The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§. 1. The Therapeutae.

THEY are called Therapeutae and Therapeutrides (saith Philo) either because they profess a Physick better than that professed in Cities, for that healeth bodies only, but this diseased souls.—Or because they have learned from na∣ture, and the holy Laws to serve him that is—Those that betake themselves to* 1.1 this course, do it not out of fashion, or upon any ones exhortation, but ravished with a heavenly love, (even as the Bacchantes and Corybantes have their raptures) until they behold what they desire. Then through the desire of an immortal and blessed life, re∣puting* 1.2 themselves to die to this mortal life, they leave their estates to sons or daughters or to other kindred, voluntarily making them their heirs, and to their friends and fa∣miliars if they have no kindred.—When they are thus parted from their goods, being taken now by no bait, they flie irrevocably, leaving Brethren, Children, Wives, Parents, numerous Kindreds, Societies and Countries, where they were born and bred—they flit, not into other Cities—but they make their abode without the walls in gardens or solitary Villages, affecting the wilderness not for any hatred of men, but because of being mixed with men of different conditions, which thing they know is unprofitable and hurtful. This kind of people are in many parts of the world,—but it abounds in Egypt through every one of those places that are called Nomi,

especially about Alexandria. Now out of all places the chief or best of the Therapeu∣tae are sent into a Colony (as it were into their Country) into a most convenient re∣gion, besides the lake Maria, upon a low gentle rising bank, very fit, both for safety and the wholesom air.—The houses of the company are very mean, affording shelter in two most necessary respects, against the heat of the Sun, and the coldness of the air. Nor are they near together like houses in a City, for such vicinity is trouble and displeasing to such as love and affect solitude. Nor yet far asunder, be∣cause of that communion which they imbrace, and that they may help one ano∣ther if there be any incursion of thieves. Every one of them hath a holy house which is called a * 1.3 Chappel and Monastery, in which they * 1.4 being solitary do per∣form the mysteries of a Religious life: bringing in thither neither drink nor meat, nor any other necessaries for the use of the body, but the Law and the Oracles given by the Prophets, and hymns and other things whereby knowledge and religion are in∣creased and perfected. Therefore they have God perpetually in their mind, insomuch that in their dreams, they see nothing but the beauty of the Divine powers, and there some of them who by dreaming do vent excellent matters of Philosophy. They use to pray twice every day, morning and evening, at Sun rising and Sun setting, and all the time between they meditate and study the Scripture, allegorizing them, because they be∣lieve that mystical things are hid under the plain letter: they have also many commen∣taries of their predecessors of this Sect to this purpose. They also made Psalms, and Hymns to the praise of God. Thus spend they the six days of the week every one in his Cell, not so much as looking out of it. But on the seventh day they meet to∣gether and sit down according to their age demurely, with their hands within their coats, the right hand betwixt their breast and their skin, and the left on their side. Then steps forth one of the gravest and skilfullest in their profession and preacheth to them, and the rest hearken with all silence, only nodding their heads, or moving their eyes: their place of worship is parted into two rooms, one for the men and the* 1.5 other for the women: All the week long they never taste meat nor drink any day be∣fore Sun setting, because they think the studdy of wisdom to be fit for the light, and the taking ease of their bodies for the dark: some hardly eat above once in three days, some in six; on the seventh day after they have taken care of the soul, they refresh the body. Their diet is only bread and salt, and some add a little hyssop. Their drink spring-water. Their cloths mean and only fit to keep out heat and cold. At the end of every seven weeks they feast together, honouring much the number seven: Old women are present at their feasts, but they are such as are Virgins upon devotion. When they first meet together, they first stand and pray that the feast may be blessed to them, then sit they down the men on one side and the women on the other, some of their young Scholers wait on them: their diet is but as at other times, bread and salt for their meat, hyssop for sauce, and water for drink: there is general silence all the meal, save that one or other asketh or resolveth questions, the rest holding their peace; and they shew by their several gestures that they understand, or approve or doubt. Their interpretations of Scripture are all allegories; when the president hath satisfied the things proposed, they give a general applause, and then he singeth a Psalm either of his own making or of some of the ancients: And thus do the rest in their course, when all have done, the young men take away the table: and then they rise and fall to a daunce, the men apart and the women apart for a while, but at last they joyn and dance all together: and this is in representation of the dance upon the shore of the red Sea. Thus spend they the night, when Sun riseth they all turn their faces that way, and pray for a happy day, and for truth and understanding, and so they depart every one to their Cells.

To this purpose doth Philo describe these Therapeutae of his times: which howsoever they are taken for Christians by divers as was said before, yet it is so plain by divers pas∣sages in Philo's Charactering of them that they were no Christians, but Jewish sectaries, that it is even needless to determinate it: let the reader but consider that it is a Jew that commends their devotion, that he himself imitates their manner of expounding the Scriptures by allegories, that he saith they had many commentaries of their predecessors to that tenour, that they were superstitious about the number seven, as he himself is not a little, and if there were no other arguments to prove that they were only a Sect of the Jews, these were enow.

Notes

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