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. XLVII. Iericho it self. (Book 47)

WE read that this City was not only wasted by Josua with fire and sword, but cursed also. Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up, and build that City Jericho, Jos. VI. 26. a 1.1 Nor was another City to be built, (say the Talmudists) which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho it self to be built, although to be called by another name. And yet I know not by what chance, this City crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second City to Hierusalem. The same persons which were just now cited, suppose, that the Restorer of it was Hiel, the son of Jehosaphat, to wit, the same with Jechiel, 2 Chron. XXI. 2. b 1.2 Hiel, say they, was of Jehoshaphat, and Jericho of Benjamin. And that is a just scruple, which R. David ob∣jects, c 1.3 How it came about, that the pious King Jehoshaphat should suffer such a horrid thing to be done within his Kingdom? Much more, how this should have been done by his son? Let them dispute the business, we hasten some where else.

That which ought not to be done, being once done stands good. Hiel did a cursed thing in building Jericho: yet Jericho was not to be cursed being now built. A little af∣ter its restauration it was made noble by the Schools of the Prophets, 2 Kings II. 5. and it flourished with the rest of the Cities of Judea unto the destruction of the Nation by the Babylonians.

It flourished more under the second Temple, so that it gave place to no City in Judea; yea, all gave place to it, besides Jerusalem. d 1.4 A royal Palace was in it, e 1.5 where Herod ended his days: f 1.6 an Hippodromus, where the Jewish Nobility being imprisoned by him, were to be slain, when he expired: g 1.7 an Amphitheatre, where his Will was publickly open∣ed, and read over: and sometime a Sessions of the Sanhedrin, and a noble troup of those that waited in their Courses at the Temple.

h 1.8 The Elders sometime assembled together in the Chamber Beth-gadia in Jericho: The Bath Kol went forth, and said to them, There are two among you, who are fit to receive the Holy Ghost, and Hillel is one of them: They cast their eyes upon Samuel the Little, as the Second. Another time the Elders assembled together in a Chamber in Jafne; the Bath Kol went forth, and said, There are two among you, who are sit to receive the Holy Ghost, and Samuel the Little is one of them, They cast their eyes upon R. Lazar. And they rejoyced, that their judgment agreed with the sentence of the Holy Ghost.

i 1.9 There is a Tradition, that there were at Jerusalem twenty four thousand men of the Sta∣tion; and half a Station (that is twelve thousand men) at Jericho. Jericho also could have produced an whole Station, but because she would give place to Jerusalem, she produced only the half of a Station.

Behold! five hundred men of every Course residing at Jericho! But what were they? They were ready at hand to supply any courses that wanted, if there were any such at Jerusalem; and they took care of supplying them with necessaries who officiated at Jerusalem. Hence it is the less to be wondred at, if you hear of a Priest and a Levite passing along in the Parable of him that travailed between Jerusalem and Jericho, Luke X. 31, 32.

In so famous and populous a Town, there could not but be some Councel of three and twenty, one at least of more remark, if not more, when so many of the Stations dwelling there were at hand, who were fit to be employed in Government; and so many to be governed.

k 1.10 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The men of Jericho are famed for six things done by them: in three of which the chief Councel consented to them, but in the other three they consented not. Those things, concerning which they opposed them not, were these.

I. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They engrafted, or folded together Palmtrees every day. Here is need of a long Commentary, and they produce one but very obscure. The bu∣siness of the men of Jericho was about Palmtrees; which they either joyned together, and mingled males with females, or they ingrafted, or (as they commonly say) inocu∣lated the more tender sprouts of the branches into those that were older. So much indulgence was granted them by the Wise-men concerning the time, wherein these things are done, which elsewhere would scarcely have been suffered, unless, as it seems, the nature of the place, and of the Groves of Palms required it.

II. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They folded up the recitations of their Phylacteries: that is, ei∣ther not speaking them out distinctly, or omitting some doxologies, or Prayers, or pronouncing them with too shrill a voice. See the Gemara and the Gloss.

III. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They reaped, and gathered in their Sheaves before the Sheaf (of first fruits) was offered: and this, partly because of the too early ripeness of their Corn in that place, and partly, because their Corn grew in a very low Val∣ley, and therefore it was not accounted fit to be offered unto the Mincha, or daily sacrifice. See the Gloss.

The three things, concerning which the Wise-men consented not to them, were these.

I. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Such fruits and branches, also certain fruits of the Sycomine-trees, which their fathers had devoted to sacred uses, they alienated into common.

II. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They eat on the Sabbath day ander the tree such fruits as fell from the tree, although they were uncertain, whether they had fallen on the Sabbath day, or the Eve of the Sabbath: for such as fell on the Sabbath were forbidden.

III. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They granted a corner of the Garden for herbs, in the same manner as a corner of the Field was granted for corn.

Let the description of this City and place be concluded with those words of the Talmud in the place noted in the margin. l 1.11 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Do they use a certain form of prayer upon Balsome? Blessed be he, who hath created the oyntment of our land. The Gloss is, The oyntment of our land: for it grows at Jericho, and for its smell it is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Jericho: and it is that Pannag, of which mention is made in the book of Eze∣kiel, Judah and the land of Israel were thy Merchants in wheat of Minnith, and Pan∣nag. This I have seen in the book of Josephus ben Gorion. Judge, Reader.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Hieros. San∣hedr. fol 29. 4.
• b 1.2

  Id. Ibidem.
• c 1.3

  Kimchi upon 1 King. 16.
• d 1.4

  Strabo, lib. 16
• e 1.5

  Joseph. Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10.
• f 1.6

  Ibid. cap. 8.
• g 1.7

  Id. de Bello, lib. 1. cap. ult.
• h 1.8

  Hieros. Avod. Zarah, fol. 42. 3
• i 1.9

  Id. Taanith, fol. 67. 4.
• k 1.10

  Pesach. cap. 4 hal 8.
• l 1.11

  Bab. Berach. fol. 43. 1.