Moses and Aaron: Civil and Ecclesiastical Rites, Used by the Ancient Hebrews. Goodwin Thomas Aiken

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СКАЧАТЬ of hands then in use, I much doubt. The manner of their meetings, when Disputations were had in their Synagogues, or other Schools, was thus.[76] The chief Rabbies sate in reserved Chairs; these are those chief seats of the Synagogues, which the Scribes and Pharises so affected, Mat. 23. 6. Their Companions sate upon Benches or lower Forms; their Scholars on the ground at the feet of their Teachers. Saint Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, Act. 22. 2. And Mary sate at Jesus feet, and heard his word, Luk. 10. 39. The positure of their body differed according to their degrees. The Rabbi is described[77] to be ‎‏יושב‏‎ Joscheb, one that sitteth: the Companion, ‎‏מוטת‏‎ Muteth, the word signifieth a kind of leaning upon a bed or bench, ones head lying in the others bosome, in manner of the ancient sitting at table; and it was a deportment of the body, inferiour to that of sitting: The Scholar was termed[78] ‎‏מתאבק‏‎ Mithabek, one that doth lie along in the dust, and this was a token of the Scholars humility, thus humbling and subjecting himself even to the feet of his Masters: This same custom it is thought,[79] Saint Paul laboured to bring into the Christian Church, 1 Cor. 14. Their Scholars were not all of equal capacity, whence they said,[80] some had conditionem spongiæ, others clepsydræ, others sacci fæcinacei, and others cribri. Some resembled the Sponge, and suck’d in all that they heard without judgment; others the Hour-Glass, they took in at one ear, and let out at the other; others the Winesack, through which Wine is so drained from the dregs, that only the dregs remain behind: Lastly, others the Rying-sieve, which in winnowing lets out the courser seed, and keepeth in the corn.

[73] Aruch in voce ‎‏אביי‏‎

[74] ‎‏אני סומך אותך תהיה סמוך‏‎ Id est Scaligero interprete: Ego tibi impono manum & manus tibi imposita esto. Trihær. c. 5. p. 264. vide etiam Cunæum de Rep. Heb. cap. 12.

[75] Vide P. Fagium in Scholiis suis ad cap. 4. Pirke Aboth.

[76] Philo Jud. Quod omnis probus, p. 679.

[77] Scaliger in Trihæres. cap. 5. Ex. c. 1. Beracoth.

[78] Pirke Aboth. cap. 4.

[79] Ambros. 1 Cor. 14.

[80] Pirke Aboth. cap. 5.

CHAP. VIII.

       Of their Nazarites and Rechabites.

       Table of Contents

There are two sorts of Votaries mentioned in the Old Testament; Rechabites, Jerem. 35. and Nazarites, Numb. 6. I find scarce any thing warrantable concerning these two, more than what the Scripture delivereth in the fore-quoted places: therefore concerning the matter of their Vows, I refer the Reader to the aforesaid Texts of Scripture; here only we will note the distinction of Nazarites. The first are these Votaries, termed so from ‎‏נזר‏‎ Nazar, to separate, because they separated themselves from three things; First, from Wine, and all things proceeding from the Vine. Secondly, from the Razor, because they suffered no Razor to come upon their head, but let their hair grow all the dayes of their separation. Thirdly, from pollution by the dead: this separation again was twofold, either for a set number of days, or for a mans whole life; that they termed Naziræatum dierum, this, Naziræatum seculi: of that sort was Paul, and those four with him, Acts 21. 24. Of this sort was Sampson Judges 13. and John Baptist. The just number of days, how long the former of these two separated themselves, is not expressed in Scripture, but the Hebrew Doctors[81] determine them to be thirty, because it is said, Num. 6. 5. Domino sanctus, ‎‏יהיה‏‎ erit; which word (say they) containing thirty, expresseth the just number of days to be observed in this voluntary separation. The second sort of Nazarites, were so termed from ‎‏נצר‏‎ Natsar, from whence cometh Natsareth, or Nazareth, the name of a certain Village in Galilee; where Christ was conceived and brought up: Hence our Saviour himself was called a Nazarene, or Nazarite, Mat. 2. 23. and those that embraced his Doctrine, Nazarites, Acts 24. 5. Afterward certain Hereticks sprung up, who as the Samaritanes joyned Jewish ceremonies with Heathenish Rites: so[82] they joyned together Christ and Moses, the Law and the Gospel; Baptism and Circumcision: of the beginning of these we shall read, Acts 15. 2. Then came down certain from Judæa, and the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. These Hereticks were called Nazarites, either of malice by the Jewes, to bring the greater disgrace upon Christian religion; or else because at first they were true, though weak Nazarites, that is, Christians mis-led by Peters Judaizing at Antioch, Gal. 2. 11. And hence it is[83] that the Church at Antioch, in detestation of this new-bred heresie, fastened upon them by the name of Nazarites, forsook that name, and called themselves Christians, Acts 11. 26. Symmachus, that famous Interpreter of the Old Testament, was a strong Defender of this heresie, and[84] from him in after times they were named Symmachiani. The Jews had them in as great hatred as the Samaritanes; whereupon[85] three times every day, at morning, noon-tide, and evening, they closed their Prayers with a solemn execration, Maledic Domine Nazaræis. Lastly, another sort of Nazarites there were, so termed from ‎‏נזר‏‎ Nazar, signifying to abolish or cut off;[86] because they did abolish and cut off the five books of Moses, rejecting them as not Canonical.

[81] Sheindler, in Pentaglot.

[82] Hieronym. Isai. 8. Idem refert Epiphanius. l. 1. Tom. 2. hær. 29.

[83] Francisc. Jun. paral. lib. 1. 8.

[84] August. l. 19. contra Faustum Manichæum. c. 4.

[85] Epiphan. СКАЧАТЬ