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

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      [99] Chrys. Mat. 15.

      [100] Flavius Jos. lib. 13. c. 18.

      First, The Pharisees[101] ascribed some things to Fate, or Destiny, and some things to mans Free-will.

[101] Joseph. l. 13. c. 9.

      Secondly, They confessed that there were Angels, and Spirits, Acts 23. 8.

Thirdly, Concerning the resurrection of the dead, they acknowledged it, and taught[102] that the souls of evil men deceased, presently departed into everlasting punishiment; but the souls, they say, of good men, passed by a kind of Pythagorean μετεμψύχωσις into other good mens bodies. Hence it is thought[103] that the different opinions concerning our Saviour did arise; Some saying that he was John Baptist; others, Elias; others, Jeremias, Matth. 16. 14. As if Christ his body had been animated by the soul either of John, Elias, or Jeremias.

[102] Joseph. de bello Judaic. l. 2. cap. 12.

[103] Serar. Trihæres. l. 2 c. 3. It. Drus. in præter.

Fourthly, They did stifly maintain the Traditions of their Elders. For the better understanding what their Traditions were, we must know that the Jews say the Law was twofold,[104] one committed to writing, which they called ‎‏תורה שבכתב‏‎ Thorah schebitchtah, The written Law; the other delivered by tradition, termed by them, ‎‏תורה בעל פה‏‎ Thorah begnal pe. They say both were delivered by God unto Moses upon Mount Sanai, the latter as an exposition of the former, which Moses afterward delivered by mouth to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, the Prophets to those of the great Synagogue, from whom successively it descended to after-ages. These Traditions were one of the chief Controversies between the Pharisees, and the Sadduces.[105] The Pharisees said, Let us maintain the Law which our fore fathers have delivered into our hands, expounded by the mouth of the wise men, who expounded it by tradition. And lo, the Sadduces said, Let us not believe or hearken to any tradition or exposition, but unto the Law of Moses alone. The Traditions which they chiefly urged, were these;

[104] Moses Kotsen. in præf. lib. præcept.

[105] Gorionides, c. 29.

1. They would not eat until they washed their hands, Why do thy Disciples transgress the Tradition of the Elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread, Mat. 15. 2. This washing is said to have been done πυγμῇ Mar. 7. 3. that is, often, as some translate the word, taking πυγμῇ in this place, to signifie the same as πύκα in Homer, frequenter. Others translate the word accurate, diligenter, intimating the great care and diligence they used in washing: with this the Syriack Text[106] agreeth. Others[107] think that there is, in the phrase, allusion unto that rite or manner of washing in use among the Jews, termed by them ‎‏נטילת ידים‏‎ Netilath iadaim, the lifting up of their hands. The Greek word πυγμὴ is thought to express this rite, because in this kind of washing, They used to joyn the tops of the fingers of each hand together with the thumb, so that each hand did after a sort resemble τὴν πυγμὴν i. a fist. This Ceremony was thus performed: First, they washed their hands clean. Secondly, they composed them into the fore-mentioned form. Thirdly, they lifted them up, so that the water ran down to the very elbows. Lastly, they let down their hands again, so that the water ran from off their hands upon the earth.[108] СКАЧАТЬ