A. M. 2514. A. C. 1490; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3764. A. C. 1647. EXOD. xxxiv. 28.—NUM. xviii.

2

The holy place was twenty cubits long, and ten wide, where stood the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. The holy of holies, which was likewise called the sanctuary, was ten cubits long, and ten broad, contained the ark of the covenant, and was separated from the holy place by a veil, or hanging,

pillars of shittim or cedar wood, that were covered with plates of gold, but had their bases made of brass; and at the entrance of the tabernacle, instead of a door, there was a veil of the same work, sustained by the like pillars, which separated it from the outward court.

crime; but this being thought too severe, Solon's institution was, that every petty larceny should be punished with double restitution, and sometimes imprisonment, but every greater robbery, to the value of fifty drachms, with death. The prohibition of false witness was, ' ratified by the Athenian laws, which not only punished the offenders with fines, confiscation of goods and banish-made of rich embroidered linen, which hung upon four ment, but degraded them likewise from all dignity, as persons extremely ignominious, and who, according to the law of the twelve tables, deserved to be thrown from the Tarpeian rock. The prohibition of covetousness of all kinds, which is the tenth and last commandment, nowhere occurs in the edicts of any ancient legislator; for, as a pious bishop well observes, "all the laws that were ever made by any governors upon earth, respected only the words and actions, or the outward carriage and behaviour of their subjects. None ever offered to give laws to the minds or hearts of men, what they should think, or love, or desire, or the like; and it would have been ridiculous and absurd to have done it, because they could never have known whether such laws were observed or no;" so proper is the question, which their great lawgiver puts to the Jews, What nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?' So just the commendation which the royal Psalmist gives of it: The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple. Moreover by them is thy servant taught, and in keeping of them there is great reward.'

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CHAP. III.-Of the Jewish Tabernacle, &c.

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FROM the very first beginning of time, God had always some place appropriated to the solemn duties of religious worship. Even during the small space of his continuance in paradise, Adam had where to present himself before the Lord; and after his expulsion from thence, his sons in like manner, had' whither to bring their oblations and sacrifices. The patriarchs, both before and after the flood, used altars, and mountains, and groves, for the self-same purpose. Here they had their proseucha, or places for prayer, which were certain plats of ground, encompassed with a wall, or some other enclosure, and open above. But since the first place of this kind, that made any considerable figure, was the tabernacle which God ordered Moses to erect in the wilderness, as an habitation for his majestic presence to reside in, it may not be improper, in this place, to give some account of it, and the other holy things appertaining to it.

The tabernacle was a tent covered with curtains and skins, but much larger than other tents. It was in the form of an oblong square, thirty cubits in length, and ten in height and breadth, and was properly divided into two parts, namely, the holy place, and the holy of holies.

The boards or planks whereof the body of the tabernacle was composed, were in all forty-eight, each a cubit and a half wide, and ten cubits high. Twenty of them went to make up one side of the tabernacle, and twenty the other, and at the west end of it were the other eight, which were all let into one another by two tenons above and below, and compacted together by bars running from one end to the other; but the east end of it was open, and only covered with a rich curtain.

The roof of the tabernacle was a square frame of planks, resting upon their basis; and over these were coverings or curtains of different kinds. Of these the first, on the inside, was made of fine linen, curiously embroidered in various colours of crimson and scarlet, and purple and hyacinth; the next was made of goats' hair neatly woven together; and the last of sheep and badgers' skins, (some dyed red, and others of azure blue,) which were to preserve the rich curtains from wet, and to protect the tabernacle itself from the injuries of the weather.

Round about the tabernacle was a large oblong court, an hundred cubits long, aud fifty broad, encompassed with pillars overlaid with silver, and whose capitals were of the same metal, but their bases were of brass. Ten of these pillars stood towards the west, six to the east, twenty to the north, and twenty to the south, at five cubits distance from each other; and over these hung curtains made of twined linen thread, in the manner of net-work, which surrounded the tabernacle on all sides, except at the entrance of the court, which was twenty cubits wide, and sustained with four columns, overlaid with plates of silver. These columns had their capitals and bases of brass; were placed at proportionable distances, and covered with a curtain made of richer materials.

In this court, and opposite to the entrance of the tabernacle, stood the altar of burnt-offerings in the open air, that the fire, which was kept perpetually upon it, and the smoke arising from the victims that were burnt there, might not spoil the inside of the tabernacle. It was five cubits long, as much in width, and three cubits high; was placed upon a basis of stone work, and covered both within and without with brass plates. At the four corners of this altar there was something like four horns, covered with the same metal, and as the altar itself was hollow, and open both at top and bottom, from these horns there hung a grate made of brass, fastened with four rings and four chains, whereon the wood and the sacrifice were burnt; and as the ashes fell through, they were received below in a pan. At a very small distance from this altar there stood on the south side, a brazen vessel, which, on account of its extraordinary size, was called the brazen sea, in which the priests were used to

A. M. 2514. A. C. 1490; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3764. A. C. 1647. EXOD. xxxiv. 28.-NUM. xviii.

wash their feet, whenever they were to offer sacrifice, or to go into the tabernacle.

The ephod was a kind of girdle, made of gold thread, and other threads of divers colours, which being brought In that part of the tabernacle which was called the from behind the neck, and over the two shoulders, holy place, there was on the north side, a table made of was put cross upon the stomach; then carried round the Shittim or cedar wood, covered with gold, two cubits waist, and brought back again about the body, did gird long, one in breadth, and one and a half in length. the tunic like a sash, and so fell down before, and hung About the edge of it was an ornament, or border made as low as the feet. Upon that part of the ephod, which of gold, together with a crown of gold in the middle, came upon the high priest's shoulders, were two large and at each end was placed the offering of the shew-precious stones, whereon were engraven the names of bread, namely, six loaves in a pile to represent the twelve tribes. The bread was changed every Sabbath-day, and not allowed to be eaten by any one but the priests. Over against this table, on the south side, stood the candlestick, which was made of pure gold, upon a basis of the same metal, and had seven branches on each side, and one in the middle. These branches were at equal distances, adorned with six flowers like lilies, with as many knobs like apples, and little bowls like half almond shells, placed alternately; and upon each of these branches there was a golden lamp, which was lighted every evening, and extinguished every morning.

Betwixt the table and the candlestick, was placed the altar of incense, which was but one cubit in length and breadth, and two cubits high; but was covered with plates of gold, and had a crown of gold over it. Every morning and evening, the priest in waiting for that week, offered incense of a particular composition upon this altar, and to this end carried a smoking censer, filled with fire, which he took from the altar of burnt-offerings into the tabernacle, and so placing it upon this other altar, retired.

The persons appointed to officiate about holy things were of three kinds, the high priest, priests, and Levites: and, what is very remarkable, in the first of this order, is the singularity of his vestments, which were the breast plate, the ephod, the robe, the close coat, the mitre, and the girdle. The ephod, the robe, and the close coat were all of linen, and covered the whole body from the neck to the heel. Over these was a purple or blue tunic, which reached not so low, but was curiously wrought all over, and at the bottom of it had pomegranates, and bells, intermixed at equal distances. The pomegranates were made of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and ❝ the bells of gold.

a What the number of bells worn by the high priest was, the Scripture is silent, and authors are not so well agreed; but the sacred historian has let us into the use and intent of them in these words: And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth into the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.' The kings of Jewish high priest, with pomegranates and gold bells. The ladies who are about his person, and whose business it is to please and divert him, have little gold bells fastened to their legs, their neck, and elbows, and when they dance, the sound of these make a very agreeable harmony. The Arabian princesses wear large hollow gold rings, which are filled with little flints, and make a sound like little bells when they walk; and besides these, they have abundance of little flat bobs fastened to the ends of their hair; which make a noise as often as they stir, and give notice that the mistress of the house is going by, that so the servants of the family may behave themselves respectfully, and strangers retire, to avoid seeing the person that is passing. It was therefore in all probability, with a design of giving notice, that the high priest was passing by, that he too wore little bells on the hem of his robe; or rather it was, as it were, a kind of public notice, that

Persia are said to have the hem of their robes adorned, like the

the twelve tribes of Israel, on each stone six; and where the ephod crossed the high priest's breast, there was a square ornament, called the pectoral, or rational, wherein were twelve precious stones set, with the names of the twelve tribes engraven on them, on each stone one. The mitre was of fine flax: it covered the head; and on the forehead was a plate of gold, whereon were engraved these words, HOLINESS TO THE LORD, which was tied behind the head with two ribbons fastened to its ends.

These were the chief of the solemn ornaments which belonged to the high priest. The other priests had only a simple tunic, a linen mitre, and a girdle; but they all of them wore linen or cotton breeches, which covered their legs and thighs, and reached up to their waist. The Levites had no peculiar habit in the ceremonies of religion; but about the sixty-second year of Christ, they obtained of king Agrippa leave to wear a linen tunic, as well as the priests.

The high priest was at the head of all religious affairs, and the ordinary judge of all the difficulties which related to them. He only had the privilege of entering into the sanctuary once a year, which was on the day of solemn expiation, to make atonement for the sins of the whole people. The ordinary priests attended the service of the tabernacle; they kept up a perpetual fire upon the altar of burnt-offerings; lighted and extinguished the lamps of the golden candlestick; made the loaves of shewbread; offered them on the golden altar in the sanctuary; changed them every Sabbath-day; and every day, at night and morning, carried in a smoking censer of incense, and placed it upon the golden table, which, upon this account, was likewise called the altar of incense.

But the chief business of the priests was to offer sacrifices, of which there were four kinds. 1. The burntoffering, which was totally consumed by fire upon the altar, after that the feet and entrails had been washed. 2. The peace-offering, whereof the inward fat, or tallow, made up with the liver and kidneys, was only burnt upon the altar: the breast and right shoulder was the perquisite of the priests, who were obliged to eat them in the holy place; and the remainder belonged to the person who offered the sacrifice. 3. The sacrifice for sin, committed either wilfully or ignorantly and in this the priest took some of the blood of the victim, dipped his

he was going into the sanctuary; for as in the king of Persia's court, no one was suffered to enter the apartments, without giving notice thereof by the sound of something; so the high priest, out of respect to the divine presence, residing in the holy of holies, did, by the sound of little bells, fastened to the bottom of his robe, desire, as it were permission to enter, that the sound of the bells might be heard, and he not punished with death, for an unmannerly intrusion.-Calmet's Dictionary under the word Bell.

A. M. 2514. A. C. 1490; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3764. A. C. 1647. EXOD, xxxiv. 28—NUM. xviii.

finger in it, and sprinkled it seven times towards the | with those sacrifices which were offered, year by year veil of the sanctuary. The same parts of the victim continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.' In were burnt on the altar in this as in the former sacrifice. order therefore to illustrate this point, namely, that the The rest, if the sacrifice was offered for the sin of the Jewish religion was, in a great measure, intended to high priest, or for the people, was carried without the typify and prefigure the more perfect dispensation of camp, and there burnt; but if it was for a private person, the gospel, we shall instance in some of its particulars the victim was divided, as we said before, between the already enumerated. priest and the offerer. 4. The sacrifice of oblation was either fine flour, or incense, cakes of fine flour, and oil baked, or the first-fruits of new corn. Oil, salt, wine, and frankincense went always along with every thing that was offered. All the frankincense was cast into the fire; but of the other things the priest only burnt a part, and the rest he reserved to himself.

Thus we have taken a cursory view of the Jewish tabernacle, and its utensils; of the Jewish priesthood, and its offices; and have nothing more to do, but to inquire a little for what a ends and uses God was pleased to institute these things. To this purpose St Paul informs us, that the Jewish law was an imperfect dispensation from the very first, and added only because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom the promise was made:' that in great condescension, it was adapted to the weakness of the Jewish people, whom he compares to an heir under a tutor or governor; for these are his words: 2 I say then, that an heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all: Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage, under the elements of the world;' so that 3 the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ,' and having only a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, it could never,

a Josephus, having treated of the tabernacle, and the several things appertaining to it, makes the use and design of them a little too mystical and allegorical. "Let but a man consider,"

says he, "the structure of the tabernacle, the sacerdotal vestments, and the holy vessels that are dedicated to the service of the altar, and he must of necessity be convinced, that our lawgiver was a pious man.-For what are all these but the image of the whole world? The tabernacle consisting of thirty cubits, and being divided into three parts, whereof two are for the priests in general, and of free access, resembles the earth and the sea; while the third, where no mortal, except the high priest, is permitted to enter, is an emblem of heaven, reserved for God alone. The twelve loaves of shewbread upon the table, signify the twelve months in the year. The candlestick, which is made up of seventy pieces, refers to the twelve signs of the zodiac, through which the seven planets take their course; and the seven lamps, on the top of the seven branches, bear an analogy to the planets themselves. The curtains with the four colours that are wrought in them, represent the four elements.-By the high priest's linen garment is designed the whole body of the earth; and by the violet colour, the heavens. The pomegranates answer to lightning; and the noise of the bells to thunder. The four-coloured ephod bears a resemblance to the very nature of the universe, and the interweaving it with threads of gold, to the rays of the sun, which give us light. The pectoral or rational, in the midde of it, intimates the position of the earth in the centre of the world; the girdle about the priest's body, is the sea about the globe of the earth; the two sardonyx stones, on the shoulders, represent the sun and moon; and by the twelve other stones on the breast, may be understood either the twelve months, or the twelve signs of the zodiac." But all this is too light and fanciful, one would think, for so grave an author as Josephus, had not this way of allegorizing things been the prevailing custom of the age.-Jewish Antiquities, b. 3. c. 7.

Thus the tabernacle itself was a type of the Redeemer dwelling in our nature; for so St John tells us, that the Word was made flesh, and oxý v μìr, dwelt among us,' as in a tabernacle. The altar of burntofferings in the court, pointed out the death and sacrifice "of our Lord, by the shedding of whose blood our sins are pardoned, and we received into mercy and favour. The altar of incense within the holy place denoted our Lord's powerful intercession for us, in his exalted state of glory; and the ark of the covenant in the holy of holies,' was an eminent emblem of him, from whose mouth we received a law, founded upon better promises; by whose intercession we have access to the ' throne of grace with all boldness;' and whose satisfaction to the divine justice is our true propitiatory or mercy-seat.

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What a manifest type the Jewish high priest was of our Lord and Saviour, the author to the Hebrews has declared in more instances than one. The Jewish high priest was the only man who was permitted to enter into the holy of holies;' and we have such an high priest,' says the apostle, 'who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.' The Jewish high priest offered a solemn expiatory sacrifice once a year; our Lord appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' After the expiatory sacrifice, the Jewish high priest went into the holy place, there to offer incense on the golden altar; our Lord, 'when he had purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,' there 10' to appear in the presence of God,' and by the incense of his merits, to make continual intercession for us.

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In like manner, whether we consider the several qualifications of the sacrifices under the law, or the several sorts of them, we shall find them to be types and prefigu rations of Christ. The conditions of a Jewish sacrifice were,-That it should be without blemish, publicly presented before the congregation, substituted in the sinner's room, and the iniquities of the sinner laid upon him. With relation to these properties, our Saviour is said to be 'holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners.' That he might sanctify his people,' he is said to have suffered without the gate, bearing our reproach;' and that 12 he, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.'

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36

cross;' the meat and drink offering, for his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed;' the scapegoat, for he hath carried away our sins, 2 never to be more remembered against us; the paschal lamb, for 3 Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us; the great sacrifice of atonement,' for Jesus Christ the righteous is both our advocate with the Father, and a propitiation for our sins:' and in fine, his blood, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God, without spot, is more effectual than the blood of bulls and goats, to purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God.'

that religion, which in its essence is always the same, may, with the good pleasure of God, be changed; even as a careful nurse, to use a scripture comparison upon this occasion, adapts the diet to the strength and constitution of the person she attends: For every one that useth milk,' as the elements of the Jewish dispensation were, is unskilful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe; but strong meat,' or a religion of a greater perfection, as the Christian is, 'belongeth to them that are of full age; even those, who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.'

SECT. III.

CHAP. I.-From the Death of Korah, to the Israelites' Entrance into Canaan; in all, 38 years.

THE HISTORY.

AFTER the establishment of the high priest's office in Aaron, and his family, the Israelites moved about from place to place, in the deserts of Arabia, but chiefly about the mountains of Idumæa, until God, a shortening the period of human life, had taken away almost all that generation, 9 of whom he had sworn in his wrath,' as the Psalmist expresses it, 'that they should not enter into his rest.' And indeed, good reason had he to be angry with them, since during the remainder of their peregrination they were guilty of many more murmurings and idolatries than Moses has thought proper to record, which are nevertheless mentioned, with no small severity, 10 by other inspired writers.

Thus it appears, that the chief end of the several institutions relating to the ceremonial part of the Jewish worship, was to prefigure the person and transactions of our blessed Saviour, when the fulness of time was come that God should send forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons,' And therefore, since the ceremonies of the Jewish law could never be of any esteem in the sight of God, any otherwise than as they promoted this end, and prepared men's minds for the reception of a more perfect institution of religion, it is manifest, that when this more perfect institution was once settled, the former and more imperfect was, of course, to cease; 7 there being necessarily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.' And from hence we may finally infer, that though the essence of religion be eternally and immutably the same, yet the form and institution of it may be, and often has been, changed. The essence of all religion is obedience to that moral and eternal law, which obliges us to imitate the life of God in justice, mercy, and holiness, that is, to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this As the time, however, for their entrance into the Holy present world.' This is the sum of all natural religion, Land now drew near, from Ezion-geber they advanced as appears from the discourses of those wiser heathens, towards Kadesh in the wilderness of Sin, designing very who were freest from prejudice and superstition. This probably to enter the country through those narrow paswas the sum of the Jewish religion, as appears from the sages, which, at that time were called,' the ways of the frequent and earnest protestations of God to that people spies ;' but they were repulsed by the king of Arad, by his servants the prophets; and this likewise is the who coming out against them with a strong force, slew a sum of the Christian religion, as the apostles every-considerable number, and took from them much booty. where inculcate. But though religion itself is thus immutably the same, yet the form and institution of it may be different.

When natural religion, by reason of its obscurity, in this corrupt estate of human nature, proved ineffectual to make men truly religious, God left them no longer to the guidance of their reason only, but gave them first the patriarchal, and afterwards the Mosaic dispensation; and when, through the incumbrance with so many ritual observances, this latter proved ineffectual to the same great end, God abolished this form of religion likewise, and instituted the Christian. In all which proceeding there is no reflection at all upon the immutable nat of God. For as the divine nature is, in the truest highest sense, unchangeable; so religion itself, in nature and essence, is likewise unchangeable. But the capacities, the prejudices, and the circumstan men are different, so the institution and outward fo

11

In their second attempt, however, they succeeded better; for they defeated the king's army, sacked some of his towns, and vowing at another opportunity ( which happened in the time of 12 Joshua) the utter destruction of

9 Ps. xcv. 11.

10 See Amos v. 26; Ezek. and Ps. passim; Acts vii. 43.
"Num. xxi. 1, 11.
12 Josh. xxii. 14.

a After the many judgments and calamities sent upon Israel, by reason of their rebellions against God, Moses perceiving the divine threatenings to be daily accomplished by the frequent Those who came out of Egypt, and whose carcasses

the wilderness,' composed the ninetieth psalm, ions, the reduction of human life to the term of has ever since stopped, and makes several ons thereupon: The days of our age are ten; and though men be so strong, that they ears, yet is their strength then but labour and asseth it away, and we are gone. O teach us our days, that we may apply our hearts unto

11.

a tradition, founded on an express text in D. xx. 10, &c.,) that the Israelites were obliga offer peace in their name, to every cit attempted to conquer them by the s

ed it they only became tributari

с

A. M. 2515. A. C. 1489; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, A. M. 3765. A. C. 1646. NUM. xviii. TO THE END OF DEUT. the whole nation, they took their route for the present | and twenty-three years old; and when the people underanother way, and so arrived again at Kadesh. stood that he was dead, they bewailed him thirty days. As soon as the days of mourning were over, they removed, and encamped at Zalmanah, which took its name from the image of the serpent, which Moses caused to be set up there. For the Israelites, being tired with the length of their journey, the narrowness of their passes, and the barrenness of the country, began to relapse into their old humour of murmuring and repining, which provoked God to send great swarms of fiery d

Here it was that Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, (a who was older than either of them,) in the hundred and thirty-third year of her age died, was buried with great pomp, and by the Israelites lamented for the space of a whole month. Here it was that the people fell again into their old way of murmuring for want of water, which God ordered Moses to supply, by speaking only to a certain rock; but some way or other he deviating from his instructions, either through impatience or diffidence, offended God to such a degree, as to deserve a denunciation, that neither he, nor his brother Aaron, who seems told expressly that the Horims dwelt in Seir before-time; and ac to have been equally in the offence, should be permitted cordingly we read (Gen. xiv. 6.) that Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, to enter into Canaan. Hence likewise it was, that Moses Now it seems very probable, that as places at first were wont to with his confederates, smote the Horites in their Mount Seir. sent an embassy to the king of Edom, desiring a free pas- take their names from their inhabitants, both this place, and the sage through his country, and promising to commit no people might derive their names from one Hor, whom they dehostilities, nor give the least molestation to any of his scended from, and who in the early ages of the world, inhabited subjects. But the haughty Edomite was so far from Mount Seir came to be used to denote the same tract, yet the old this country; and that though, in process of time, the name of granting his request, that he came out with a strong army name of Mount Hor was preserved in that part of it, where stood to oppose him; which Moses, no doubt, would have the mountain here so called by Moses, and on which Aaron died. resented as the thing deserved, had not God, whom he There seems to be however no small difficulty in reconciling this consulted upon this occasion, ordered him, for the pre- passage in Numbers xx. 23-28, with what we read in Deuter onomy x. 6. That the children of Israel took their journey from sent, not to engage with the Edomites: so that decamp- Beeroth, of the children of Jaakan, to Mosera: there Aaron died, ing from Kadesh, he came to Mount Hor, not far from and there he was buried.' So that Moses seems to have forgot the borders of Edom, where God gave Aaron notice of himself, when in one place he tells us, that his brother Aaron his approaching death, and not long after, commanded concile this, some have supposed that Mount Hor was so near to was buried on Mount Hor, and in another in Mosera. To reMoses to take him and Eleazar his son, who was to suc- Mosera, where the Israelites had their encampment when Auro ceed him in the office of the high priest, to the top of the died, that either place might, with propriety enough, be called mount, and there to strip Aaron of his sacerdotal robes, the place of his death and his interment. It seems, however, and put them upon his son: which when Moses had done,bers xxxiii. very plain, that Mount Hor and Mosera were two from the account which we have of their encampments, in NomAaron died on the top of Mount Hor, being an hundred distinct places; and therefore others have maintained, that the sixth and seventh verses in the tenth chapter of Deuteronomy, in the common Hebrew text, have been extremely corrupted by the ignorance of some transcribers, because the Hebrew Samani. tan or old Hebrew text, makes the account in Deuteronomy x 6, 7, exactly agree with the order of the encampments, mentioned in Numbers xxxiii. 32, 38. and there it is said that Aaron died, and was buried in Mount Hor.-Wells' Geography of the Testament, vol. ii.

out if they refused their offer, they were then to be vowed to destruction. Maimonides has taken great pains to prove, that all those nations which were cut off by the Israelites, owed their destruction to their choosing to try the fortune of war, rather than accept of peace upon such terms. There is one objection however, which seems to stand a little in his way, and that is, the stratagem which the Gibeonites made use of to obtain peace from Israel, which would have been needless, had the latter been obliged to offer it before they began any hostilities: but to this the learned Rabbi answers,-That the reason of the Gibeonites' policy was, that they had in common with their neighbours, refused the first offer of peace, and were consequently doomed to the same fate with them; and that, for the prevention of this, their ambassadors feigned themselves to come from a country vastly distant from any of the other seven, and by that means obtained the desired peace.-Maimon. ap. Cunæum; et Basnag. Rep. Heb. vol. i. b. 2. c. 20.

a Miriam was older than either Aaron or Moses. Moses was the youngest: and when he was born she might probably be about twelve years of age, because when he was exposed upon the banks of the river Nile, she, we find, had address enough to offer her service to Pharaoh's daughter, to go and fetch her a nurse, which can hardly be supposed of one younger. Some of the ancient fathers are of opinion that she died a virgin, and was the legislatrix or governess of the Jewish women, as Moses was of the men; but the more probable opinion is, that she was married to Hur, a man of chief note in the tribe of Judah, and on several occasions a person of great confidence with Moses: but it does not appear that she had any children by him. She was buried, as Josephus tells us, with great solemnity, at the charge of the public, and her sepulchre, as Eusebius reports, was extant in his time at Kadesh, not far distant from the city Petra, the metropolis of Arabia Petræa.-Universal History, b. 1. c. 7; and Calmet's Dictionary.

The Mount Hor was on the coast of the land of Edom, towards the east, in some part of that tract, which was afterwards denoted by the Mount Seir. In Deuteronomy (ii. 12.) we are

c The author of Ecclesiasticus, having given us a long c mendation of Aaron, and his vestments, comes at last to tell u that "God chose him out of all men living, to offer sacrifices to the Lord, incense, and a sweet savour, for a memorial, an to make reconciliation for his people; that he gave unto him the commandments and authority in the statutes of judgments. that he should teach Jacob the testimonies, and inform Israel in the laws; that strangers conspired together against him and maligned him in the wilderness-this the Lord saw, and it displeased him, and in his wrathful indignation, they were co sumed. But he made Aaron more honourable, and gave Lin an heritage, and divided unto him the first-fruits of the increase; so that he did eat the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave unto him and to his seed," &c. He died in the arms of Moses his brother, and Eleazer his son, and successor in the high priesthood. They buried him in some cave belonging to Mount Her and kept the place of his interment from the knowledge of the Israelites, perhaps from an apprehension that in after ages they might pay some superstitious worship to him; or rather, that the Arabians, among whom they then dwelt, might not at any time take it in their heads to violate the sanctity of his grave.Ecclus. xlv. 13, &c.

d Some authors are of opinion, that these serpents were en'y little worms, which bred in the skin, and were of so venomous a nature, that they immediately poisoned those who were infected by them. But it is very evident, that not only the original word necashim seraphim, signify a burning or winged serpent, but insomuch, that there would be no living in those countries, that these creatures are very common both in Egypt and Arabia. these serpents had not by Providence been debarred from mui plying as other serpents do. For the Arabians tell us, that afte