remach mitzvoth ngasai) two hundred) מצות עשה and forty-eight affirmative precepts, and no nyn (shesa mitzvoth lo tangasai) three hundred and sixty-five negative precepts—the numerical value of the letters (remach), being two hundred and forty-eight, and of л three hundred and sixty-five-these six hundred and thirteen include the Ten Commandments. 85. An affirmative precept ny л(mitzvoth ngasai) enjoins the performance of an action; a negative precept enjoins the abstaining from an action. "Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," is affirmative; "Thou shalt do no manner of work therein,” is negative. 86. The manuscript Pentateuch, used by the Israelites in the synagogue, is divided into paragraphs and sections only; and so careful have they been to preserve a faithful copy, that they have handed down how many sections, paragraphs, words, and letters each book contains; and how often each letter occurs. .(sedarim) סדרים .87 88. Fifty-four, one of which is read every Sabbath; the whole being read through during the year. 89. The Jewish year is of different lengths; there being three kinds of years in use among the Hebrews, namely Perfect, Common, and Imperfect. 90. The Perfect year has three hundred and fifty-five days, when the months Heshvan and Chislev have each thirty days; the Common three hundred and fifty-four days, when Heshvan has twenty-nine days, and Chislev thirty; and the Imperfect has three hundred and fifty-three, when both Heshvan and Chislev have only twenty-nine days. 91. Yes; the embolismic year, formed by the introduction of an intercalary month after Adar, .(second Adar) אדר שני veadar), or) ואדר called 92. Three hundred and eighty-five, three hundred and eighty-four, or three hundred and eighty-three days, according as the year is Perfect, Common, or Imperfect. 93. That the Passover may be observed in its proper season. 94. It must be observed while the sun is in the sign Aries, at the first full moon after the vernal equinox. 95. Sometimes two sections are read; and when a festival happens on the Sabbath, then the portion appropriate to the festival is read, instead of the section for the week. 96. Yes; a portion of the prophets is read every Sabbath and festival. 97. Till the violent persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Law only was read; but the reading of it being then prohibited, sections out of the Prophets were substituted, bearing a resemblance to the section of the Law which would otherwise have been read; and when the reading of the Law was restored by the Maccabees, the section which was read every Sabbath out of the Law served for the first lesson, and the section out of the Prophets for the second, which custom continues to the present day. 98. In the time of Ezra, who seems to have designed it for the use of the Targumists, or Chaldee interpreters; for after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrew language ceased to be their vernacular tongue, the Chaldee came into use instead of it; and the custom was, that the Law should be first read in the original Hebrew, and then interpreted to the people in the Chaldee dialect, for which purpose these shorter sections, or periods, were very convenient. 99. "May God save!" 100. The Hebrew word nbnp (koheleth), means "to gather together," "an assembler." It seems to refer to Solomon's assembling the people, and discoursing with them on the most important subjects. The Septuagint renders it'Εκκλησιαστὴς (ecclesiastes) a public speaker; whence in the English authorised version, "a preacher;" and hence the name of the book Ecclesiastes. Some are of opinion that it refers to Solomon, on account of the wisdom centered in him. 101. Hoshea. 102. He was nephew to king Amaziah. 103. In Shiloh, Nob, and Gibeon. 104. Two hundred and ten years. 105. The words, "who dwelt in Egypt," are parenthetical. The sojournings of the children. of Israel, reckoning from the birth of Isaac, were altogether four hundred and thirty years; but their dwelling in Egypt was only two hundred and ten years. 106. Yes; the Bible furnishes proof; for Kohath was one of the number that went down into Egypt (Gen. xlvi. 11); he lived one hundred and thirty-three years (Exod. vi. 18); Amram his son, the father of Moses, lived one hundred and thirty-seven years (Exod. vi. 20); Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in his eightieth year. Now all these years together do not amount to the number, and then no deduction has been made for the years that the sons lived during their fathers' life-time. 107. Seventy years. 108. Four hundred and ten years from the commencement of its being built, which lasted seven years. 109. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem the 10th of Tebet, A. M. 3338; took the city, and burnt the temple, the 9th of Ab of the same year. 110. Zedekiah (2 Chron. xxxvi). 111. He was uncle to Jehoiachin, whom Nebuchadnezzar sent to Babylon, and put in prison, he being only eight years old at the time; Zedekiah being at the same time placed on the throne (2 Kings, xxiv). 112. He had his sons killed in his presence; he then barbarously had his eyes put out, and carried him, with a great number of the people, captive to Babylon (2 Kings, xxv. 7—11). 113. Eleven years (2 Kings, xxv. 2). 114. Four hundred and fifty-four years. 115. The tyranny of Rehoboam. (1 Kings, xii). 116. Two hundred and forty-one years. 117. The Samaritans and Syrians (Ezra, iv. & v). 118. Four hundred and twenty years. 119. Ahijah the Shilonite (1 Kings, xi. 31). 120. Thirty-seven years (2 Kings, xxv. 27). 121. Evil Merodach, when he ascended the throne of Babylon, who allowed him princely maintenance (2 Kings, xxv. 27-30). |