Hebrew Literature Part 69

558 That is by subst.i.tuting for the Name (Jehovah) the word "Adonai,"

except where "Adonai" and "Jehovah" come together. In such cases "Elohim" is subst.i.tuted for "Jehovah."

559 Lev. ix. 22.

560 Who had charge of the channels from the altar.

561 Ps. xxiv. 1.

562 Ps. xlviii. 1.

563 Ps. lx.x.xii. 1.

564 Ps. xciv.

565 Ps. lx.x.xi.

566 Ps. xciii.

567 A famous maker of incense.

568 Sparkling.

569 Burning. The watch at certain gates seems to have been hereditary in certain families. Just as at the present time the custody of Rachel's tomb is the privilege of a certain family in Jerusalem.

Each guard consisted of ten men, so that there were 210 Levites in the twenty-one stations. The three more important places contained guards of both Levites and Priests, thirty of each. There were therefore 240 Levites on guard each night.

570 He rolled up his overcoat and laid it down for a cus.h.i.+on.

571 Rev. xvi. 15.

572 Obscurity.

573 Platform or rampart.

574 1 Mac. ii. 25.

575 So called either because Nicanor, a Pharisee, had the gate made in Alexandria, and though it was thrown overboard from a s.h.i.+p in a storm, it yet came safe to land; or because Nicanor, a Greek prince, was slain there in the time of the Asmoneans.

576 Ezek. xlvi. 2.

577 Ezek. xliii. 16.

578 As this corner would have been in the tribe of Judah, it was not added, that the whole altar might remain in the tribe of Benjamin.

Gen. xlix. 27.

579 This sloping ascent to the altar was strewn with salt. This salt was brought from the mountain of Sodom at the south of the Dead Sea. The salt was intended to keep the priests from slipping and falling, which might easily happen, as they were obliged to minister barefooted. The coldness of the pavement in winter, and eating so much flesh of the sacrifices, brought various diseases on the priests.

580 House of the vineyard.

581 Deut. xxvii. 5.

582 Zech. vi. 14.

583 The Rabbis say that "the world is like an eye. The ocean is the white of the eye. The pupil is Jerusalem. And the image in the pupil is the Sanctuary."

584 Ezek. xli. 23.

585 Ezek. xli. 24.

586 Ezek. xliv. 2.

587 1 Kings vi. 6.

588 Curiously graven and gilt.

589 Is. xxix. 1.

590 "The king only, and no man else (remarks Maimonides) might sit in the court of the Temple in any place; and even this privilege was confined to a king of the family of David." Cunus further observes, that the king was esteemed nearer to G.o.d than the priests themselves, and a greater president of religion.

591 The Temple services were arranged by the council of fourteen. This council was composed of the High Priest, the Sagan (the deputy or Suffragan of the High Priest), two Katholikin, who had charge of the treasuries, three Gizbarim, who were a.s.sistants of the Katholikin, and seven Ammarcalin, who had charge of the gates.

592 The Nethinim, or the "given ones," were added, it is supposed, from among the Gibeonites to fill up the deficiencies in the number of Levites who returned from the captivity in Babylon. They were held in low estimation, and were forbidden to intermarry with Israelites.

593 Exod. x.x.xviii. 27.

594 Exod. xxvi. 31-33.

595 Exod. xxvi. 19.

596 Exod. xxvi. 17.

597 Exod. xvi. 24

598 Exod. xxvi. 28.

599 Exod. xxvi. 29.

600 Exod. xxvi. 29.

601 Exod. xxvi. 1.

602 Exod. xxvi. 3.

603 Exod. xxvi. 4.

604 Exod. xxvi. 6.

605 Exod. xxvi. 2.