the antiquities of the jews-1-第294节

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Corinthians　8：15；　and　Josephus　here　say；　compared　together；　that
the　quantity　of　manna　that　fell　daily；　and　did　not　putrefy；　was
just　so　much　as　came　to　an　omer　apiece；　through　the　whole　host　of
Israel；　and　no　more。

（4）　This　supposal；　that　the　sweet　honey…dew　or　manna；　so
celebrated　in　ancient　and　modern　authors；　as　falling　usually　in
Arabia；　was　of　the　very　same　sort　with　this　manna　sent　to　the
Israelites；　savors　more　of　Gentilism　than　of　Judaism　or
Christianity。　It　is　not　improbable　that　some　ancient　Gentile
author；　read　by　Josephus；　so　thought；　nor　would　he　here
contradict　him；　though　just　before；　and　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　3。
sect。　2；　he　seems　directly　to　allow　that　it　had　not　been　seen
before。　However；　this　food　from　heaven　is　here　described　to　be
like　snow；　and　in　Artapanus；　a　heathen　writer；　it　is　compared　to
meal；　color　like　to　snow；　rained　

down　by　God；〃　Essay　on　the　Old　Test。　Append。　p。　239。　But　as　to
the　derivation　of　the　word　manna；　whether　from　man；　which
Josephus　says　then　signified　What　is　it　or　from　mannah；　to
divide；　i。e。　a　dividend　or　portion　allotted　to　every　one；　it　is
uncertain：　I　incline　to　the　latter　derivation。　This　manna　is
called　angels'　food；　Psalm　78：26；　and　by　our　Sacior；　John　6：31；
etc。；　as　well　as　by　Josephus　here　and　elsewhere；　Antiq。　B。　III。
ch。　5。　sect。　3；　said　to　be　sent　the　Jews　from　heaven。

（5）　This　rock　is　there　at　this　day；　as　the　travelers　agree；　and
must　be　the　same　that　was　there　in　the　days　of　Moses；　as　being
too　large　to　be　brought　thither　by　our　modern　carriages。

（6）　Note　here；　that　the　small　book　of　the　principal　laws　of　Moses
is　ever　said　to　be　laid　up　in　the　holy　house　itself；　but　the
larger　Pentateuch；　as　here；　some　where　within　the　limits　of　the
temple　and　its　courts　only。　See　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　17。

（7）　This　eminent　circumstance；　that　while　Moses's　hands　were　lift
up　towards　heaven；　the　Israelites　prevailed；　and　while　they　were
let　down　towards　the　earth；　the　Amalekites　prevailed；　seems　to　me
the　earliest　intimation　we　have　of　the　proper　posture；　used　of
old；　in　solemn　prayer；　which　was　the　stretching　out　of　the　hands
＇and　eyes＇　towards　heaven；　as　other　passages　of　the　Old　and　New
Testament　inform　us。　Nay；　by　the　way；　this　posture　seemed　to　have
continued　in　the　Christian　church；　till　the　clergy；　instead　of
learning　their　prayers　by　heart；　read　them　out　of　a　book；　which
is　in　a　great　measure　inconsistent　with　such　an　elevated　posture；
and　which　seems　to　me　to　have　been　only　a　later　practice；
introduced　under　the　corrupt　state　of　the　church；　though　the
constant　use　of　divine　forms　of　prayer；　praise；　and　thanksgiving；
appears　to　me　to　have　been　the　practice　of　God's　people；
patriarchs；　Jews；　and　Christians；　in　all　the　past　ages。

（8）　This　manner　of　electing　the　judges　and　officers　of　the
Israelites　by　the　testimonies　and　suffrages　of　the　people；　before
they　were　ordained　by　God；　or　by　Moses；　deserves　to　be　carefully
noted；　because　it　was　the　pattern　of　the　like　manner　of　the
choice　and　ordination　of　bishops；　presbyters；　and　deacons；　in　the
Christian　church。

（9）　Since　this　mountain；　Sinai；　is　here　said　to　be　the　highest　of
all　the　mountains　that　are　in　that　country；　it　must　be　that　now
called　St。　Katherine's；　which　is　one…third　higher　than　that
within　a　mile　of　it；　now　called　Sinai；　as　Mons。　Thevenot　informs
us；　Travels；　Part　I。　ch。　23。　p。　168。　The　other　name　of　it；　Horeb；
is　never　used　by　Josephus；　and　perhaps　was　its　name　among　the
Egyptians　only；　whence　the　Israelites　were　lately　come；　as　Sinai
was　its　name　among　the　Arabians；　Canaanites；　and　other　nations。
Accordingly　when　（1　Kings　9：8）　the　Scripture　says　that　Elijah
came　to　Horeb；　the　mount　of　God；　Josephus　justly　says；　Antiq。　　B。
VIII。　ch。　13。　sect。　7；　that　he　came　to　the　mountain　called　Sinai：
and　Jerome；　here　cited　by　Dr。　Hudson；　says；　that　he　took　this
mountain　to　have　two　names；　Sinai　and　Choreb。　De　Nomin。　Heb。　p。
427。

（10）　Of　this　and　another　like　superstitious　notion　of　the
Pharisees；　which　Josephus　complied　with；　see　the　note　on　Antiq。
B。　II。　ch。　12。　sect。　4。

（11）　This　other　work　of　Josephus；　here　referred　to；　seems　to　be
that　which　does　not　appear　to　have　been　ever　published；　which　yet
he　intended　to　publish；　about　the　reasons　of　many　of　the　laws　of
Moses；　of　which　see　the　note　on　the　Preface；　sect。　4。

（12）　Of　this　tabernacle　of　Moses；　with　its　several　parts　and
furniture；　see　my　description　at　large；　chap。　6。　7。　8。　9。　10。　11。
12。　hereto　belonging。

（13）　The　use　of　these　golden　bells　at　the　bottom　of　the　high
priest's　long　garment；　seems　to　me　to　have　been　this：　That　by
shaking　his　garment　at　the　time　of　his　offering　incense　in　the
temple；　on　the　great　day　of　expiation；　or　at　other　proper　periods
of　his　sacred　ministrations　there；　on　the　great　festivals；　the
people　might　have　notice　of　it；　and　might　fall　to　their　own
prayers　at　the　time　of　incense；　or　other　proper　periods；　and　so
the　whole　congregation　might　at　once　offer　those　common　prayers
jointly　with　the　high　priest　himself　to　the　Almighty　See　Luke
1：10；　Revelation　8：3；　4。　Nor　probably　is　the　son　of　Sirach　to　be
otherwise　understood；　when　he　says　of　Aaron；　the　first　high
priest；　Ecelus。　45：9；　〃And　God　encompassed　Aaron　with
pomegranates；　and　with　many　golden　bells　round　about；　that　as　he
went　there　might　be　a　sound；　and　a　noise　made　that　might　be　heard
in　the　temple；　for　a　memorial　to　the　children　of　his　people。〃

（14）　The　reader　ought　to　take　notice　here；　that　the　very　Mosaic
Petalon；　or　golden　plate；　for　the　forehead　of　the　Jewish　high
priest；　was　itself　preserved；　not　only　till　the　days　of　Josephus；
but　of　Origen；　and　that　its　inscription；　Holiness　to　the　Lord；
was　in　the　Samaritan　characters。　See　Antiq。　B。　VIII。　ch。　3。　sect。
8；　Essay　on　the　Old　Test。　p。　154；　and　Reland；　De　pol。　Templi；　p。
132。

（15）　When　Josephus；　both　here　and　ch。　6。　sect。　4；　supposes　the
tabernacle　to　have　been　parted　into　three　parts；　he　seems　to
esteem　the　bare　entrance　to　be　a　third　division；　distinct　from
the　holy　and　the　most　holy　places；　and　this　the　rather；　because
in　the　temple　afterward　there　was　a　real　distinct　third　part；
which　was　called　the　Porch：　otherwise　Josephus　would　contradict
his　own　description　of　the　tabernacle；　which　gives　as　a
particular　account　of　no　more　than　two　parts。

（16）　This　explication　of　the　mystical　meaning　of　the　Jewish
tabernacle　and　its　vessels；　with　the　garments　of　the　high　priest；
is　taken　out　of　Philo；　and　fitted　to　Gentile　philosophical
notions。　This　may　possibly　be　forgiven　in　Jews；　greatly　versed　in
heathen　learning　and　philosophy；　as　Philo　had　ever　been；　and　as
Josephus　had　long　been　when　he　wrote　these　Antiquities。　In　the
mean　time；　it　is　not　to　be　doubted；　but　in　their　education　they
must　have　both　learned　more　Jewish　interpretations；　such　as　we
meet　with　in　the　Epistle　of　Barnabas；　in　that　to　the　Hebrews；　and
elsewhere　among　the　old　Jews。　Accordingly　when　Josephus　wrote　his
books　of　the　Jewish　War；　for　the　use　of　the　Jews；　at　which　time
he　was　comparatively　young；　and　less　used　to　Gentile　books；　we
find　one　specimen　of　such　a　Jewish　interpretation；　for　there　（B。
VII。　ch。　5。　sect。　5）　he　makes　the　seven　branches　of　the
temple…candlestick；　with　their　seven　lamps；　an　emblem　of　the
seven　days　of　creation　and　rest；　which　are　here　emblems　of　the
seven　planets。　Nor　certainly　ought　ancient　Jewish　emblems　to　be
explained　any　other　way　than　according　to　ancient　Jewish；　and　not
Gentile；　notions。　See　of　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　33。　sect。　2。

（17）　It　is　well　worth　our　observation；　that　the　two　principal
qualifications　required　in　this　section　for　the　constitution　of
the　first　high　priest；　（viz。　that　he　should　have　an　excellent
character　for　virtuous　and　good　actions；　as　also　that　he　should
have　the　approbation　of　the　people；）　are　here　noted　by　Josephus；
even　where　the　nomination　belonged　to　God　himself；　which　are　the
very　same　qualifications　which　the　Christian　religion　requires　in
the　choice　of　Christian　bishops；　priests；　and　deacons；　as　the
Apostolical　Constitutions　inform　us；　B。　II。　ch。　3。

（18）　This　weight　and　value　of　the　Jewish　shekel；　in　the　days　of
Josephus；　equal　to　about　2s。　10d。　sterling；　is；　by　the　learned
Jews；　owned　to　be　one…fifth　larger　than　were　their　old　shekels；
which　determination　agrees　perfectly　with　the　remaining　shekels
that　have　Samaritan　inscriptions；　coined　generally　by　Simon　the
Maccabee；　about　230　years　before　Josephus　published　his
Antiquities；　which　never　weigh　more　than　2s。　4d。；　and　commonly
but　2s。　4d。　See　Reland　De　Nummis　Samaritanorum；　p。　138。

（19）　The　incense　was　here　offered；　according　to　Josephus's
opinion；　before　sun…rising；　and　at　sun…setting；　but　in　the　days
of　Pompey；　according　to　the　same　Josephus；　the　sacrifices　were
offered　in　the　morning；　and　at　the　ninth　hour。　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。
4。　sect。　3。

（20）　Hence　we　may　correct　the　opinions　of　the　modern　Rabbins；　who
say　that　only　one　of　the　seven　lamps　burned　in　the　day…time；
whereas　our　Josephus；　an　eyewitness；　says　there　were　three。

（21）　Of　this　strange　expression；　that　Moses　〃left　it　to　God　to　be
present　at　his　sacrifices　when　he　pleased；　and　when　he　pleased　to
be　absent；〃　see　the　note　on　B。　II。　against　A