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. XIV. (Book 14)

SECT. I. Of the Solemnity and Rites of the first day in the Passover Week of the Hagigah, and Peace Offering of rejoycing.

THE next day after the Passover was eaten was holy, and no servile work to be done in it, but it was accounted and kept as a Sabbath, and so it is called, Lev. 23. 6, 7, 15. a 1.1 On this day all the Males were to appear in the Court of the Temple, and to bring with them a burnt offering for their appearance, and a double peace offering, one for the solemnity, and another for the joy of the times The offering for their appearance was called Corban Raajah, and they conclude it due from these words, None of you shall appear before me empty, Exod. 23. 15. Yet if any one failed of bringing such a gift, his shame and his conscience go with it, but there was no penalty upon him, because though he had broken a Negative Precept, yet there was no work nor action done by him in it.

The peace offerings for the solemnity of the time were called the Hagigah, and they were to be of some Beast, Bullock or Sheep. Hereupon in 2 Chron. 30. 24. & 35. 7. 8. there is mention of Bullocks and Oxen for the Passover; and in Deut. 16. 2. there is speech of sacrificing the Passover of the herd; which cannot be understood of the Passover that was to be eaten on the fourteenth day at Even, for that was punctually, and determinately appointed to be of Lambs or Kids, Exod. 12. 5. but it is to be construed of these peace offerings which were for the solemnity of the time. And this is that which the Evangelist John calleth the Passover, when he saith, The Jews went not into Pilates judgment Hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover, Joh. 18. 28. For they had eat∣en the Paschal Lamb the night before.

They held themselves obliged by the Law, as to appear at the three solemn festivals, and to pay their offerings and their services then due, so to make merry and to rejoyce, and cheer up one another, because it is said, Thou shalt rejoyce before the Lord, Deut. 16. 11, 14, &c. And hereupon they took up the use of Wine at the Passover Supper, as was ob∣served before; and hereupon they took up other peace offerings besides the Hagigah at the Passover solemnity, and called them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The peace offerings of rejoycing And by the offering of these two sorts of peace offerings, it is like they thought them∣selves the better discharged though they brought not the offering of their appearance; for if they brought these, they might the better think they appeared not empty. And so Levi Gershom construeth that passage concerning Elkanah, that he went up yearly from his City to Shiloh, to sacrifice to the Lord, in application to these sorts of peace offerings, rather than any other offering, for it meaneth (saith he) that b 1.2 he sacrificed his peace offerings of rejoycing, and his peace offerings for the Hagigah.

The time for the offering of these they accounted the first day of the Festival to be most proper, and they strove to dispatch upon it that they might return home the soon∣er, but if these Sacrifices were offered in any day of the Festival, it served the turn.

On this first day of the Feast, when these great matters were to be in hand, namely their appearing in the Court and offering these their Sacrifices of solemnity and rejoycing at the last Passover of our Saviour, they shewed themselves otherwise employed, for on this day they crucified the Lord of Life.

In reference to whose judging, condemning, and executing, though it be somewhat be∣side the bent of the present discourse, let the Reader scan two or three of their Tra∣ditions.

• 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 c 1.3 They might begin no judgments in the night, nor re∣ceived they any witness in the night, but the judgments were to be in the day only: yet were they in the examination and judgment of our Saviour all night long.
• 2. d 1.4 The judging of a false Prophet was only to be by the great Sanhedrin of seventy and one: Under this notion they blasphemously accused and arraigned our Saviour, Joh. 18. 19. Luke 23. 2. and unto this, those words of his refer, Luke 13. 33. It cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
• 3. e 1.5 They put not an Elder that transgresseth against the determination of the great San∣hedrin to death, neither at the Sanhedrin that was in his own City, nor at the Sanhedrin that was at Jabneh, but they bring him up to the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, and keep him till a solemn festival, and execute him at the Feast; according to what is said, That all the People may hear and fear, &c.

SECT. II. The second day in the Passover Week. The gathering and offering of the first fruits Omer.

THE first and last days of the solemn festival Weeks were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Holy days, or good days; and the observation of them differed little in strictness from the observation of the Sabbath. See Lev. 23. 7, 8, &c. Now the days between them were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Moed Katon, or the lesser solemnity; a 1.6 in which, although there were not the like strictness of observance that there was of the Holy days, yet was there a distinction made betwixt them and other ordinary times: and divers things were prohibited, especially by their Traditions, to be done in them, which were permitted to be done on other days. And as for the service and imployment in the Temple, there was commonly more work and sacrificing on these days than on other ordinary days, because the peace offerings due or reserved to that time, could not all be dispatched on the other days, but did take up much of these days, and did find the Priests more than ordinary attendance and imployment about the Altar.

On this day that we have in hand, namely, the second day of the Passover week, whatsoever else of extraordinary offering was on it, there never failed to be the offer∣ing and waving of the first fruit sheaf before the Lord: The Law for this is given in Lev. 23. 10, 11. When ye be come into the Land which I give unto you, you shall reap the Har∣vest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your Harvest unto the Priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: the morrow after the Sab∣bath the Priest shall wave it: Where by the word Sabbath is to be understood, not the Sabbath day in the proper sense, but the first day in the Passover Week, of which we have spoken, which was so solemn an holy day: And so the Chaldee Paraphrast, and se∣veral other Jews do well interpret it.

The Rites about gathering and offering this first fruits sheaf are largely described by Tosaphta ad Menachoth to be after this manner a 1.7: Rabbi Ismael saith, The Omer or first fruits sheaf, if it came on the Sabbath day, (properly so called, as it did that very day that our Saviour rested in the grave) it came in three Seahs, but if on another day it came in five: but the wisemen say, whether Sabbath or other day all was one, it came in three Seahs: Abba Saul said, On the Sabbath it was reaped by one man, and with one sickle, and in one Basket: but on another day it was reaped by three men, and in three baskets, and with three sickles: But the wise men said, Sabbath or other day it was all one, it was by three men, and in three baskets, and with three sickles: The first fruits sheaf came out of the vale of the ashes by the brook Kidron, &c. The day of waving it lighting on the Sabbath, the Sabbath was dispensed with for the reaping of it: And how was it done? Those that the Sanhedrin sent about it, went out, at the Evening of the holy day, (the first day of the Passover Week) they took baskets and sickles, &c. They went out on the holy day when it began to be dark, and a great company went out with them: when it was now dark one said to them, On this Sabbath, on this Sabbath, on this Sabbath; In this Basket, in this Basket, in this Basket; R. Eliezer the son of Zadock saith, With this Sickle, with this Sickle, with this Sickle, every particular three times over. And they an∣swer him, well, well, well, I will reap, and he bids them reap. And why do they thus? Because of the Baithusaeans (the Sadduces) who said that the reaping of the first fruit sheaf is not on the end of the holy day. They reap it and put it into the basket, and bring it into the Court: and pass it through the fire; that they might answer the command about parch∣ed corn. The words of Rabbi Meir, But the wise men say, That is not to be meant so, but there was a hollow vessel full of holes, so that the fire might go quite through it in the Court, and the wind blew on it, (in which they put the Corn suddenly to dry it that it might grind) and they put it on a Mill to get out a tenth deal, &c. One takes the tenth deal and puts its oil and frankincense on it, and mingles them, and waves it, and takes out a handful and puts it on the Altar, and the rest is for the Priest to eat. As soon as the Omer is offered, they go out and find Jerusalem streets full of Meal and parched Corn: which was not according to the mind of the wise men. The words of R. Meir: But the wise men say; that it was according to the mind of the wise men, for as soon as the Omer was offered, new Corn was permitted.

SECT. IV. The Feast of Pentecost, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

FRom this day and occasion, namely from the offering of the first fruits Omer they began to count the Weeks to Pentecost, even seven Weeks forward. This day was the first of the number, and the next day after the expiring of seven Weeks, being the fiftiethday from hence, was Pentecost day, as is imported in the very word. It was dated from the offering of the first Corn, because that Solemnity and this Festival had some relation one to another: The presenting of the first sheaf, was an introduction to Harvest, and the Feast of Pentecost was a return or offering of their Harvest; by that they had liberty to begin to put the sickle into the Corn and to reap, and at this they offered an offering of their Corn now reaped and inned. Therefore this Solemnity is some∣times called in Scripture the Feast of Harvest, Exod. 23. 16. and sometimes the Feast of weeks, Deut. 16. 10. because of the reckoning of the seven Weeks from that day to it, and sometimes Pentecost, Act. 2. 1. because it was the fiftieth day from that: and so the Jews themselves call it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a 1.8 the fiftieth day, or Pentecost.

But the Jews in their Writings do most commonly call this Feast by the name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Atsereth, and so do the Chaldee Paraephrasts use it in Numb. 28. 26. although b 1.9 Abar∣bonel doth observe that this Feast alone, of all the three, is not called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Atsereth in the Scripture. The word doth properly signifie a resraining or a shutting up, and from that signification it is taken to signifie a solemn holy day, or assembling, as being interdi∣cted and restrained from work, 2 King 10. 20. Joel 1. 4. Amos 5. 21, &c. But whether this Feast were so called by them in so singular a manner, because that was the time of the restraining of rains, it being the very middle of Harvest, or because the offering of their first fruits was restrained till this time, or because the festival joy of Harvest was yet restrained, and not as yet full, or for what cause else, I shall not be much sollicitous to determine; but certainly some of the Rabbins give such intimation as might seem to give some strength to the supposal upon one of the two latter. For Maymony relateth c 1.10 that they brought not any first fruits before 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pentecost, because it is said, the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of thy labours: And if they brought any, they received them not from them, but laid them by till Pentecost. And Baal Hatturim hath this saying, d 1.11 There is no rejoycing spoken of at the Passover, because the fruits were yet in the field: But at 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pentecost, when Corn is now reaped, and Wine is now in the Grapes, there is one rejoycing spoken of, Deut. 16. 11. But at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all is inned, then re∣joycing is twice mentioned, Deut. 16. 14, 15.

The solemnity of this day and feast was: 1. e 1.12 That all the Males were to appear at it, as at the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles. 2. f 1.13 They were to offer two cakes bak'd with leaven, of the Corn of the Harvest now reaped, or of new Corn: and if it be questioned why with leaven now, seeing there was so express commands against leaven at the Passover, some of the Jews do give this pertinent reason: g 1.14 because these loaves or cakes were an offering in behalf of the bread which they were ordina∣rily to eat, (for these were first fruits of their Wheat) but their bread at the Passover was commemorative of their hasty departing out of Egypt, when they could not stay to have their bread leavened: Their Passover bread was for a memorial, their Pentecost cakes were not. At Passover they could only say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Here is unleavened bread 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But at Pentecost, Here is unleavened bread (for the meat offe∣ring) and leavened too (for the two cakes) h 1.15 as the Gentarists descant upon this matter. These cakes were made square, each cake seven hand-breadth long, four broad, and four high.

3. With these cakes were also offered seven Lambs, and one Bullock, and two Rams for a burnt offering, a Kid for a sin offering, and two Lambs for a peace offering. And these two Lambs were the only peace offerings that the Congregation offered: and these peace offerings only were reckoned in the rank of the most holy offerings.

Now these Lambs being Peace offerings, were to be waved up and down with the two cakes, for so is the command express, Lev. 23. 20. and the manner of that action was thus: i 1.16 The Priest first waved the Lambs up and down whilst they were yet alive, and then slew them: and having flead them, he took out the breast and shoul∣der of either of them, and laid them close besides the two cakes, and putting his hand under them he waved them all together, upwards and downwards, and this way and that way, and all towards the East; and afterwards burnt their inwards, and the Priest

ate the rest of the flesh. And as for the Cakes the High-Priest took the one, and the other was divided among all the Courses who were then present.

It was not so much the solemnity or multitude of the Sacrifices of this day that challenged the appearance of all the People in the whole Land, though the offerings were many and solemn, but it was the Memorial which the Feast carried with it, namely of the Law, being given to Israel, at that time of the year from Mount Sinai.

On this day was the Hallel sung, as was intimated before, and on this day was the great gift of tongues visibly bestowed upon the Disciples.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Talm. in Hagigah per. 1. Maym. in Hagig per. 1.
• b 1.2

  R. Lev. Gersom. in 1 Sam. 1.
• c 1.3

  Maym. in Sanhedr. per. 6.
• d 1.4

  Talm. in Sanhedr. per. 1.
• e 1.5

  Ib. per. 1.
• a 1.6

  Talm. in Moed Katon. per. 1, &c.
• a 1.7

  Tosaphta ad Menachoth▪ per. 10.
• a 1.8

  Maym. in Talmud per. 8. R. Sol. in Lev. 23.
• b 1.9

  Abarb. in Liv. 3.
• c 1.10

  Maym. in Biccurim. per. 2.
• d 1.11

  Baal. Tu∣rim in Deut. 16.
• e 1.12

  Exod. 23. 16.
• f 1.13

  Ier. 23. 16, 17.
• g 1.14

  Abarb. ubi supr.
• h 1.15

  Talm. Ier∣vus. in Succah. per. 5.
• i 1.16

  Maym. ubi supr.