ed the entrails; and two to the west of the ascent to the altar, one of marble and one of silver: on that of marble they placed the members; on that of silver the vessels of the service and two in the porch before the door of the sanctuary, one of marble and one of gold on that of marble they placed the shew-bread as they entered with it; and on that of gold they placed them as they came out: since they + ascended in holy things, and do not descend. And there was also one of gold within, on which the shew-bread was continually placed. cense; 5. There were thirteen coffers in the sanctuary, and on them was written, New shekels; and Old shekels; Nests; Young birds for a burnt-offering; Wood, and FrankinGold for an atonement; and the other six are for the free-will-offering. The new shekels are those which are paid the very year they become due; and the old are those which a person not having paid when due, is careful to pay in the ensuing year. The nests are the turtledoves. The young birds for the burnt-offering are the young pigeons, and all the money arising from them is to be appropriated to the burnt-offerings. These are the words of R. Juda. But the wise men say that the money from the nests is to be applied partly to the sin-offering, and partly to the burnt-offering: but that of the young birds for the burnt-offering is to be entirely appropriated to the burnt-offering. 6. He who says, behold, I make a vow to offer wood, shall not give less than two billets: or frankincense, he shall not give less than an handful: or gold, he shall not give less than a piece of gold. There are six coffers for the free-will-offerings. And what do they do with the free-will-offering? They buy with it those burnt-offerings whose flesh belongs to God, and the skins to the priests. This exposition Jehoiada, the high-priest, gave, As to the trespass-offering, that is offered as an offering trespass to the Lord. This is a general rule. All money which comes in for the purpose of a sin-offering or a trespass-offering, shall procure the burnt-offerings, and the flesh belongs to the Lord, and the skins to the priests. Two passages of Scripture are found which determine a trespass-offering to God, and a trespass-offering to the priests: and it is written ‡," the trespass-money and sin for As they proceeded in the service, the utensils advanced gradually in value and magnificence. 2 Kings, xii. 16, money money was not brought into the house of the Lord; it was the priests." CHAP 7. 1. THE money which is found between the coffer for the shekels and that for the free-will-offering, if it be near to the shekels, it shall belong to the shekels; if it be near to the free-will-offering, it shall belong to the freewill-offering: if it be in the middle between both, it shall belong to the free-will-offering. If any money be found between the coffer for wood and that for frankincense, if it be near the wood, it shall belong to the wood: if to the frankincense, it shall belong to the frankincense: if it be in the middle between both, it shall belong to the frankincense. If any be found between the coffer for the doves, and that for the young pigeons for the burnt-offering; if it be near the doves, it shall belong to the doves; if to the young pigeons for a burnt-offering, it shall belong to them; if it be in the middle between both, it shall belong to the young pigeons for a burnt-offering. The money found between that which is profane and that of the second tithe, if it be near that which is profane, it shall belong to the profane; if to the second tithe, it shall belong to the second tithe: if it be in the middle between both, it shall belong to the second tithe. This is a general rule: they shall belong to the nearest, in order to alleviate; but when in the middle, they shall aggravate. 2. The money which is found before the cattle-merchants is always tithe: that found on the mountain of the temple is common: that found in Jerusalem at the time of the festivals is tithe: and on all other days of the year common. 3. As to the flesh which is found in the court, if they be whole members, they are to be burnt-offerings, but if fragments, sacrifices for sin. As to that found in Jerusalem, it is to be a peace-offering. But if either one or the other have changed their appearance, they go to the place of burning. As to the flesh which is found in the confines, if they be whole members, they are reckoned as carcases, but if fragments they are allowed. But at the time of the feasts, when flesh is plentiful, even the memIbers are allowed. 4. With regard to the cattle found from Jerusalem to the tower of Eder, and within the same space towards each each of the four winds, the males are burnt-offerings, and the females peace-offerings. R. Juda says, if one appears fit for the passover, he is taken for the paschal lamb, if he be found thirty days before the feast. 5. Originally they took a pledge from him who had found it, till he brought its drink-offering. But when men were wont to leave the animal and to run away, the Sauhedrin ordained that its drink-offering should be procured at the expence of the congregation. 6. R. Simeon said: Seven things the Sanhedrin ordained, and this was one of them. The others were, that if an idolater had sent his burnt-offering from the country, and had sent drink-offerings with it, they offer it with his drink-offering. And if he had not sent a drink-offering likewise, they offer one at the charge of the congregation. In like manner if a stanger die, and leave sacrifices, if he have any drink-offerings, they offer them; but if not, they offer them at the charge of the congregation. And the Sanhedrin have taught this with respect to the highpriest, that when he dies, his offering should be made at the charge of the congregation. R. Juda says, at the charge of his heirs, and the offering will then be perfect. 7. They ordained with respect to the salt and wood, that the priests should be benefited by them and with respect to the heifer, that her ashes should not belong to them and with respect to unlawful nests of doves, that others should be procured at the charge of the congregation. R. Jose says, he who furnishes the doves, must furnish others in the place of those that are unlawful. REMARKS ON THE SECOND BOOK OF ESDRAS. (Continued from page 19.) TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S SIR, MAGAZINE. N treating of the modern testimonies in favour of the authenticity of the second book of Esdras, it must not be forgotten, that the Protestants have set their seal to to its authenticity, by admitting it amongst the Apocryphal books, while the modern Papists, for obvious reasons, reject it. Likewise it must not be forgotten, that Leo Juda is said to have translated the book from the Hebrew. But of all modern witnesses, Picus Mirandula is the most important. He asserts that a spiritual interpretation of the law was given to Moses, called the Cabala, because handed down from father to son; but that after the captivity, when Esdras had re-published the law, fearing lest the traditional interpretation should be lost, he convened the learned elders, and collected their traditions, which he published in 70 volumes, corresponding to the number of the elders. He then uses the following expressions: "Qua de re qui mihi non credunt, audiant Esdram ipsum sic loquentem, exactis quadraginta diebus locutus est Altissimus dicens, priora quæ scripsisti, in palam pone, legant digni et indigni, novissimos autem septuaginta libros conservabis ut tradas eos sapientibus de populo tuo; in his enim est vena intellectus, et sapientiæ fons, et scientiæ flu. men; atque ita feci. Hæc Esdras ad verbum. Hi sunt libri scientia Cabale in quibus meritò Esdras venam intellectus, id est, ineffabilem de supersubstantiali Deitate theologiam; sapientiæ fontem, id est, de intelligibilibus angelicisque formis exactam metaphysicam; et scientiæ flumen, id est, de rebus naturalibus firmissimam philosophiam esse, cla ra in primis voce pronunciavit. Hi libri Šixtus IV. Pontifex Maximus, qui hunc, sub quo vivimus, felicit Innocentium VIII. proximè antecessit, maximâ curâ studioque curavit ut in publicam fidei nostra utilitatem Latinis literis mandarentur. Jamque cùm ille decessit, tres ex illis pervenerant ad Latinos. Hi libri apud Hebræos hâc tempestate tanta religione coluntur; ut neminem liceat nisi XL annos natum illos attingere. Hos ego libros non mediocri impensâ mihi cum comparassem, summa diligentiâ indefessis laboribus cùm perlegissem, vidi in illis (testis est Deus) religionem non tam Mosaicam quam Christianam. Ibi Trinitatis mysterium, ibi Verbi Incarnatio, ibi Messia Divinitas, ibi de peccato originali, de illius per Christum expiatione, de cælesti Hierusalem, de casu demoniorum, de ordinibus angelorum, de purgatoriis, de inferorum panis. Eadem legi que apud Paulum et Dionysium, apud Hieronymum et Augustinum quotidiè legimus. In his verò quæ spectant ad Philosophiam Pythagoram prorsus audias et et Platonem, quorum decreta ita sunt fidei Christianæ uffinia, ut Augustinus noster immensas Deo gratias agat quodad ejus manus pervenerint libri Platonicorum. In plenum, nulla est firme de re nobis cum Hebraicis controversia, de quâ ex libris Cabalistarum ita redargue convincique non possint, ut ne angulus quidem reliquus sit in quem se condunt, cujus rei testem habeo gravissimum Antonium Croni cum." (Pici Mirandulæ opera, p. 123.) From this extraordinary passage it may be collected, that the second book of Esdras, which is divisible into three books, two of which consist of the two first and the two last chapters, formed a part of the book seen by Picus. And if we compare the passage with the quota tion of St. Ambrose with which my second letter concludes, we may perhaps find reason to infer that St. Ambrose possessed the very book described by Picus. It is not my intention here to discuss the subject of the Oral ław, said to have been given to Moses; but I cannot help observing, that it is by no means inconsistent to suppose that such a thing might have existed, and have been preserved in the schools of the prophets, and yet have been so far corrupted in the time of our Saviour as to become the object of his fervent reprehension. Nor is it at all unaccountable that Christians should not have known the Hebrew original of this book, if it really existed; for if we believe the author, he meant part of his works to be secret and apocryphal, and perhaps, his other works to be canonical. And if his works were possessed only by the enemies of Christianity, they might easily have destroyed them, or have kept them secret from Christians. It is certain that many Jewish books have perished, and others have been kept secret. (Critical observations on books, ancient and modern, number x. p. 13.) And it is observable that the Jews themselves believe that the Oral traditions passed from Ezra to the men of the great synagogue; which exactly coincides with, and supports the statement in 2d Esdras. "The Jews" (says Calmet) "have pretended that Esdras was the prophet Malachi, that he invented points, that he was the restorer of the Scriptures, settled the canon, and introduced the Chaldean characters." Prideaux himself is of opinion that Ezra made additions in several parts of the Bible, where any thing appeared necessary for illustrating, connecting, or complet ing |