there were ten times so many, besides those that by diseases or other manifold
lets were not partakers thereof: and in regard of this Feast beeing assembled thither
through Gods iust iudgement, their whole huge multitudes were couped or caged
together in the walles of this Citie to destruction, vnder Titus.
The bloud of the Lambe they were to receiue in a vessell, and to sprinkle the
same with a bunch of Hysope on the doore postes, and to eate it in the night, which
was the beginning of the fifteenth day, roast with fire, with sowre hearbes, and vn∣leauened
bread, both the head, feete, and purtenance; girded, shod, with staues in
their hands, in hast, standing, burning whatsoeuer was left of the same. There are that
thinke, that after the eating the sacramentall Lambe, standing, they had other proui∣sion
which they eat sitting,
or after their manner of lying at table, in remembrance
of their libertie, as appeareth by Iohns leaning on his breast, and Iudas his soppe at
Christs Supper. They were in the euen of the fourteenth day to purge their houses of
leauen, and that throughout the land, where the Lambe might not bee eaten. All the
Israelites were enioyned this duty: and they which by occasion of iourneying or vn∣cleannesse
could not now celebrate the Passeouer, were to obserue it the next mo∣neth.
Num.9..
The day after, or second day of this Paschall Feast, they were to bring to the Priest
a Gomer of the first-fruits of their corne, and a Lambe, with other duties for a burnt
offering to the Lord: before which time they might not eate of the new yeares
fruits, which at that time in those countries began to ripen, and so to acknowledge
God the giuer thereof.
Philo saith, that each priuate man, which otherwise brought
in his sacrifice to the Priest, sacrificed or slew this sacrifice with his owne hands: and
elsewhere
he affirmeth the same. Eleazarus,
or as other say the Synedrium, ordained
350. yeares before the birth of Christ, that the Passeouer should not bee solemnized
on the second, fourth, or sixt day of the weeke: and therefore when it fell on the sixt
day, which we call Friday, it was deferred to the seuenth, at the time of Christs Pas∣sion,
and hee with his Disciples eate it the night before, according to the law of God.
This Eleazarus ordained, that the Feast of Lots should not bee celebrated on the
second, fourth, or seuenth: Or Pentecost on the third, fift, or seuenth: Or that of
the Tabernacles on the first, fourth and sixt: Or the Fast of Expiation, on the first,
third, or sixt: Or their New-yeares day, on the first, fourth, and sixt, which decree
is extant in the booke of Gamaliel, Paules Mr. which they did superstitiously, to
auoide two Sabbaths (in so strict a rest) together, and carrying boughes on the
Sabbath, if that feast fell thereon, and on other such reasonlesse reasons,
After this sixteenth day of the moneth, or second day of vnleauened bread, in which
first of all sickle was thrust into the haruest, to offer the first fruits thereof vnto God,
were numbred seuen intire weekes, and the next day which was the fiftieth, (accoun∣ting
inclusiuely) was celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, receiuing his name of that rec∣koning
of fifty: and Schefuoth, that is, of weekes, because of this reckoning of seuen
weekes, it is called also the Feast of the haruest of the first fruits:
the rites thereof are
prescribed. Leu. 23. The institution was in respect of the lawe then giuen on Mount
Sinai, and a type of that Euangelicall law, which Christ, hauing ascended vp on high,
did write not in Tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart, when (at the same
time) he gaue the holy Ghost to his Disciples, as a remembrance also of the author of
their haruest-fruits and euery good gift.
As the seuenth day in the weeke, so the seuenth moneth in the yeare, was in a great
part festiuall: fittest for that purpose, as the fruits of the Earth being now inned.
The first day of this moneth vvas, besides the ordinarie Kalendes or Festiuall
New-moone, the Feast of Trumpets, in respect of that rite then obserued of soun∣ding
Trumpets, being their New-yeares day, after the ciuill account: the institution
is read Leu. 23. and Num. 29. Whether, as some of the Rabbines vvill haue it, for
Isaacs deliuerance, that in remembrance of that Ramme, these Rams-horne trumpets
should be sounded, or in regard of their warres, or in respect of that spirituall warre∣fare
which continueth our whole life, or that this was so festiuall a moneth,