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. V.

VERS. II.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

Kept back part of the price, &c.

DIDST thou not remember O Ananias what things had been prophesied concerning the Spirit of the Messiah? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Spirit of the King Messiah, viz. a spirit of Wisdom and understanding, &c. Isai. XI. 2. He shall make him quick of scent in the fear of the Lord. d 1.1 Rabba saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He smelleth and judgeth. Not after the sight of his eyes doth he judge.—Bar-Cozbi reigned two years and an half; and said to the Rabbins, I am the Messiah; they reply upon him, it is written of the Messiah, that he smelleth and judgeth: let us see if thou canst do so also, &c. The Gloss is, He smells out a man whether he be guilty or innocent.

By what apprehension of things Ananias was so deceived, as to think to have deceived the Holy Ghost, is not easie to conceive or guess. He might understand by the instance of Gehazi, how quick and ••agacious the Spirit of a Prophet is, in detecting all cheats and tricks; and did he not suppose the Apostles endowed with a spirit as capable as the Prophet's was? whatever it was that had blinded him to that madness, or hardened him to that daringness in sin, he abides as a dreadful monument throughout all ages of the indignati∣on of God upon all those that shall contemn and vilifie his Holy Spirit: whom if he did not blaspheme within his heart, how near was he to that sin! such mischiefs can Hypo∣crisie and Covetousness bring about!

It is not to be searched out of what degree or quality this Ananias was. There is some probability he was not of the meer vulgar sort, but of some higher rank, because the mention of him falls in with that of Barnabas; and there are more things that do in some measure perswade us. For what hinders why he should not be supposed to have been one of that number upon whom the Holy Ghost had been shed? What Judas was

amongst the twelve, that might he be amongst the hundred and twenty: endowed with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and yet a Devil. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, may have something more in it, than lying to the Holy Ghost. Perhaps it may be the same with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 falsifying the Holy Ghost, and making him a lyar.

VERS. III.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

And Peter said, &c.

WHether St. Peter derived the Authority of sentencing this man to an immediate death from those words of our Lord, whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained, Joh. XXI. or whether from some immediate revelation, or both; he gives a notable in∣stance of his own repentance, and recovery after his fall, whiles he who by a lie, yea even perjury it self, had denyed his Master, doth such severe execution upon another for a lie he was guilty of.

VERS. VI.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

Wound him up, &c.

THEY having no 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 burying Cloths at hand, do bind up the dead man in what fashion they can, and carrying him out of that place commit him to the earth.

VERS. VII.

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

About the space of three hours.

SO long a space of time being spent for interring the deceased, doth seem to hint something as to the distance of the burying place; which in the Cities of the Levites we have thus described: The Suburbical Lands for the Levitical Cities are defined in the Law, to be three thousand cubits from the wall of each side outward. According as it is said, From the wall of the City and outward, a thousand cubits. And it is elsewhere said, ye shall measure from without the City, on the East side two thousand cubits. The thousand cubits are the Suburbs of the City, and those two thousand which they measure beyond those, are for Fields and Vineyards. Now they assign the burying place for each City, beyond all these bounds, because they do not bury their dead within the limits of the City. e 1.2 The burying place from a Levitical City was above a mile and an half distant. Was it so in other Cities that belonged not to the Levites? doubtless burying places were at some distance from all Cities, but whether so far, may be enquired, but must not be the matter of our present search.

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

Not knowing what was done.

Hence probably we may gather the reason why the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, They wound him up, is added. Had the deceased been carried to his own House or Lodgings, by them who brought him out of the Chamber where he fell down dead, to fetch burying cloths, his Wife could not have been ignorant of what had fallen out: but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, They wound him up, as well as they could in his own Cloths, and so carried him out and buried him.

VERS. XIII.

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

And of the rest durst no man joyn themselves unto them.

WHO should these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, rest be? those certainly that were of the number of the hundred and twenty, excepting the XII Apostles. Of this number I pre∣sume Ananias might be one; and the rest being terrified by the fate of one of their own order, conceived so great a dread and reverence for the Apostles, that they durst not joyn with them as their equals.

VERS. XV.

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

That at least the shadow of Peter passing by, might overshadow some of them.

AND why the shadow of Peter more than the rest of the Apostles, who shared an equal authority and power of miracles with himself, ver. 12? 1. It must be supposed that the sick were not brought out in their beds into the streets, unless they had first seen Peter, or were assured that he must pass by. 2. It is a question whether they that brought out their sick, knew any other of the Apostles besides Peter. They had heard him speaking, they had seen him doing, while the rest were silent and sat still. And that which these believers here do, doth not so much argue his preeminence beyond the rest of the Apostles, as that he was more known and noted than the others were.

VERS. XX.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

The words of this life.

THERE is no necessity that these words should beget any difficulty: if we will observe that ver. 17. there is mention of the Sect of the Sadducees. So that the words of this life are words that assert and prove this life (that is, the resurrection) which the Sadducees deny. For the controversie was about Jesus his resurrection.

VERS. XXXIV.

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

Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law.

THIS was Rabban Gamaliel the first, commonly and by way of distinction called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabban Gamaliel the old. He was President of the Council after his own Father Rabban Simeon, who was the Son of Hillel. He was Saint Pauls Master, and five and thirtieth Receiver of the Traditions; and upon this account might not improperly be termed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Doctor of the Laws, because he was one that kept and handed down the Cabbala received from mount Sinai; only that the Rab∣bins of an inferior degree, enjoyed also the same title. He died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem, his Son Simeon succeeding him in the chair, who perisht in the ruines of the City. Whereas he doth in some measure apologize for the Apostles, one might believe, he did favour Christianity. But he died a Pharisee, and if he was not the author, yet did he approve and recommend that prayer entitled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a prayer against the Hereticks, Samuel the little being the Author: and who they meant by Hereticks is easie enough to apprehend. The Counsel therefore that he giveth here seems to be of that nature that had all along been practised between the Sadducees and the Pharisees, one Sect always wishing and looking for the destruction of the other.

VERS. XXXVI.

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

Before these days rose up Thudas.

JOsephus makes mention of one Theudas an impostor, f 1.3 whose Character indeed agrees well enough with this of ours, but they seem to disagree in time. For Josephus brings in his Theudas 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, when Fadus was Governour of Ju∣dea, about the fifth or sixth year of Claudius: and Gamaliel brings in his, before the times of Judas the Galilean.

Those that are advocates for Josephus, do imagine there might be another Theudas besides him that he mentions; and they do but imagine it, for they name none. I could instance indeed in two more of that name, neither of which agree with this of Gamaliel, or will afford any light to the Chronology of Josephus.

I. We meet with one Theudas a Physician, in Bab. Sanhedr. g 1.4 where there is a dispute upon no mean question, viz. where Daniel was at that time that Nebuchadnezar's image was set up and worshipped, that he should all that while come under no examination nor have any the least harm f••ll to him; And it •…•…g answered amongst other things that he was then sent into Egypt to fetch some sw••••e thence: it is objected 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Is it so indeed? but this is the tradition: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Theudas the Physitian saith that neither Cow nor Sow come from Alexandria of Egypt.

II. There is mention of one Theudas a Jew living at Rome. h 1.5 The Tradition of R. Jose saith 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Theudas a man at Rome, taught men (i. e. Jews) at Rome 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that on the Passover nights they should eat whole kids roasted; the Gloss is, the trotters, legs, &c. The Wise men sent to him, threatning excommunication, because he taught Israel 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to eat holy things without, i. e. the Passover at Rome, which it was not lawful to eat but at Jeru∣salem; for, as the Gloss hath it, whosoever should see kids so roasted, would conceive they were consecrated for Paschal Lambs. I am very apt to believe that the procoenium or meal before the Lord's Supper, Cor. XI. 21. might be some such thing as this.

Can we suppose now, that Gamaliel could have either of these Theudas in his eye? In∣deed neither the one nor the other have any agreeableness with that Character that is given of this Theudas about whom we are enquiring. That in Josephus is much more adapted; and grant only that the Historian might slip in his Chronology, and there is no other difficulty in it. Nor do I indeed see why we should give so much deference to Josephus in this matter, as to take such pains in vindicating his care or skill in it. We must (forsooth) find out some other Theudas, or change the stops in the verses, or invent some other plaister for the sore, rather than Josephus should be charged with the least mistake; to whom yet both in History and Chronology it is no unusual thing to trip or go out of the road of truth. I would therefore think that the Theudas in Josephus is this same in Gameliel, only that the Historian mistook in his accounts of time, and so defaced a true story by false Chronology.

VERS. XXXVII.

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

••••das of Galilee.

IN Josephus it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ••udas the Gaulonite, i 1.6 and yet in the title and in∣scription of that Chapter it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 concerning Judas of Galilee, which hath elsewhere occasioned a question, whether some part of the Country be∣yond Jordan went not also under the name of Galilee: but I shall not repeat it here.

Notes

• d 1.1

  Sanhedr. fol. 93. 2.
• e 1.2

  Maimon. She∣mittah Vejobel, cap. 13.
• f 1.3

  Antiqu. l. 20. cap. 2.
• g 1.4

  Fol. 53. ••▪
• h 1.5

  Hieros. Jon. Tobb. fol. 61. 3. & Mo••d Katon, fol. 81. 4. & Beb. Beracoth. fol. 19. 1.
• i 1.6

  Antiqu. lib. 18. cap. 1.