Pilgrimage, Book 2 · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Of their Ceremonies and opinions concerning the Dead.
IF we should lead you thorow their Kitchin, and there shew you their two sorts of vessels and implements; one for flesh, the other for whitmeats and fish: as likewise they hauehave two kniues, for the same purpose, and (if it were possible) would hauehave two mouthes; (that which they can) they make much cleansing betweene: and if these vessels should be mingled, they must be broken, if they be of earth; washed, if of wood; and purged by fire, if of iron: with other their cookery-rites and ceremonies. If I should thence lead you to the Shambles, and acquaint you with the curious qualifications of a Iewish Butcher: Of which argument they hauehave a booke to instruct them: in more difficult questions, they consult with the learned Rabbi; whose licence the Butcher must hauehave for his slaughtering, before a Iew may eate of his meate. If in these cases, and in other quiddities of marriages, of diuorces, of marrying the wife of the deceased brother, of womens vncleannes, of their prouision for the poore, of the penalties inflicted on offenders, &c. I should tire the Reader, to whom I feare I hauehave already bin ouer tedious. But in this matter of Religiō, of whom is it fitter to protract discourse, then of them, whom the old world yeelded the only example of Truth, and the present age, a principal example of falshood & superstitiō? Let it not grieue the Reader, to performe the last office of humanitie to our Iew, and as hee hath seene his birth, his Synagogue-Rites, and home-superstitions, so to visite him on his death-bed and helpe lay him in his graue: and examine his hope of the resurrection, and of their Messias, and we will end our pilgrimage in this Holy Land.
When aCeremonies about the sick.a man lieth sicke, the Rabbines visite him; and if he be rich, order is taken for his will, and then they exhort him to perseuere constantly in their faith. They aske him if hee beleeue that the Messias is yet to come. Hee maketh his confession on his bedde, saying; I confesse before thee my GOD and LORD, GOD of my parents, LORD of all Creatures, that my health and death is in thy hand, I pray thee grant mee recouerie of my former health, and heare my prayer, as thou diddest heare Hezekiah in his sicknesse. And if the time of my death bee come, then grant that death may bee my remission of all my sinne, which of ignorance or knowledge I hauehave committed, euer since I was a man: grant that I may hauehave my part in Paradise, and the world to come, which is reserued for the iust: grant that I may know the way of euerlasting life, fill mee with the ioy of thy excellent countenance by thy right hand for euer. Blessed be thou O GOD which hearest my prayer.
Thus they which refuse the merits of CHRISTS death, ascribe remission of sinnes to their owne. When hee bAnd about the dead in the house.giueth vp the ghost, all the standers by rend their garments, but in a certaine place of the same, where they doe no great harme, about a hand-breadth. They lament the dead seuen dayes. They presently after his death powre out all the water in the house into the streete: they couer his face that it may no more bee seene: they bowe his thumbe in his hand, framing a resemblance of the Hebrew name Schaddai: his other fingers are stretched out, to testifie a forsaking of the world: they wash him with hot water, and hauing annointed his head with wine and the yolke of an egge mixed together, they put on him a white vestment, which hee vsed to weare on the Feast of Reconciliation. When they carrie him out of the house, they hurle after him a broken sherd, signifying, that with him all heauinesse should be expelled and broken. When they are come to the place cAt the graue.of buriall, they say, Blessed be GOD, which hath formed you with Iudgement and Iustice, hath created, fed, sustained, and at last hath deprmed you of life (speaking to the dead.) He knoweth the number of you all, and will quicken you againe in his time. Blessed be GOD, which doth to die, and maketh aliue. Then with some other Ceremonie they commit the corps to ground, his kinsmen putting in the first earth. When dAfter the buriall.they returne, they throw grasse ouer their heads, signifying their hope of the Resurrection. In the Porch of the Synagogue, GOD eEsay 25.8.shall destroy death for euer (say they) and wipe away all teares from their eyes, and will take away their reproach from all the earth, for the LORD hath spoken it. Then enter they into the Synagogue, and leape vp and downe, and change their Seates seuen times, and there say ouer their Purgatorie prayer Kaddisch. The mourners goe bare-foot seuen dayes, and eat not Flesh, nor drinke Wine, except on the Sabbaths and Festiuals. They bathe not in three and thirtie dayes after, cut not their nayles, make a pitifull howling, &c. The first night the mourner eateth nothing of his owne, but meat sent him from his friends. The child mourneth for his father a yeare. The sonne, eleuen monethes, sayeth ouer his Kaddisch, for meane sinners are freed sooner: but the wicked stay the whole twelue moneths: and therefore to persist the twelfth monethmonth in his prayer, should bee to acknowledge his father a wicked man. And for this effect hereof, Rabbi Akibha met once in the way a man, with an Asse-like burthen of stickes, which vponupon examination confessed, That he was a Purgatorie-ghost carrying, to burne himselfe, such bundles eueryevery day. Rabbi Akibha enquired if he had a sonne or wife, and where; and finding out his sonne, taught him this prayer, which was so effectuall, that in a dreame this Ghost returned to the Rabbi with thankes, for his deliuerance, and said he was now in Gan Eden, or Paradise. Rabbi Akibha signified this to the Iewish Synagogues, with iniunction to teach their children this prayer.
Thus poore Purgatorie with Iewes and Romists is preached by walking ghosts. They hauehave a light burning for the dead seuen daies. They powre the water out of doores, because the Angell of Death washeth his sword (lately vsed) in water, and enuenometh it. This his sword he holdeth in his hand at the beds head, hauing on the end thereof three drops of gall: The sicke man spying this Deadly angell, openeth his mouth with feare, and then those drops fall in, of which one killeth him, the second maketh him pale; the third rotteth, and putrifieth.