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.

§. A voice.

Both the Talmudick, and the latter Rabbins make frequent mention of Bath Kol, Fi∣lia vocis, or an Echoing voice, which served under the second Temple, for their utmost refuge of revelation: For when Urim and Thummim, the Oracle was ceased, and Pro∣phecy was decayed and gone, they had [as they say] certain strange, and extraordina∣ry voices upon extraordinary occasion, which were their warnings, and advertisements in some special matters. Infinite instances of this might be adduced, if they might be believed; one allegation in the Talmud shall serve for all, concerning Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast. When Jonathan the Son of Uzziel, say they, had composed the Tar∣gum of the Prophets, there came Bath Kol, or a divine voice, and said, who hath revealed my secrets to the Sons of men? And when he went about to explain the Chetubbim, or the books of Holy Writ, there came a Bath Kol, or a divine voice again, and said, It is enough. What is the reason? Because in them is revealed the end of the Messias. In Megillah.

Now here it may be doubly questioned: First, Why they called it Bath Kol, The Daughter of a voice, and not a voice it self? And secondly, Whether this voice that we have in hand, were such a voice as that or no? To the first, If the strictness of the He∣brew word Bath be to be stood upon, which it always is not, it may be answered, that it is called the Daughter of a voice, in relation to the Oracle of Urim and Thummim: for whereas that was a voice given from off the Mercy Seat, within the vail, and this up∣on the decay of that Oracle, came as it were in its place, it might not unfitly, nor un∣properly be called a Daughter, or successor of that voice. But to the second, and which is more material and pertinent to the subject in hand, it may be answered, that this voice was not of the nature of their Bath Kol, upon these two reasons.

First, Because this voice came descendingly from Heaven, but their Bath Kol cannot be proved to have descended; or at least to have constantly come from Heaven. For the Migremus hinc, which gave warning of the destruction of the City, came not from above, but from the Temple, as Isa. 66. 6. And this can hardly be denied to have been one of their Bath Kol voices: And if we will believe the Jewish Authors in every place where they give examples of this their Bath Kol, it will appear rather to be such a voice as came to Samuel, which was so far from a perpendicular descending voice, that he could not distinguish whether it were the call of Eli.

Secondly, Because, whereas the Jews repute their Bath Kol, both the last and the lowest kind of divine Revelation among them, this kind of a voice from Heaven, was both most ancient, as Gen. 21. 17. & 22. 11. and also most honourable, Exod. 20. 22. Deut. 4. 33, 36.