nation, a vast portion of the sacred Scriptures must remain unintelligible and obscure. If it be necessary to be acquainted with the antiquities of Greece and Rome, in order to enter fully into the meaning, or accurately apprehend the various beauties of the Greek and Roman Classics; how much more necessary is it to be intimately acquainted with the Antiquities of the Hebrew nation, to whom Jehovah originally entrusted the sacred Scriptures, and whose religious rites, customs, and manners, widely differed from those of every other nation, in order to enter into the full meaning, and correctly apprehend the sublime beauties of those Scriptures, which are designed to make us wise unto salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ? Without an accurate knowledge of the religious institutions and customs of the Hebrews, we cannot perceive the reasonableness and the excellency of that worship, and of those rites and ceremonies, which God himself instituted; and which most significantly and expressly prefigured and typified the glorious dispensation of the Gospel. Hence this important branch of Biblical study is indispensably necessary, and most important to all who study the Scriptures with a desire to understand them thoroughly.

It is undoubtedly owing in a great part to the ignorance or superficial knowledge of the Scriptures that the cause of infidelity, irreligion, and impiety, has so

much prevailed in the world. For the more the Scriptures are studied and understood, the more clear and evident will their importance, value, and authenticity appear. If a prejudiced mind were to read over the history of the Hebrew nation; take a view of their peculiar institutions and customs, whether political, sacred, or civil, and compare them with those of any other nation, it appears impossible that even such a mind should remain unconvinced, that their ecclesiastical and political state was such as no other people under heaven ever had-such as the mind of man could never have devised; and that, therefore, God was among them of a truth.

As this is an age, in which the Scriptures are circulated to such an extent, unknown in any former period, so there are abundance of means towards elucidating and illustrating them, that every one that readeth, may understand. A host of the most eminent and profoundedly learned men have employed their talents and piety to elucidate and explain the Scriptures, so as to render the study of them most delightful and profitable. Though numerous treatises on Hebrew Antiquities have been published at different times, as Godwin's "Moses and Aaron," Fleury's "Manners of the ancient Israelites," Jennings' Jewish Antiquities," Lewis's Antiquities of the Hebrew Republic." Lamy's Apparatus Biblicus" by Bundy, and the elaborate

compilations of Cunæus, Carpzovius, Reland, Ikenius, and others, in Latin, yet the author indulges the hope, after all that have been professedly published on the Antiquities of the Hebrews, that his little work will prove a useful and acceptable manual to the Biblical student. He has spared no pains to select and abridge much of what is valuable in voluminous, expensive, and scarce works; and has endeavoured to avoid mistakes as much as he could; but, as Bishop Jewel says, "Faults will escape a man between his fingers, let him look to it never so narrowly."

May Jehovah, the author and giver of the sacred Scriptures, which this treatise is designed to illustrate, accompany it with his blessing to every reader!

Waterbeach, near Cambridge,
Feb. 5, 1821.

J. J.

CONTENTS.

PART I.-The Sacred Times and Seasons observed by

the Israelites.

III. The Divine Worship of the Hebrews on the Sabbath

Day at the Temple, and in their Synagogues.

IV, The Three Great Annual Festivals of the Israelites.

V. The Passover, and Feast of Unleavened Bread.

VI. The Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks.

VII. The Feast of Tabernacles.

VIII. The Feast of Trumpets.

IX. The Feast of the New Moon.

X. The Feast of Expiation, or day of Atonement.

XI. The Sabbatical Year.

XII. The Jubilee.

XIII. The Feast of Dedication.

XIV. The Feast of Purim.

PART II.-The Sacrifices and Oblations of the Israelites.

I. Of the Origin of Sacrifices.

II. Different kinds of Sacrifices and Oblations, with the

mode of sacrificing.

III. A general account of the Hebrew Sacrifices and Offerings;

with a definition of the original Terms, and the

Reference in which most of them stood to the great

Sacrifice of Christ offered for Sin.

IV. Daily, weekly, monthly, and annual Sacrifices.

V. Sacrifices, termed unbloody, or inanimate.

VI. The First-fruits.

VII. Of the mode of cleansing the Leper.

VIII. The Ordinance of the Red Heifer.

IX. Purification of Women after Child-birth.

X. Circumcision.

PART III. Of the Ministers of the Sanctuary, and

other Ecclesiastical or Sacred Persons, with a con-

cise account of the principal Jewish Sects.

I. Of the Ministers of the Sanctuary-1. Of the High
Priest. 2. Of the Priests. 3. Of the Levites
II. Of the Maintenance of the Priests and Levites.

III. Of the Rulers and Ministers of the Synagogue.

IV. Of the Prophets.

V. Of the Scribes.

VI. Of the Nazarites.

VII. Of the Rechabites.

VIII. Of the Jewish Sects.

IX. Of the Proselytes.

PART IV.-Containing an account of the Sacred

Buildings and Places of the Israelites.

I. Of the Tabernacle.

II. Of the Furniture and Utensils pertaining to the Taber-

nacle.-1. Ark of the Covenant. 2. Mercy Seat.

3. Altar of Incense. 4. Golden Candlestick.

5.

Table of Shew Bread. 6. Altar of Burnt Offering.

7. The Brazen Laver.

III. Calculation of the value and immense weight of the Gold,

Silver, and Brass, employed in the erection of the

Tabernacle.

IV. The Temple at Jerusalem.

V. The Synagogues.

VI. The Proseuchæ, or Oratories.

VII. The City Jerusalem.

VIII. Of the Čities of Refuge.

IX. Of the Sanctity of the Land of Israel.

PART V.-A concise Account of the Peculiar Customs

and Manners of the Hebrews, in a Civil point of

view.

I. Of the Nuptials of the Hebrews.

II. Of the Waters of Jealousy.

III, Funeral Solemnities, and the manner of Mourning

among the Hebrews.

IV. Places of Burial.

V. Of the Structure of the Houses of the Hebrews,

VI. Of the Furniture of their Houses.

VII. Of their Dress.

VIII. Of their Diet.

IX. Of the Amusements of the Hebrews.

X. The Arts, Commerce, and Literature of the Hebrews.

XI. The Hebrew Courts of Judicature.

XII. Of the Criminal Code of the Hebrews.

XIII. Of the Hebrew Money, Weights, and Measures.