paschal lamb, which we have just now eaten, but the body of the true lamb, whereof the other was only a figure. 3. The lamb was killed the fourteenth day of the month Nisan m, in the evening, or, as the scripture expresses it, between the two evenings †. Such as could not celebrate the passover on the day appointed, upon the account of some legal uncleanness, or any other indisposition, were obliged to do it the fourteenth day of the next month. We will leave it to the learned to determine exactly the hour when it was done. Josephus, who may justly be looked upon as a competent judge in such matters, says, that the paschal lamb was killed between the ninth hour, that is, three in the afternoon, and the eleventh, i. e. about the setting of the sun. And within this space of time also it was, that JESUS CHRIST our true paschal lamb was crucified". 4. The lamb was to be a male of the first year, and without blemish°. The apostles often make allusion to this last quality, when speaking of JESUS CHRIST, of the Christians, and of the church of Christ‡. It was with a design to know whether the lambs or kids had all the conditions required by the law, that they were enjoined carefully to choose them, and set them aside some days before the feast. 5. This sacrifice was to be offered up in the tabernacle, as long as it stood, and afterwards in the courts of the temple". 6. Every particular person slew his own victim, and one of the (m) Exod. xii. 6. Numb. ix. 5, Deut. xvi. 6. + That is, from 12 or 1 o'clock till sun setting. (2) Matt. xxvii, 46. (9) Exod. xii. 5. Josh. v. 10. Coloss. i. 22. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet. i. 19. Ephes. i, 4. v. 27. Rev. xiv. 5. In most of the Greek copies of the seventy, there are two epithets, without blemish and perfect. There is an allusion to this last word, Rom, xii. 1. the perfect will of God, i. e. the sacrifice God requires of us, ought to be perfect. (p) The area of the three courts of the temple (besides the rooms and other places in it, where the paschal lamb might be offered up) contained above 435,600 square cubits, so that there was room enough for above 500,000 men to be in the temple at the same time, Lamy de Tabernaculo, 1. vii. c. 9. Sect. 4, 5. (q) Deut. xvi. 2. 5. fice the passover: and hence also it is that St. Paul calls JESUS CHRIST our PASSOVER, that is, our paschal lamb. The passover was otherwise named the feast of unleavened bread, because it was unlawful to eat any other sort of bread, during the seven days the feast lasted". This name however more particularly belongs to the second day of the feast, i. e. the fifteenth of the month'. We have an account of all the ceremonies belonging to the passover in several places of the pentateuch. They may be reduced to these three heads. 1. The killing and eating of the paschal lamb. 2. The eating the unleavened bread. And, 3. Offering up to God the omer, or handful of barley. The chief things to be observed with relation to the paschal lamb or kid, are as follow. 1. It is to be noted, that on all the feasts, and particularly at the passover, there were great numbers of victims slain from among the cattle, as bulls, and the like *. The paschal feast began by serving up of the flesh of these sacrifices, after which the lamb was eaten. The first was what the guests were to sup upon, for the lamb was symbolical, and it was sufficient for any one to eat of it about the bigness of an olive, if they were satisfied before, or in case the lamb was not enough for every one. lamb was a representation of that which the Israelites had eaten in Egypt, and was called the body of the passover, to distinguish that part of the paschal lamb which was eaten, from what was offered upon the altar; that is, the blood which was sprinkled, and the entrails that were burnt. JESUS CHRIST manifestly alluded to this expression, when he said of the bread, this is my body; as if he had said, this is not the body of the (e) 1 Cor. v. 7. 2. This (f) Ibid. (g) Luke xxii. 1. Mark xiv. 12. Numb. xxviii. 17. Deut. xvi. 8. Mark xiv. 1. Jos. Antiq. 1. iii. cap. 10. 2 Chron. xxxv. termed chagiga, i. e. rejoicing. paschal lamb, which we have just now eaten, but the body of the true lamb, whereof the other was only a figure. 3. The lamb was killed the fourteenth day of the month Nisan", in the evening, or, as the scripture expresses it, between the two evenings t. Such as could not celebrate the passover on the day appointed, upon the account of some legal uncleanness, or any other indisposition, were obliged to do it the fourteenth day of the next month. We will leave it to the learned to determine exactly the hour when it was done. Josephus, who may justly be looked upon as a competent judge in such matters, says, that the paschal lamb was killed between the ninth hour, that is, three in the afternoon, and the eleventh, i. e. about the setting of the sun. And within this space of time also it was, that JESUS CHRIST our true paschal lamb was crucified". 4. The lamb was to be a male of the first year, and without blemish. The apostles often make allusion to this last quality, when speaking of JESUS CHRIST, of the Christians, and of the church of Christ. It was with a design to know whether the lambs or kids had all the conditions required by the law, that they were enjoined carefully to choose them, and set them aside some days before the feast. 5. This sacrifice was to be offered up in the tabernacle, as long as it stood, and afterwards in the courts of the temple". 6. Every particular person slew his own victim, and one of the (m) Exod. xii. 6. Numb. ix. 5. Deut. xvi. 6. That is, from 12 or 1 o'clock till sun setting. (2) Matt. xxvii, 46. (0) Exod. xii. 5. Josh. v. 10. Coloss. i. 22. Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet, i. 19. Ephes. i, 4. v. 27. Rev. xiv. 5. In most of the Greek copies of the seventy, there are two epithets, without blemish and perfect. There is an allusion to this last word, Rom, xii. 1. the perfect will of God, i. e. the sacrifice God requires of us, ought to be perfect. (p) The area of the three courts of the temple (besides the rooms and other places in it, where the paschal lamb might be offered up) contained above 435,600 square cubits, so that there was room enough for above 500,000 men to be in the temple at the same time, Lamy de Tabernaculo, 1. vii. c. 9. Sect. 4, 5. (q) Deut. xvi. 2. 5. priests received the blood into a vessel, which was handed by the priests or Levites to the high-priest, by whom it was poured at the bottom of the altar. When any person happened to be unqualified for offering this sacrifice, by reason of some uncleanness he had contracted, it was then performed by the Levites". 7. After the lamb was slain, the blood sprinkled, and the fat consumed upon the altar, the lamb was returned to the person by whom it had been offered, who carried it to the place where it was to be eat. It was necessary that it should be thoroughly roasted, and not broiled, or half done'. The occasion of, this last institution is not well known; the reasons that are alleged for it, would undoubtedly seem too far-fetched to the generality of our readers, we therefore judge it more proper to own our ignorance in this particular, than to advance any thing uncertain about it. St. John assures us, that the prohibition of not breaking a bone of the paschal lamb, was typical of what happened to our Saviour t. * 8. After the lamb was thus dressed, it was eaten in every family, by all sorts of persons, freemen and slaves, men as well as women. It was necessary there. should be as many persons as could eat the whole lamb†“. And therefore when the family was not large enough, the master of the house invited his friends. The as semblies that were invited to this feast, were named brotherhoods, and the guests, companions or friends. The reproof which JESUS CHRIST gave Judas, by calling him friend or companion*, was both just and cutting, because he betrayed him after having eat the passover with him. 9. It was a very ancient custom among the eastern (r) Philo de vit. Mos. 1. iii. (t) John xix. 36. (s) Exod. xii. 9. 2 Chron. xxxv. 13. * The strangers that came up to Jerusalem from all parts of the land to celebrate the passover, were furnished The Thalmudists tell us, that they were not (u) See Joseph. de Bell. with lodgings gratis. to be under ten, and might be twenty. nations to wash their feet before meals, especially when they returned from a journey". There were good reasons for this custom, because they commonly travelled on foot, without stockings, and their shoes were open at the top. Some imagine, with a good deal of probability, that they were also wont to wash their feet before the paschal feast, nothing being a fitter representation of the state and condition of a traveller. Slaves and mean persons were commonly put to that employment, but JESUS CHRIST was pleased to perform it to his disciples, to give them an example of humility and charity. It is however to be observed, that this was not done during the paschal feast, but the night before. 10. The guest leaned on their left arms upon beds round a table, on which was set the lamb; with bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and a dish full of a kind of sauce or thick mixture, wherein they dipped the bread and herbs. This perhaps was the dish in which Judas dipped with JESUS CHRIST, of which we read in the gospel". It was very common among the eastern nations to lie on beds when they took their meals, as is evident from sacred as well as profane history; but, as the Thalmudist pretend', this posture was then absolutely necessary at the eating of the paschal lamb, as being a fit emblem of that rest and freedom, which God had granted the children of Israel, by bringing them out of Egypt, because a slave doth not commonly take his meals with so much ease and comfort, and that besides they were obliged to eat it standing in Egypt. This custom of leaning at table over one another's bosom, was a sign of equality and strict union between the guests. which serves to explain several passages of scripture, (y) Gen. xviii. 4. xix. 2. xxiv. 32. Judg. xix. 21. (z) John xiii. 4, 5. This the Jews called charosset, in rethey had used when making bricks in it at first with dates and dried figs; membrance of the mortar which the land of Egypt. They made but the modern Jews make it with chesnuts, apples, &c. See Basnage Hist. des Juifs, tom. 3. p. 622. (a) Matt. xxvi. 23. (b) Maimon. de Azymis. 1. vii. |