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SECT. V. The manner of bringing and presenting their first fruits.
NOT to insist upon the several sorts of things out of which the first fruits were to be paid, nor upon the manner of setting them apart for first fruits at their own homes, of which the Talmud doth debate at large; this being somewhat out of the Virge of our discourse, because so far out of the Virge of the Temple; their custom and Cere∣mony in bringing of them up thither and presenting them there, cometh nearer within our compass, and that was thus, a 1.1 All the Cities that belonged to such or such a sta∣tion, met together at the chief City of the station, and there lodged all night in the streets; and the reason of this their gathering thus together, was because they would go together by multitudes, according to what is said, the multitude of People is the Kings honour; and the reason of their lodging in the streets was, lest going into houses they should be defiled. In the morning the President or chief among them, called them up betime with this note, Arise and let us go up to Sion to the Lord our God, and they set away: Before them there went an Ox with his horns gilded, and a Garland or Crown of Olive branches upon his head: and a Pipe playing before them, till they came near to Jerusalem, and they often rehearsed that saying, I was glad when they said, Let us go up to the house of the Lord, compare Esay 30. 29. They travelled not all day when they travelled, but only two parts of it, because they would not spoil their solemnity with toyling: when they were come near Jerusalem, they sent in a Messenger to give notice of their coming, and they flowred and deckt their baskets, and exposed some of the freshest fruits to sight: upon notice of their coming, the chief men of the Priesthood went out to meet them; and when they were come within the City, they rehearsed these words, Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem: and all the Tradesmen in their shops stood up as they came by, and saluted them, O our brethren of such a place you are welcome. The Pipe went play∣ing before them, till they came to the Mountain of the House, and when they came there, every one (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) yea, though it were King Agrippa himself, (saith the Tradition) was to take his Basket upon his shoulder, and so to walk up till he came to the Court; and all the way as they went, they said over the hundred and fiftieth Psalm, Praise ye the Lord, praise God in his Sanctuary, &c.
Being come into the Court, the Priests began and sung the Thirtieth Psalm, I will extol thee O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me.
With his Basket on his shoulder, the man begins and says, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come into the Country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us, Deut. 26. 3. and then beginning to say, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, &c. he takes down the Basket from his shoulder, and holds it by the edges, and the Priest putting his hands under it, waves it up and down, and he goes on and says, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, &c. even to the middle of the tenth verse; and so he sets down his Basket by the side of the Altar, and boweth and goeth forth. They used by their Baskets as they brought them, to hang Turtles or Pigeons, which were to be for an offering, and the fruits them∣selves went to the Priests of the Course that then served; and the party that brought them must lodge in Jerusalem all night after he had presented them, and the next morning he might return home. They might not offer their first fruits before the Feast of Pente∣cost (compare Act. 2. and Rom. 8. 23.) nor after the Feast of Dedication.