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$320. ON THE TRADITIONS OF the pharisees.

house, the hands, without the fingers being distended, should be wet with water poured over them, and then elevated, so that the water might flow down to the elbows; furthermore, the water was to be poured a second time over the arms, in order that, (the hands being held down, it might flow over the fingers. This practice is alluded to in Mark 7: 3, ἐὰν μὴ πυγμῇ νίψωνται, and is denominated by the Rabbins. See Buxtorf's Chaldaic, Talmudic, and Rabbinnic Lexicon, col. 1335. On the contrary, those, who had departed from the house, washed in a bath, or, at least, immersed their hands in water with the fingers distended. The ceremony in this case, (Mark 7: 4.) is denominated av μỶ ßañriSovrat, and by the Rabbins. See Buxtorf's Lexicon, col. 849. The water-pots, which are mentioned in John 2: 6, appear to have been used in ablutions of the kind, that have now been mentioned. From these ablutions, it is necessary to distinguish the symbolic washings, spoken of in Deut. 21: 6. Ps. 26: 6. and Matt. 27: 24. Indeed the Pharisees were so scrupulously cautious, that they deemed it necessary to strain the liquids they were to drink, from the fear, that they might inadvertently swallow some unclean animalcule, Matt. 23: 24.

They were so fearful of being contaminated, that they would not eat with Gentiles, nor indeed with those persons, to whom it fell to dicharge the unpopular office of tax-gatherer, and, in the true spirit of the philosophers of their times, were disposed to consider, as sinners, and to spurn from their presence all, who were not of their own sect, Talmud, Chagiga 2, 7. Luke 7: 39. Matt. 9: 11.

They fasted twice a week, viz. on Thursday, when, as they supposed, Moses ascended mount Sinai, and on Monday, when he descended, Taanith, II. 9. p. Shabb. I. 24. compare Luke 18: 11.

They enlarged their phylacteries, and the borders of their garments, Matt. 23: 5. Of the border or fringe of the garment, xamedov, x, Chald. 77, a slight mention has already been made in the hundred and twenty second section. The phylacteries, which had their origin from Exodus 13: 16. and Deut. 6: 8. 11: 18. were pieces of parchment, on which were inscribed four passages of scripture, to wit, Exod. 13: 1—10, 11—16. and Deut. 5: 4-9. 11: 13-21; and which were then rolled up in the form of the letters of the word, and placed in receptacles of

321. CONCERNING GALILEANS and zealots.

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leather. They were confined upon the back part of the left hand by a leather thong, nis, and likewise upon the forehead

.טטָפוֹת בֵּין עֵינַיִם ,between the eyes

NOTE. The Pharisees then, as appears from the statements, which have now been made, were in general a corrupt class of men. This assertion, nevertheless, will not apply to every individual of them; for there were not wanting persons even in that sect, who were distinguished for their moral integrity, Mark 15:43. Luke 2: 25. 23: 51. John 19: 38. Acts 5: 34.

That such was in truth the case, may be inferred both from the Jerusalem Talmud, (Berachoth p. 13, 2. Sota p. 20, 3.) and from the Talmud of Babylon, (Sota p. 22. 2.) where it is stated, that there were seven classes of Pharisees, who were very much unlike.

Of two of these classes we shall briefly make mention, viz, (1) the Pharisees, who were called Sichemites, □, who entered into that sect merely for the purposes of temporal emolument, Matt. 23: 5, 14; and (2) those, who were anxious to place themselves under strict moral discipline, and were ready to perform every duty. It was in reference to the last mentioned persons, that the name of Pharisee was given, which means one, who is desirous of knowing his duty, in order that he may do it, myes? ^nzin na, Luke 18: 18.

321. CONCERNING GALILEANS AND ZEALOTS.

In the twelfth year of Christ, about the time, that Archelaus was sent away from his government, a secession was made from the sect of the Pharisees, and a new sect arose, called the GALILEANS. Not far from this time, Judea, which was a Roman province, was added for civil purposes to Syria, over which Quirinus was governour. It happened, when the tax was levied by Quirinus, that one Judas of Galilee, otherwise called GAULONITES, in company with Zaduk, a Sadducee, publicly taught, that such taxation was repugnant to the Law of Moses, according to which the Jews, they maintained, had no king, but God. The tumults, which this fellow excited, were suppressed, (Acts 5: 37,) but his disciples, who were called Galileans, continued to propagate this doc

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322. RESPECting the sadducees.

trine, and, furthermore, required of all proselytes, that they should be circumcised. Consult Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII. 1, 6. Jewish War, II. 17: 7-9. VII. 8: 1—6. 9, 1, 2.

It was in reference to this sect, that the captious question was proposed in Matt. 22: 17. et seq. viz. "Whether it was lawful to give tribute to Cesar?" The Galileans, whom Pilate slew in the Temple, (Luke 13: 1, 2.) appear to have been of this sect.

Simon, one of the Apostles of Jesus, is called xavavirns or ŠņλoIns ZELOTES, Luke 6: 15. and, in Acts 21: 20. 22: 3. we find, that there were certain Christians at Jerusalem, who are denominated ZEALOTS. But these merely insisted on the fulfilment of the Mosaic Law, and by no means, went so far as those persons, termed ZELOTAE or Zealots, whom we read of in the history of the Jewish War.

NOTE. CALMET RESPECTING SIMON THE ZEALOT.

["SIMON, the Canaanite, or Simon Zelotes, an apostle of Jesus Christ. It is doubtful whether the name Canaanite were derived to him from the city of Cana in Galilee; or whether it might not be written Chananean, from Chenani, Chananean or Canaanite; or whether it should not be taken according to its signification in Hebrew, from the root Kana &p, from which comes " or " Kani or Kanani, to be zealous. St. Luke gives him the surname of Zelotes, the zealot, Luke 6: 15. Acts 1: 13. which seems to be a translation of the surname Canaanite, given him by the other evangelists, Matt. 10: 4. Mark 3: 18. Some fathers say, he was of Cana, of the tribe of Zebulun, or of Naphtali. Theodoret, in Ps. 67: 18. Hieron. in Matt. x. The learned are divided about the signification of Zelotes; some take it only to denote his zeal in embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ; others think he was of a sect called Zealots, mentioned in Josephus, de Bello, lib. iv. cap. 2. item lib. vi. cap. 1."]

$322. RESPECTING THE SADDUcees.

The opinions of the Sadducees were peculiar. They believed, I. That besides God, there was no other spiritual being, whether good or bad. They believed, that the soul and the body

$322. RESPECTING THE SADDUCEES.

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died together, and that there neither was, nor could be any resurrection, Matt. 22: 23. Acts 23: 8.

II. They rejected the doctrine of fate, or of an overruling Providence, and maintained on the contrary, that the events, which happened, depended on the free and unconstrained actions of

men.

They held, that the traditions, which were received by the Pharisees, were not binding, Josephus, Antiquities, XIII. 5, 9. 10, 6. XVIII. 1, 4. Jewish War, II. 8, 14.

They held other sentiments, it is true, peculiar to them as a sect, but they neither disseminated them with much zeal, nor cultivated a close intercourse and union with each other. It cannot be inferred, as some suppose, from what is remarked by Josephus, (Antiquities, XIII. 10, 6.) that they merely received the Pentateuch, and rejected all the other Books of the Old Testament, for he does not, in the passage in question, oppose the Law to the other Books, but to those unwritten traditions, which it was one of their principles to reject. Accordingly we find in the disputes of the Talmud, that the Sadducees are not only attacked from the other Books of the Old Testament, beside the Pentateuch, but also draw arguments from them in their own defence, Sanhedrin, p. 90, 2. Cholin, p. 87, 1.

NOTE. The Sadducees, in progress of time, appear to have admitted the existence of angels, and also to have embraced the belief of the immortality of the soul, and in the eighth century, were distinguished, as a sect, merely by rejecting the authority of traditions. Whence they were at length called Caraites.

If any are disposed to doubt this statement, it is, nevertheless, certain, that the Caraites are comparatively of recent origin, since Josephus says not a word concerning them. DR. Rosenmueller, however, contends, (Analectae III. Stück S. 163-176.) that the Scribe, mentioned in Mark 12: 28. et seq. was a Caraite.

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$308. REGULATIONS TO PRESERVE RELIGION.

Moses calls God the father of his people, the merciful, the clement, the benign, the faithful Jehovah, who exhibits through a thousand generations the love of a parent to his good and faithful followers, who forgives iniquity and transgression, but to whose mercy, nevertheless, there are limits, and who visits the sins of the fathers on the posterity to the third and fourth generation, Deut. 8: 5. 32: 6. Exod. 34: 6, 7. Num. 14: 18. Deut. 7: 9, 10.

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The infliction of punishments even to the fourth generation, (i. e. by means of public calamities, the consequences of which would be experienced even by posterity.) a principle, which makes its appearance even in the FUNDAMENTAL LAWS, Exod. 20: 5, 6. has given offence to many, who are either unable or unwilling to perceive, that the prospect of misery falling on their posterity, could be a real source of punishment to the parents, who, it may observed, were in that age, particularly solicitous about the well-being of their descendants. We learn, nevertheless, from other places and other considerations, that the punishments, which were due to the fathers, were not so much designed to be inflicted in truth on their posterity, as to remain to them warnings, that if they trod in their fathers' footsteps, they would expose themselves to the same evil and fearful consequences, and that, when they had done evil, their only course was to repent. That such would be the case, the deep and serious evils of the Babylonish Captivity gave them so clear a proof, as to preclude all subsequent doubts on the subjects; they repented of their evil ways, and, as Moses himself had predicted, became at length the constant worshippers of God, Lev. 26: 20-25. Deut. 4: 28-31. 30: 1--10.

$308. RESPECting the REGULATIONS, WHICH WERE MADE IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE TRUE RELIGION.

That the Hebrews, who, while in Egypt, had to a great extent worshipped idols, and had with much difficulty, and not without the aid of striking miracles, been at length restored to the true worship, might thereafter remain firm, nor be easily led astray by the example of neighbouring nations, God offered himself to them, as their King. (See the two hundred and fourteenth section.) As such he was accepted; and hence it happened, that

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