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.

II. Concerning his Learning and Studies.

NAture had endued him with a strong and sound constitution of Body: so that in his old age he was able closely to follow his Studies without finding any inconve∣nience by it: and though he had not spared his Eyes in his younger years, yet they still remained good; for which he blesseth God in a Letter to the Learned Buxtroph, Anno 1664. And divers years after that, he acknowledgeth the same blessing of health in his Epistle to his last Book that he put forth, which was not above a year or two before his death: calling it Vivacitatem corporis, animi atque oculorum; The Vivacity of his Body, Mind and Eyes. This excellent temperament qualified him for Study. Which he pur∣sued hard all his days. He had read much. Which may be gathered from his Note Books, wherein are short Notes from Book to Book and from Chapter to Chapter, of the chief Contents of many Authors, collected by his own Hand, and both Fathers and Historians,

and especially the latter: and such of them chiefly as might afford him light into the affairs of the Church in the earliest times of it. And hereby he laid himself in a good stock of materials to make use of in his future Rabbinical Studies. That abstruse and more recondite Learning he from his younger years greatly affected. To those Studies* 1.1, he tells us himself, he was most servently carried out, ex innato mihi nescio quo genio, by he could not tell what innate Genius: and that there was nothing so sweet and delicate to him: * 1.2 istis deliciis nihil mihi dulcius delicatiusque.

Indeed this Learned Man seemed to have a Genius, that naturally affected the Study of such things, as were beyond the sphere of ordinary and common Learning; and deligh∣ted to tread in * 1.3 untrodden paths, to use his own phrase; and loved to lead rather than follow. He was willing to spare no labour, and to take up all things at the first Hand: as he speaks somewhere. And this appeared by the very Title that he gave some of his Books. His Observations upon Genesis are called by him New and rarely heard of. In his Handful of Gleanings, he promiseth solution of difficulties scarcely given by any hereto∣fore: And in the second part of his Harmony published Anno 1647. he professeth to give Observations upon Text and Story, not commonly obvious, and more rare and unnoted. And that Proposition before mentioned, of a just History of the Jews, bespake the high and more than ordinary flights of his Learned mind. But especially his Harmony shewed this. Wherein he reckons himself the first that ever essayed a Work of that nature in the English Language: which he himself calls an untrodden path, and a bold ad∣venture.

But let us follow him to his beloved Rabbies, or rather to the beloved Writings of the ill-beloved Authors. Of whom he gave this character, That the Doctrine of the Go∣spel had no more bitter enemies than they, and yet the Text no more plain Interpreters. The reason he bent himself to the Study of them was because he was fully convinced an insight into their Language and Customs was the best way to a safe and sure understanding of the New Testament; which he thirstily gasped and breathed after the knowledge of. And though the barbarous and difficult style, and the great store of trifling, wherewith they abound, might, and doth, justly discourage many from reading them, yet Dr. Lightfoot undervalued all hardships and discouragements for the compassing that great and noble end he aimed at. Let us now view him tugging day and night at these Studies, and espe∣cially take notice of that excellent method he proposed to himself for the prosecuting them with the more fruit and advantage. Which was to Note, 1. Whatsoever any way tended to illustrate the Phrase or Story of the New Testament. 2. Whatsoever tended to the better knowledge of the places in the Land of Canaan. And 3. whatsoever re∣lated to History, and especially that of the Jews. And to acquaint you more particular∣ly how he ordered himself in taking up these notices, he used large Note-books in Folio. And therein he digested what he intended to Note, as he read the Talmuds, and other Jewish Books, under such Titles as these: Quaedam de Terra Israelitica sparsim collecta; Things scatteringly collected concerning the Land of Israel. And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Quaenam. What was the Land of Israel. And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Things appropriated to the Land of Israel. And there is an Alphabet by him framed, in this method: A 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 B 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 C 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. K 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 D 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. E 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Graec. G 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. H 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. L 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A, &c. Under which according to their initial Letters he used to reduce all places of the Holy Land mentioned in the Tal∣mud, and something of their Situation, or History, with references unto the page of the Tracts, where they were mentioned. And lastly, There is another Title, viz. Places in Babylonia, under which he collected the Names and Stories of Towns or Cities in that Country also.

He was very curious indeed in tracing the Countries and places mentioned in Scripture, and especially wherein the Jewish Nation were any ways concerned. This sufficiently ap∣pears in his laborious Disquisitions premised before each of his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations. And in one of his Note Books, he is tracing with much accuracy the Marches of Israel out of Egypt, under this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Motions and Stations of Israel in their March out of Egypt. Pity it is, it was not perfected by him.

He read over both Talmuds often, and with great deliberation, as appears from several of his Paper Books, in which are many rough Notes of the Contents thereof taken by him at several times; and sometimes short Observations of his own thereupon. He seem∣ed to have had a Design of publishing a brief account of the Jerusalem Talmud, and of the chief matters, whereof it treats from Tract to Tract. For there is such a thing fair∣ly written out by him in Latin, bearing this Title, Index aliqualis Talmudis Hierosoly∣mitani. But it is imperfect, reaching but to the seventh Tract of the first Classis.

He was as studious of the Sacred Chronology, of the Old and New Testament, as, we have seen, he was of the Chorography of the Holy Land: as accounting this highly neces∣sary to the understanding of the Scriptures. When it was once debated by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster in what parts of Learning the Candidates for holy Orders

should be examined, and some were for waving the trying them in Scripture Chronology, Doctor Lightfoot urged the necessity of it in order to the apprehending the sense of the Sacred Volumes; alledging, that he held, that he read not Scripture, who was not expert in Chronology. And he prevailed in that debate. His abilities in that sort of Learning may be seen in several of his Works published, and in divers rude Essayes in MS.

He had long and very carefully searched into the Translation of the LXX, and com∣pared it verse by verse with the Hebrew Original, as appears by his MS. under this Title, Discrepantiae 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 LXX a textu Hebraeo, with brief Notes here and there. And under ano∣ther Title, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 LXX, he enumerates all their errors throughout the whole Translation; and them he makes to be very many in this method; Inaniter addita Periculose decurtata. Sensum clarum obsuscantia. Vitiantia pulchrum. Reddita in sensum, alienum. Reddita in sensum plane contrarium. Reddita in sensum nullum. Traditiones Ju∣daicas redolentia. Hebraica retenta. Reddita pro fama gentis. Pro fama textus. Paraphra∣ses. Propria nomina facta Appellativa. Numeri male▪ calculati. Locorum nomina recen∣tiora. Vocales male Lectae. Literae male Lectae. Sensus foedatus. Variatio nominum. Ver∣sus male conjuncti, &c. And accordingly under each of these Heads the places of Scrip∣ture, so mistaken are by him disposed, which are infinite. Which cost him no small pains. By these things it appears he was no good friend to the LXX. It was great pity he lived not to digest into a just Volume these his careful Studies concerning the LXX, as he in∣tended to do; and had begun it in Latine, in three or four Chapters, written fair with his own hand, carrying this Title, Disquisitio modesta de LXX, & de Versione Graeca: and had likewise consulted the great Buxtorph about this his purpose.

He was also well seen in Josephus. He seems to have communicated his own Josephus, with Notes of his own written in it, unto Monseir Petit, a Learned Man of Nismes in France: who had laboured hard in preparing a good Edition of that useful Author: For Anno 1666. in a Letter June 12. from Dr. Worthington to him, speaking concerning Petit, he hath these words, I doubt not but when you have your own Josephus returned, you will meet with some observations of your own noted in him. Another French Man about the year 1666. viz. Monseir Le Moyn, reputed to be one of the Learnedest Men in France, and Minister of the Protestant Church at Roan, laboured in the same work that Petit before had done. And for the furthering of his design he wrote to the said Learned and Pious Doctor Worthington, that if he had any thing for the benefit of that Edition, to impart it. Whereupon he applies himself to his old Friend Doctor Lightfoot, (who, as he tells him, was well versed in Josephus) that he would assist him with his hints and short observations upon the doubtful passages in that Author: a thing that he knew would be very acceptable unto that Learned Man. What the issue of this request was, appears not; only we know the Doctor did not use to be backward in communicating any knowledge he had; who had so freely yielded his assistance to the Polyglot Bible, to the Heptaglot Lexicon, and the Synopsis of the Criticks, as we shall see by and by. We are sure Monseir Le Moyn made great use of what the Doctor had before published, especi∣ally in the Chorographical Century before S. Matthew, where he had occasion to speak to several places in Josephus. And so he writes expresly to Doctor Worthington, speaking of his Notes and Exercitations upon Josephus, In iis utor saepissime Lightfootii Talmudice Doctissimi, &c. In these I do very often make use of the Works of Doctor Lightfoot, a man well studied in Talmudical Learning, &c.

What Doctor Worthington contributed to this Work, besides the using his interest with his Learned Friends for the same purpose, let me mention, though not so much to our present Theam. At the Library at S. James's there was a Josephus in Greek, Printed at Basil: probably once belonging to the very Learned Isaac Casaubon; for in the Margin were various Lections written by his hand, which he had gathered out of MSS. and some conjectures and hints of his own; there were also marked in it other Notes of Patrick Young, written most in Greek. These the aforesaid Doctor transcribed, and numbred the Pages and the Lines, which made three Sheets of Paper close written, a matter of no small pains, and sent them over to the said Monseir Le Moyn. But to return to our Author.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ep. Ded. be∣fore the Hor. upon S. John.
• * 1.2

  ubi ante.
• * 1.3

  Ep. before his Harm. pub∣lish. 1647.