were possessed, the high priesthood descended to the heir of the deceased high priest. But the pontifical office was further directed and its dignity secured, by the following regulations: that that every one invested with it should seclude himself from the populace; that he should not expose himself to the people naked; that he should always carefully abstain from public baths and feasts, and invariably preserve the gravity which became him; that, if he wished to visit persons in grief, he should go accompanied by other priests; that he should cut his hair every week, but should never shave it with a razor; that he should attend the sanctuary daily, and not go home more than twice every day; that he should not be compelled to give testimony, except in cases which concerned the king, nor even in those but at the requisition of the Sanhedrim; that he should have only one wife at a time; that on entering the temple he should take three other priests with him; that he should perform the sacred rites, not by lot, like the other priests, but as often as he was inclined, and should take to himself whatever sacrifice he pleased.* The second station in the priesthood was filled by the high priest's deputy, whom the Jews called sagan,† and who was the assistant of the high priest in almost all his duties. In the third place ranked those whom the Jews, by a corruption of a Greek term, call the two katholikin : respecting whom Maimonides says, that the place of 'the katholikin is to do for the sagan what the sagan 'does for the high priest.' But other writers affirm Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 5. + ibid. c. 4. that these officers were superintendents of the treasurers, and auditors of their accounts."* The fourth place was allotted to seven keepers of the keys of the sanctuary; to whom, however, those keys were committed in such a manner that no one of them could open the gate assigned to him, at his own pleasure, without the presence and consent of them all.† In the fifth place were appointed three treasurers; who were to receive all sacred revenues from whomsoever, due and the price of the things redeemed. To this purpose is the following passage of Maimonides: "They manage the redemption of things estimated, devoted, and consecrated, and of tythes: and again; They receive all consecrated things, and dismiss those which are redeemed; but they dismiss them on 'those conditions on which such things ought to be 'dismissed.'‡ L The sixth place was assigned to the head of the watch. For, according to Maimonides, the whole number of priests was distributed by Moses into eight classes, but David afterwards divided them into twenty-four; || each of which, being appointed to minister in the sanctuary for a week in rotation, had its own chief, and he was called the head of the watch. The seventh place was filled by him who was called the head of the house of his fathers. For as the whole number of priests was divided into twenty-four classes, so every class was divided into seven families according to the number of days in every week; and the service of a day was allotted in rotation to each • Glossa in Shekalim in Talmud. Hierosol. c. 5. Baal Aruch & Buxtorf. + Maimon, in Chele Mikdash, c. 4. & ad Shekal. c. 5. Ibid. § Chele Mikdash, c. 4. 1 Chron. xxiv. Bartenor, ibid. Maimon. ibid, family; the prince or chief of which was entitled the head of the house of his fathers. A similar division into classes and families was made among the Levites, and those whom we have mentioned under the title of Stationary men.* The last place was left to the common priests, who were not invested with any peculiar office.† Beside all these there was likewise a priest called the anointed for war: whose business it was, when the people were marching to battle, to encourage them to fight manfully. To him was attached the greatest honour in the camp, next to the high priest; but he had no distinction in the sanctuary beyond any of the common priests.§ * Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 4. ↑ Ibid. c. 4. Maimon. in Chele Mikdash, c. 4. Deut. xx. 2, 3, 4. 65 CHAPTER V. The Consecration of the Aaronic Priests. THAT no species of sanctity or honour might be wanting to the priesthood, the Aaronic priests were consecrated to their office by various rites and ceremonies; being first purified with water, then clothed with garments proper for each of them, after that anointed with holy oil, and, in the last place, duly expiated and initiated by the sacrifice of certain victims. The first part of the consecration commenced, as we have said, with ablution ;* to teach them the necessity of holiness to the proper discharge of so holy an office. For a similar reason it is that we who are under the christian dispensation, are introduced into the new covenant by initiation at the sacred font. Thus also, when persons descended from foreign families, became proselytes to the Jewish religion, it was the custom for them to be immersed in water.† The same mode of initiating their devotees was practised among heathens. Hence Clemens Alexandrinus says: The mysteries of the Greeks begin with expiations, as those of the Barbarians do with ablutions.' Hence also Tertullian: 'In the Eleusinian mysteries, and in the rites performed in honour of Apollo, they certainly practise ablution, and this they presume to do in order to obtain regeneration, and impunity for their perjuries. Among the ancients, whoever had polluted himself with murder, "expiated the crime by a purgation in water.'§ To 6 * Exod. xxix. 4. Levit. viii. 6. Stromat. 5. + Maimon. in Isure Bia. c. 13. § De Baptismo, c. 5. ́` F the same purpose is a passage of Augustine: Men are said to be baptized in many of the sacrilegious 'services of idols.?* II. As soon as the lustrations had been duly performed on Aaron and his Sons, Aaron himself was first arrayed with the pontifical attire; the splendour and magnificence of which were proportioned to the dignity of the priesthood, and of the services to be performed. Hence the pontifical garments are said to have been made "for glory and for beauty."† The vestments of the high priest were the Coat, the Drawers or Breeches, the Girdle, the Robe, the Ephod, the Breastplate, the Mitre, and the Holy Crown: all which being very beautiful, and some of them made of gold, they have been called by the Jews golden vestments. These were put upon Aaron, and used to be worn by every high priest in the performance of all the sacred functions, except only on the day of annual atonement. In the services of that day no others were worn than the Coat, the Drawers, the Girdle and the Mitre: these were made of linen, and are called by the Jews white vestments. Grief became that day, and pompous attire is unsuitable to grief. III. Of all the pontifical garments, the first that were put on were the Drawers, which reached from the loins to the knees. The flamens of the heathens used to expose before Peor, parts which it most of all became them to conceal: but as God required his priests to be modest, so it was his will that their bodies should be covered. This also was the reason why there was a sloping ascent to the altar: "neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy Exod. xxviii. 2. De Baptismo contra Donatistas. |