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.

CHAP. III. Of the High-priesthood. (Book 3)

1. THE High-priesthood, still descended to the first-born: for so was Eleazar to Aaron when Nadab and Abihu were dead; which a 1.1 Rabbi Sol. pertinently observs upon those words, in 1 Chron. 24. 1. Nadab and Abihu died and had no Sons, therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the Priests office: For [saith he] if Nadab or Abihu had left Sons, they had had the High-priesthood before Eleazar or Ithamar. And so Jozedek and Ezra were the Sons of Seraiah the High-priest, but Jozedek was the High∣priest after him, and not Ezra, for Jozedek was the first-born. And as the first born in the Family of any Tribe, was Priest before the Law was given [and accordingly doth the b 1.2 Chaldee, on Gen. 49. 3. paraphrase the words of Jacob to this sense, Reuben thou art my first born, and to thee belonged three Portions, the Birth-right, the Priest-hood, and the Kingdom] so the first born in the chief Family of Aaron, was the High-priest lineally de∣scended, and by Sucession. And therefore c 1.3 when Simeon the just having two Sons Shimei and Onias, would have put Shimei the eldest, by the High-priesthood, and put Onias the younger in, he could not do it but, Shimei obtained his right, and Onias was put to flee into Egypt, where he built a sumptuous and a famous Temple.

And by this necessity of Succession it came to pass that sometimes the High-priest pro∣ved to be but meanly qualified for such an Office; as appears, amongst other evidences, by that passage in d 1.4 Joma where it is related how against the Expiation day, some Elders were appointed to attend the High Priest, and they said to him, Sir High-priest read thou thy self, it may be thou hast forgotten, or it may be thou hast not learned: And a little after it is said, If he was a wise man he expounded; if not, they expounded before

him. And to this purpose is that Proverb or Probleme 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 e 1.5 A Scholar though he be a bastard, is of more value than an unlearned Highpriest. This shew∣eth that the Function was rather Typical than the Person.

2. f 1.6 The installing of the High-priest into his Office was by the Sanhedrin, who a∣noynted him, or when the Oyl failed [as there was none under the second Temple] cloathed him with the High-priestly Garments: If he were anointed, he was anointed dayly seven days together; and if he were not anointed [when the holy Oyl was gone] he was cloathed with the eight Garments of the Priesthood, daily seven days together, and he was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The installed by the garments.

The Garments were these:

1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Coat: g 1.7 This he ware next his skin: it was made of fine linnen, wrought checker work, like Diaper, and therefore it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the checke∣red Coat, Exod. 28. 4. as Sauls Coat of Mail is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 2 Sam. 1. 9. such a Coat as this had every one of the Priests in the service, without any difference: and such a one did the High-priest wear whilst he was an ordinary Priest, before he came to that dignity: * 1.8 when these Linnen Coats of the ordinary Priests were grown so old; that they were past wearing, they ravelled them in pieces, and made Yarn of them for the Lamps in the Gol∣den Candlestick.

2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Linnen Breeches. Exod. 28. 42. When it is said, that the checkered Coat was next the Skin, it is to be understood from the Loins upward, and thicker clad were not the ordinary Priests there than with that thin Diaper Shirt, for so we may call it: but upon their Thighs they had Linnen Breeches to cover their nakedness: which Br••••ch∣es or Drawers when they were old, they ravelled them also to make wick-yarn for Can∣dles of light at the joyful festivity of drawing of water on the last and great day at the Feast of Tabernacles; and so they did by their overworn Girdles.

3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Girdle; which was as a long linnen swaddle, which went many times a∣bout them, over their paps and downward; partly to keep them warm, and partly to strengthen their backs in the hard service to which they were sometime put, the High∣priest and ordinary Priests had of these alike.

4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Coat of the Ephod. This garb the ordinary Priests had not, but only the High-priest, and it was called the Coat of the Ephod, because the Ephod did gird it to him: it had no sleeves as his checkered Coat had, but it was made of two main pie∣ces, the one whereof, hung before him, and the other behind him: the Collar of this Ephod was like the Collar of an Habergion whole, and to be put over his head: and from the Collar downward the pieces were parted, and his Arms came out between them: At the lower end of either of these pieces, were thirty six little golden Bells with Clap∣pers, and Pomgranats of needlework, between every Bell: seventy two Bells in all. This Coat was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as both h 1.9 Josephus, and i 1.10 Philo relate, and so render the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of which [as Maymonides saith] it was all made, which Philo renders also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the colour of the Air, or sky colour.

5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Ephod. The breadth of this was the breadth of his back from shoulder to shoulder, and it hung behind him, from his armholes to his feet, from it there came two pieces under his armholes, and met together, and clasped over his paps, and this was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the curious Girdle of the Ephod, because both it and the Ephod were curiously wrought of fine twist and Gold. It had two shoulder pieces also which went over the Priests shoulders, and were fastned to the Ephod behind, and to the Girdle before: and so the Ephod hung low behind like a Womans Vail, and came but short before, like some Workmens Aprons hanging over their shoulders, and coming down but to their Breasts. Upon these shoulder pieces were two Beryl stones set in Gold, in which the names of the Twelve Tribes were ingraven, six in one stone on the one shoulder, and six in the other: so equally divided for the Letters, that there were 25 Letters in either stone, and Josephs name was written Jehoseph to make the equality, and so he is called and written, Psal. 81. 6.

Upon these shoulder-pieces there were two bosses of Gold, near to these stones, into which, two Gold Chains, which tyed the Brest-plate to the Ephod, were so fastned, that Brest-plate and Ephod might not be parted: and who so willingly parted them was to be whipt.

6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Brest-plate. This was a rich piece of Cloth of Gold, an hand-bredth square, double; set with twelve Precious Stones in four rowes, three in a row; these are called Urim and Thummim, Exod. 28. 30. which are eminently mentioned in Scripture, and famous for the inquiring by Urim and Thummim, and Gods answering by them, the manner of which we have discoursed elsewhere. k 1.11 In the second Temple they made a Brest-plate and Urim and Thummim, that is, set the Stones in the Brest-plate, but ne∣ver inquired by them, because the Spirit of Prophesie was then departed.

7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Miter. So it is almost Englished in Philoes Greek, when speaking of the High-priests garb, he saith among other things, l 1.12 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that in the service he never went without the Miter. m 1.13 This was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. A bonnet [saith Josephus] without a Crown, which went not over all his head, but only a little above the middle of it: sitting upon his head as it were a Crown. It was made of linnen, and was a long kind of swaddles of a large bredth, which he wrapt oft about his head, and complicated it in and out: That the wrapping or warping of it up about his head was after the manner of the Turkish Tullibants; only it wanted a crown, but was open on the top, sitting on his brows after the manner of a Garland.

8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The golden plate, Exod. 28. 36. this was fastned on the front of the Miter: and in it was ingraven Holiness to the Lord: n 1.14 And between the Miter and the Plate he put and wore his Phylacteries.

Thus was the High-priest drest, exceeding rich and exceeding gorgeous: and his office eminent, and high in dignity; but the choicest eminency of it, was in what it typified and resembled, the great High-priest that was to come; the explication and application of which Type and Antitype is so abundantly set forth in the Scripture, espe∣cially in the Epistle to the Hebrews, that it is needless to insist upon it: Let us only for conclusion take the testimony of one that was either a stranger or an enemy to the Gospel, and yet in this point and matter speaketh exceeding consonant and concur∣rent to it, and that is Philo the Jew whom we mentioned before, who speaking di∣vers things concerning the High-priest concludes thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. o 1.15 We say that the High-priest meaneth not a Man but the Word of God: who was free from all sin, both voluntary and unvoluntary. And if any one desire to see how allegorically he applieth the several parcels of the High-priests Garments to the several parts of the World, Air, Earth, Water, Fire, &c. he may have him at large discoursing it, according to his ac∣customed fluency, in his third book de Vita Mosis, pag. apud me 519, 520, 521. where after he hath spent a great deal of time and words, and fancy to little profit, he at last comes on with this Golden Saying, worthy a Thousand Volumes of such stuff as he had produced before: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. p 1.16 It was necessary that he set∣ting up a Priest to the father of the world, should use his most absolutely perfect Son for a Mediator or Advocate both for the obtaining of pardon of sin, and supply of abundant good.

An High-priest once installed was High-priest for his life. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. q 1.17 For none was deposed from this honour, when he had once obtained it: that is, not by any legal deposition: but Money and Power at the last broke this priviledge▪ and the High-priests were frequently thrust in and thrust out by these, ac∣cording as the one or the other prevailed: as the Gemara on the Treatise Joma maketh mention, and Josephus in divers places giveth example.

The High-priest in some things was nothing differenced from others of the People. r 1.18 He might be a witness in causes, and might be witnessed against as well as any other. He might be a Judge as well as any other, and he might be judged. Nay 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. s 1.19 If he committed an offence which by the Law deserved whipping, the great Sanhedrin whipt him, and then he was restored again to his dignity. His shoe was pulled off for not raising seed to his bro∣ther [though by the Law he might not do it, being not permitted to marry a Widow,] and his Wife so left, might pull off the shoe of the next kinsman: and several other things might be mentioned in which the High-priest in point of Law or Practice had no pri∣viledge above other men, or difference from them, which are not material to insist upon, to our purpose.

But there were some things again in which he was differenced from the rest of the Peo∣ple, and that not only in regard of the Dignity of his Function [in which he was also distinguished from the rest of the Priests] but also in regard of some things in Civil Con∣verse. As had he any of his that died, he might not follow the Corps to the Grave, he might not rent his Clothes for the dead: he might not be vailed if others were vailed, nor unvailed if they were unvailed, but still in a contrary Garb to them; whilst others sate on the ground he sate on a Seat; and divers particular differences which it would be tedious to recite.

His difference from the rest of the Priests was especially in his superiority above them, in his anointing or cloathing with the rich garments, and in his service on the day of Expiation.

Notes

• a 1.1

  ••. Sol•• in 1 Chr. 24.
• b 1.2

  Targ. in Gin. 49.
• c 1.3

  Iucasin fol. 15.
• d 1.4

  Ioma per. 1.
• e 1.5

  Maym in Talmud Corah. per▪ 3
• f 1.6

  Id in K••l•• Mikdash. per. 4.
• g 1.7

  Id. ib. per. 8.
• * 1.8

  ••alm. Iorus in Succah. per. 5.
• h 1.9

  Ioseph. Ant. lib▪ 3. cap 8.
• i 1.10

  Philo de Vita Mosio l. 3. p. apud me. 519.
• k 1.11

  Maym. ubi supr. per. 16.
• l 1.12

  Philo in lib. de profugis. pag. apud me 364.
• m 1.13

  Ioseph. Ant. ubi sup.
• n 1.14

  Maym. ubi up. per. 10.
• o 1.15

  Philo ubi supra.
• p 1.16

  Id. p. 521.
• q 1.17

  Ioseph. Ant lib. 15. cap. 3
• r 1.18

  Sadbedr. per. 2.
• s 1.19

  Maym. in Biath. Mikdash per. 4.