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.

VERS. XV.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

He is Lunatick.

LUke IX. 39. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. A spirit taketh him, Mark IX. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Hath a dumb spirit.

I. He that is skilled in the Talmudick Writings will here remember what things are said concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A deaf and mad man, concerning whom there is so much menti∣on in their Writings.

h 1.1 There are five who do not pay the Trumah, but, if they do, their Trumah is no Trumah: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The deaf and dumb, the lunatick, &c. i 1.2 Any one is fit to sacrifice a Beast, except 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A dumb and deaf, a lunatick and a child: and very many passages of this nature, &c. I have rendred 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 deaf and dumb, according to the sense of the Masters, who in the place first cited, do thus interpret the word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 concerning which the wise men speak, is he who neither heareth, nor speaketh. See there the Jerusalem Gemara, where, among other things, this occurs not unworthy our noting, That all the sons of R. Jochanan ben Gudgoda were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 deaf and dumb.

II. It was very usual to the Jews to attribute some of the more grievous diseases to evil spirits, specially those, wherein either the body was distorted, or the mind disturbed and tossed with a phrensie.

:〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 k 1.3 If any one vexed with an evil Spirit shall say, when their disease did first invade him, write a Bill of Divorce for my wife, &c.

:〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 l 1.4 If any, whom Kordicus vexeth, say, Write a Bill of Divorce for my wife, &c. Kordicus, say the Glossers, is a Demon, which rules over those that drink too much new Wine. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 What is Kordicus? Samuel saith, When new Wine out of the press hath caught any one. m 1.5 Rambam, upon the place, hath these words, Kor∣dicus is a disease generated from the repletion of the Vessels of the Brain, whereby the under∣standing is confounded, and it is a kind of Falling-sickness. Behold the same, a Demon and a disease! to which the Gemarists applied Exorcisms and a Diet. See n 1.6 Bab. Gittin.

o 1.7 Shibta is an evil Spirit, who taking hold on the necks of infants, dries up and contracts their nerves.

p 1.8 He that drinks up double cups 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Is punished by the Devil.

From this Vulgar opinion of the Nation, namely, That Devils are the Authors of such kind of diseases, one Evangelist brings in the Father of this child, saying of him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He is lunatick, another, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He hath a spirit. He had been dumb and deaf from his birth, to that misery was added a phrensie, or, a Lycanthropy, (which kind of disease it was not unusual with the Nation to attribute to the Devil) and here, in truth a Devil was present.

Notes

• h 1.1

  Truma, cap. 1. Hal. 1.
• i 1.2

  Cholin, cap. 1. Hal. 1.
• k 1.3

  Maimon. in Gerush••n, cap. ••▪
• l 1.4

  ••ittin, cap. 7 Hal. 1.
• m 1.5

  Gemar. Bab. which see.
• n 1.6

  Fol. 67. 2.
• o 1.7

  Aruch, In Shibta.
• p 1.8

  Bab. Berac▪ fol. 51. 2.