by the law, of being cut off from the people, they had a special duty to perform.* Before their journey they had touched the grave of Helon's father, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and had thus become unclean. This did not prevent them from appearing before the highpriest, or from entering on their journey, or from performing their morning and evening prayer; but they were not allowed to go further into the temple than the court of the Gentiles, and had they knowingly ventured even to enter the court of Israel, they would have made themselves obnoxious to this terrible punishment. Levitical uncleanness had reference exclusively to appearing before Jehovah, in the place where his honour dwelt. The rigid demand of the performance of a purifying ceremony conveyed this intimation, that what is deemed pure by men, is not so regarded by Him, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, until it has been again made holy by the rite which he has ordained. After both had bathed them *Numb. xix. 20. selves and washed their clothes, they presented themselves, as they had already done the preceding day, on the steps which lead from the court of the Gentiles into that of the women; and underwent a sprinkling. This was performed by one, who was himself clean, on those who were unclean, and with a bunch of hyssop dipped in the water, mixed with the ashes of the red heifer.* Helon thought of the words of David, "Purify me with hyssop, that I may be clean; Wash me, that I may be whiter than snow."-Ps. li. 7. On this day, as on every other day of the year, the daily service before the altar of Jehovah began by the sacrifice of a lamb, with the meat and drink offerings which belonged to it.† When this had been done, the burnt-offering and the sin-offering which Moses had appointed on the new moon, for the whole people, were offered up, and finally the thank-offering for individuals. The burnt-offering consisted of two *Numb. xix. 17. + Exod. xxix. 38. Numb. xxviii. 11-15. young bullocks, a ram, and seven lambs of the first year, with their meat and drink offerings. The meat-offering to each bullock was three ephas, to the ram two ephas, to each of the sheep a tenth of an epha of flour, (the epha was equal to forty-three and a half egg-shells.) The drink-offering to each bullock was half a hin of wine, to the ram a third, and to the sheep a fourth of a hin. (The hin contained as much as seventy-two egg-shells.) Besides this was added, to each meat-offering, the same quantity of oil as there was of wine in the drink-offering, and also a handful of incense. The sin-offering consisted in a goat. While the burnt-offering was presented, the great Hallel was sung, and the priests on the pillars blew the trumpets.* After this the high-priest presented his thankoffering for the victory, consisting of a vast multitude of bullocks, rams, and sheep, with the appropriate meat and drink offerings; his sons also testified their gratitude by considerable sacrifices, and some of the principal officers of Numb. x. 10. the army took the same method of expressing their gratitude or discharging their vows. The victims which had been seen in the procession of the day before, adorned with flowers and fillets, were brought to the altar; their blood was sprinkled upon it, the entrails with the fat waved to the Lord, towards the four winds of heaven, and then burnt upon the altar. The breast, the right shoulder, the jawbones, the tongue, and the stomach came to the share of the priests, the rest was prepared as a feast for the person who offered the sacrifice. During the sacrifice the priests blew their silver trumpets, and the Levites on the fifteen steps sung the following psalm of David: Blessed be the Lord, my strength, He is my friend and my fortress, My protector and my deliverer, My shield in whom I trust, Who made the nations subject to me. Lord! what is man, that thou carest for him, Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? Man is like vanity; His days are a shadow that passeth away. Bow the heavens, O Jehovah, and come down! Cast forth lightnings and scatter them, Save me, deliver me from great waters, I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, Upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises unto thee. Thou givest victory to kings, And deliverest David thy servant from the sword of the enemy. Save me, deliver me from the hand of the sons of foreigners, Whose mouth speaketh falsely; Perjury is their right hand. Our sons grow up in their youth as plants, Our daughters, as polished columns, after the fashion of a palace. Our granaries are full, affording all manner of store. Our sheep bring forth thousands, And ten thousands in our streets : Our oxen are strong to labour. There is no breaking in, no robbery, No complaining in our streets. Happy is the people that is in such case! Happy is that people whose God is Jehovah !-Ps. cxliv. Towards the end of all these offerings, which were so numerous that it would not have been VOL. II. F |