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.

SECT. III. The tryal of the suspected Wife.

THE Law concerning jealousie, and about the tryal of a Wife suspected, given in Num. 5. was understood and practised by the Jews according to these Constructi∣ons and Traditions.

a 1.1 A man before two witnesses had charged his Wife, saying, See thou speak not to such a man; though she did, yet she was still free to her Husband: but if she went with that man into private, and there staid with him such a space, then she was forbidden her Husbands company, and he was to bring her to the Sanhedrin that was next to him; and they sent with him and her two scholars of the wise to the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, lest he should lye with her by the way. Being there they terrified her with terrible and dreadful words, to bring her to confess her fault. If she confessed that she was de∣filed, she tore her Matrimonial Writing in pieces and departed, and so was divorced. But if she stood to justifie her innocency, they brought her through the East Gates (saith the Talmud) which are before the door of the Gate of Nicanor. Which Rambam upon the place expoundeth to mean, that they tugged and toyled her up and down the stairs of those East Gates, to bring her by weariness and faintness to confession. If she yet confessed not, but still pleaded innocent, then she was set in the Gate of Nicanor, which was the East Gate of the Court. And the Priest that was to put her to her tryal, laid hold up∣on her bosom and rent her cloaths open, till he had laid her breasts bare as low as her heart: if she were arrayed in white, black was put upon her, her hair was dishevelled to hang about her shoulders, and if she had Rings or Jewels on, they were taken from her, and he tyed a Cord about her, over her Paps. And whosoever would might come and behold her, unless it were her servants. And here the Talmudick Observation is not impertinent; b 1.2 With what measure one meteth (say they) they measure to him again. She deckt her self to transgress, but God defiles her deckage; She uncovered her self for sin, God discovers her shame; She stood in the gate to shew her self, she is now set in the Gate to shew her reproach; She spread a vail on her head, the Priest lays it under her feet; She platted her hair, the Priest dishevels it; She girded her self in a fair girdle, the Priest girds her with the girdle of affliction; She deckt her face, her face is spit on; She deckt her eyes, her eyes stare forth; She made signs with her fingers, her nayls are pared; Her thigh first began to transgress and then her belly, therefore her thigh is first punished, and then her belly, and her whole body escapeth not.

Her offering which was in a Wecker Basket the Priest put into her hand according to the injunction of the Law, Num. 5. 15, 18. Then took he an earthen Pot and put a little water into it out of the Laver, and going within the Temple door, he took up some dust

from under a stone that was left loose for that purpose, (where it lay we have observed in its proper place) and this dust he strewed upon the water. Then denounced he the curse and wrote it in a Book, even those words, Num. 5. 19, 20, 21, 22. If no man hath lien with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness, &c. But if thou hast gone aside, &c. the Lord make thee a curse, &c. And this water which causeth the curse, shall go into thy bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the Woman an∣swered Amen, Amen. Then blotted he the curses out of the book with the bitter water, and gave her the water to drink. If upon the donuncing of the curses she were so ter∣rified that she durst not drink the water, but confessed she was defiled, the Priest flung down the water, and scattered her offering among the ashes; but if she confessed not, and yet would not drink, they forced her to drink; and if she were ready to cast it up a∣gain, they got her away that she might not defile the place. The operation of these wa∣ters (say the Rabbins) followed after, though sometimes it appeared not of two or three years, for she bare no children, she was sickly, languished, and died of that death.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Talm. in Sot. per. 1.
• b 1.2

  Ibid. & Rab Abbubabh. in menorah. Ner. 1.