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Now it is only a very brief Abstract of the Hiftory of the Jews which I endeavour here to fet before the Reader, that he may get a little Acquaintance with the Affairs of the Jews, or the Church of God, from the Days of Nehemiah, when Scripture-history ends, to the Beginning of the Gofpel, and the Times of Chrift. A great Part of it must be taken originally from Jofephus, the Jewish Hiftorian, and from the Books of Maccabees, which I have confulted upon this Occafion; but I have borrowed much further Light and Affiftance from Dr. Prideaux in this Matter, whofe laborious Collection from Heathen Writings, and his judicious Determination in many dubious Points, has rendered his Work more complete and accu-rate, and mine much more eafy."

SECT. I. Of NEHEMIAH's further Reformation, Synagogues, Targums, Samaritans, Profelytes, &c.

Note, This Chapter being fo long, the Queftions of each Section fhall be numbered apart.

1QWHAT further Reformation did Nehemiah make in Ifrael? A. It is reported by the Jews, that he himself, together with Ezra the Scribe, having found a great Want of the Knowledge of the Law among the People, did about this time, appoint the reading of the Law in the feveral Towns and Cities: And on this Occafion, it is fuppofed, that Synagogues began to be built throughout the Land, or at least to be restored and renewed, if there had been any built before..

2Q. Where were thefe Synagogues to be built? A. According to the Account which the Jews have given us, they might be built in any Town wherefoever they could find ten Perfons of full Age, and of fuch Condition and eafy Circumftances of Life, as to be always at leifure to attend the Service.

3Q. What was the Service performed in the Synagogues? A. Prayers and Praifes to God, Reading the holy Scriptures, and Preaching and Expounding them.

4Q. In what manner were the Scriptures expounded? A. The fews and their Pofterity having loft much of their own Language in Babylon, did not fo well understand the Scriptures in the Hebrew Tongue; and therefore when Ezra read the Law to the People, the Senfe was given to them in Chaldee, by many Levites who flood by, and caufed them to understand the reading, Nehem. viii. 4-8. And this manner of reading the Scripture, Verfe by Verfe, and tranflating it into the Chaldee, with fome little Paraphrase upon it, was the manner of Expounding ufed in the ancient Synagogues.

Note 1. This was the Original of the Jewish Targums, which Word in Chaldee fignifies an Interpretation: for when Synagogues were multiplied among the Jews, beyond the Number of able Interpreters, it became neceffary that fuch Tranflations of the Hebrew into Chaldee, fhould be made for the Ufe of the Teachers and the People; and that in private Families also, as well as in Synagogues.

There were antiently many of these Targums, or Tranflations, or Expofitions, and that upon different parts of Scripture, and of different forts, as there were alfo many different Verfions of the Scripture into

Greek,

Greek, in following Ages, for the fame Purposes. Several of thefe Targums are lost, through length of Time; but the chief of those which remain to this Day, is the Targum or Chaidee Paraphrafe of Onkelos, upon the Law of Mofes; and the Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel upon the Prophets: both which, fome learned Men fuppofe, to be written before Chrift, and are, by the Jesus, valued as equal to the Hebrew Text. As for the Jerufalem Targum, it is an Expofition upon the Law, and others are on different Parts of Scripture; but they are all of lefs Efteem, and of much later Date: But neither the one nor the other of the Targums were much known to the primitive Chriftian Writers, though thefe Expofitions greatly favour the Chriftian Caufe.

Note 2. Among the Jews, the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, &c. are fometimes called the former Prophets; and the Book of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor Prophets, are called the latter Prophets; but they are all called the Prophets: Thus the Law and the Prophets make up the whole Bible.

Note 3. That there are in Daniel two hundred Verses of the Bible written originally in Chaldee, and fixty feven in Ezra, and one Verse in Jeremiah, viz. Chap. x. 11. And fome fuppofe, for this Reason, there is no Targum on Daniel and Ezra; neither, indeed, is there on Nehemiah, though that Book be called Hebrew.

5Q. What were the Times appointed for this Service in the Synagogue? A. Two Days in the Week, befides the Sabbath, and their other Festi vals: The Law being divided into fo many Sections or Leffons as there are Weeks in their Year, they read half a Leffon on Monday Morning, and the other half on Thursday Morning; and this fame whole Leffon they read on the Sabbath, both Morning and Afternoon Acts xv, 21, We are

told

told that reading the Law was a Custom of ancient times on the Sabbath; and when reading of the Prophets was added to that of the Law, they obferved the fame Order in it.

6Q. What were their Hours of the daily Prayer? A. At the time of Morning and Evening Sacrifice and Incenfe, Luke i. 9, 10. Acts iii. 1. While Zacharias was offering Incenfe, the People were praying in the Court: And Peter and John went up to pray in the Temple at this Time. To these Hours they conformed their Prayers in the Temple, and in their Synagogues, and ufually too in their own Houses.

Note, The Jerus fuppofed that the offering up of the daily Sacrifices, and the burning of Incense at the fame Time, were defigned to render God propitious to them, and make their Prayers acceptable; and for this Reason they conformed their Times of Prayer to thefe Hours. So David prays, Pfalm cxli. 2. Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incenfe, &c. And Rev. viii. 4, 5.

And the Smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints, afcended up before God out of the Angels Hands.

72. Had they any other Seafon of Prayer befides thefe two? A. The Jews inform us, that befides these they had a Prayer at the Beginning of Night, while the Evening Sacrifice was left burning on the Altar. Thus, by their three Prayers in a Day, they imitated the Ancients. David prayed Morning, Noon, and Evening, Pfalm lvii. 17. Daniel prayed three Times a Day, Dan. vi. 10,

8Q. Who miniftered in the Service of the Synagogue? A. The Prieft and Levites were confecrated to the Service of the Temple, but for the Services of the Synagogue, Perfons of any Tribe

were

were appointed by fome Elders of that Town, who were called Rulers of the Synagogue. So our Saviour being of the Tribe of Judah read and expounded in the Synagogue, Luke iv. 16. So after the reading the Law and the Prophets, Paul and Silas were engaged in Preaching, when the Mafter of the Synagogue afked them for a Word of Exhortation for the People, Acts xiii. 15.

9Q But were there not other Places of Prayer diftinct from the Synagogues? A. The Synagogues were fometimes called Prayer-houses, yet there were Prayer-houfes called Profeuchai, which dif fered from Synagogues in three refpects. (1.) Synagogues were built for publick Worship, but these Places of Prayer for any one's private Devotions occafionally. (2.) Synagogues were covered Houses, but the Places of Prayer were Courts or Inclosures with Walls, and open to the Sky. (3.) Synagogues were chiefly in Towns or Cities, the Prayer-boufes in open Fields, or on Mountains: Such are mentioned where our Saviour fpent a whole Night in the Prayer-houfe, as it fhould be tranflated, Luke vi. 12. and thither pious Perfons reforted, and Prayer was wont to be made, Acts xvi. 13, 16.

10 Q. Is there any Certainty that there were any Synagogues before this Time? A. That there were fome Places of Affembly for divine Things in the Land of Ifrael, before the Deftruction of Jerufalem and the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, feems pretty plain from Pfal. lxxiv. 7, 8. They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land. Though they might be but very few, and not established by any Authority, nor fo conftantly attended as afterward. And yet, confidering that the Jews fell fo frequently into Idolatry before, and had fo few Copies of the Law, 'tis queftioned by some learned

Men,

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