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Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, when Elijah was taken by a whirlwind into heaven.' In another note he says: It must be observed, that the two first 'stanzas of this poem, are founded on the certain 'tradition, that Elijah was the same with Phinehas, 'the son of Eleazar, who slew the man of Israel ' and the Midianitish woman, in the affair of Baalpeor. (See Num. xxv. 7, &c.) It therefore with great propriety may be said, that he was the man 'who was zealous for the name of God. Of this 'we have the testimony of God himself in favour of 'Phinehas, saying, "while he was zealous for my 'sake among them :" and Elijah, in his answer to 'the word of God, testifies the same of himself, ' in nearly the same language; "I have been very 'jealous for the Lord God of hosts." 1 Kings xix. 10. 14. This being premised, the whole will appear clear; for the expression to whom tidings of peace were delivered by the hand of 'Jekuthiel,' alludes to that memorable message 'from God to Phinehas by Moses: "Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace." Num. xxv. 12.'*

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Elijah is believed to be frequently employed in missions to mankind. The poem, just quoted, describes him as the man specially appointed to

superintend all good tidings,' and celebrates the felicity of those who are objects of his attention. Happy is he who hath seen him in dreams; happy ' is he who saluted him with peace, and to whom 'he returned the salutation of peace.' He is par

* Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Prayers, p. 170,171. Notes, p. 17,18.

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ticularly supposed to be present at the performance of circumcision, as it will be necessary to state when we come to treat of that ceremony.- -The manner in which Elijah became qualified for these missions, Abarbinel has undertaken to explain. In order that he might frequently come and appear among mankind, he was taken away with body and soul; and has ever since continued living in the union of body and soul; to demon" strate that there still should be need of him in this world. Wherefore he was carried away in a powerful wind, with a chariot and horses of fire, 'that his moisture might be melted and dried away. Thus he became light and swift, to appear ' in all places. He has no need of meat, or drink, ' or any other things that are necessary for human life because his body was transformed into a spiritual state, and he received a spiritual C nature.' '*

ESAU'S DESCENDANTS are the subjects of extensive traditions, in which the rabbies, with an effrontery at which we should wonder in any other men, have set at defiance all authentic history and accurate chronology. These representations, the fallacy of which will be too obvious to require being pointed out, may be briefly comprized under the following heads.

First. That the descendants of Esau, the sworn enemies of the descendants of Jacob even to the end of the world, were at first a small nation, inhabiting mount Seir and the adjacent country,

Abarbin. in 2 Reg. ii. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 102.

contiguous to the land of Canaan :-that they were easily confined within their own limits, as long as the Israelites enjoyed a great and formidable empire in Canaan :-but that after the powerful republic of the twelve tribes was destroyed by the Assyrians and Babylonians, they wonderfully increased in numbers and strength, extended their dominion towards the west, spread their colonies far and wide, subjugated Italy, founded Rome and the Roman empire, at length entirely overturned the Jewish State which had been restored after the termination of the Babylonian captivity, the second temple being destroyed by Titus Vespasian:-and that in the present day, professing the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, which they were the first of all nations to embrace, they hold the dominion over all Europe, Esau detaining in captivity his brother Jacob, at least as far as regards the tribe of Judah, till his Messiah Ben David shall appear.

Secondly. That the prophecies of the prophets against Esau, Edom, Seir, and the cities of Edom, especially those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Obadiah, have not yet received their full accomplishment :for that though the House of Esau has experienced some particular judgments of God, on account of the injuries at different periods of time inflicted upon Israel; yet the final vengeance on account of that last and greatest injury, the destruction of the second temple by Titus, and the transportation of the Jews into captivity, in which they are still most opprobriously detained, is yet impending over it, to be executed in the time of the Messiah;-that this is foretold by the prophets

in all their denunciations of the severest plagues against the house of Esau, the cities of Edom, and mount Seir, which all belong to Rome and the Christians :-and that the fate of Christians at that time will be far more dreadful than that of Mahometans. Abarbinel particularly says: The

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slaughter of the Turks in the future battle will 'not be so great as that of the Christians: for many of the Turks will escape, according to 'Isaiah lxvi. 19. but of the Christians, Obadiah says: There shall not be any remaining of the 'House of Esau.'*

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R. Bechai, Cad Hakkemach, f. 20. c. 1. R. D. Kimchi in Obadiam et al. prophet. apud Buxt. Lex. Chald. Talm. et Rabb. col. 30, 31. Abarb. in Zech. f. 294. 4. apud Pseif. Theol. Jud. Præf. p. 20. Ibid. Exerc. v. Thes. 19. Huls. Theol. Jud. p. 118, 119. Raym. Mart. Pug. Fid. p. 399.

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CHAPTER XIII.

Traditions concerning Behemoth, a huge Quadruped:Leviathan, an immense Fish :-Bar Juchne, an enor mous Bird:- Powerful Kingdoms of Israelites :Sambation, a wonderful River.

THE plan of the present work requires some notice to be taken of the important discoveries, which the doctors of the synagogue pretend to have made, in zoology, ichthyology, ornithology, and geography. They have favoured the world with descriptions of animals, countries, and people, altogether unknown to naturalists and geographers among the Gentiles.

BEHEMOTH is represented by the rabbies as the name of a species of quadrupeds of immense magnitude. They tell us, that, as God in the beginning formed all other creatures male and female, so he made a male and female Behemoth; but that, to prevent the depopulation of the world, which would be the unavoidable consequence of an increase in their number, he immediately rendered them incapable of propagating their kind, and reserved them to be fattened for the banquet to be enjoyed by pious Jews in the days of the Messiah. Among many passages of scripture in which the Hebrew word behemoth occurs, is one in the fiftieth Psalm; where it is generally regarded as a plural noun, and translated cattle: but the rabbies pronounce it to be the name of a single animal. "Behemoth upon a thousand hills," that is, ac

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