: From the time of the evening sacrifice of the sixth day, which was killed at the eighth hour and a half, or half past two, and offered up at the ninth hour and a half, or half past three, began what was called awn y, Oreb Eshebbeth, the preparation for, or eve of, the sabbath, called by Mark napaoxer, the preparaπαρασκευή, tion, when the people ceased from their ordinary labour, prepared their victuals for the sabbath, (for no fire was kindled by them on that holy day,) trimmed their beards, and washed their faces, hands, and feet, in warm water, and when the doctors of the law used to say, in allusion to these things, "Come, let us meet king a Heb. x. 1-4. Chap. xv. 42. b Heb. ix. 13, 14. d Exod. xxxv. 3. sabbath." Josephus gives us copies of Roman decrees forbidding any to cite the Jews before a magistrate in any cause, either on the sabbath, or the preparation for the sabbath.-A little before sunset, when the sabbath was about to begin, they lighted their sabbath candle, in token of rejoicing, from which none were exempted. The time from sunset till the appearing of three stars of the middle magnitude, was called on, Bin Eshemeshuth, between the suns; because they were in doubt to which of the days it belonged: and he that did any work, in that space, inadvertently, was bound to bring a sin-offering. בין On the beginning of the sabbath, they set provisions of a better kind than ordinary on the table, beside the sabbath candle; and the master of the house, taking a cup of wine, rehearsed the words concerning the institution of the sabbath in Gen. ii. 1-3; blessed God over the wine; pronounced the 'p, Kidush, or hallowing of the sabbath; raised up the wine in his right hand, and drank it off; after which, the rest of the family did the same, washed their hands, and began supper. These customs will enable us to understand the following lines of Persius, Sat. v. sub fin. -At cum Herodis venere dies, unctâque fenestrå Labra moves tacitus, rectutitaque sabbata pallas. In Sat. xiv. 96, he speaks of them as a people "metuentem sabbata," reverencing the sabbath. After they had supped, and returned thanks, they retired to rest. And next morning, if they resided in the country, they went to the synagogue; but if they lived |