Explication of the Judicial Laws of Moses, Part 2
Of the IEVVES Oeconomicks.
Of the time of their Repast.
THey had but two times of their Repaſt, Dinner and Supper, they had no breakfaſt; Peter had eaten nothing at the ſixt houre, Act. 10. 10. and Act. 2. 15. thoſe are not drunke as yee ſuppoſe, ſeeing it is but the third houre of the day.
But it may ſeeme, that they uſed to breake their faſt Object. in the morning; for Iob. 21. 4. it is ſaid, that when the morning was come, Ieſus ſtood on the ſhoare and ſaid, children hauehave yee any meat?
The reaſon of this was, becauſe they had fiſhed all Anſw. the night, and being wearie they refreſhed themſelues in the morning; but we reade not that they uſed ordinarily to breake their faſt in the morning. Eccleſ. 10. 16. Woe to thee O land, when thy Princes eate in the morning: they did not eat in the morning, becauſe it was the fitteſt time for judging and deciding Controverſies; and therefore the Whores of old were called Nonariae, becauſePerſius Satyr. 1. they came not out to commit their vill any till after the ninth houre, when men had ended their buſineſſes; and the Lord biddeth them execute judgement in the morning, Iere. 21. 12.
The time of Dinner was the time when they refreſhed themſelues firſt. Ioh. 21. 12. Ieſus ſaid unto them, come and dine: ſo Luk. 11. 37. And as he ſpake a certaine Phariſie beſought him to dine with him: and the ſecond refreſhment was at the time of Supper; this was called foreign; they ſpent a longer time at Supper than at Dinner, and therefore afterward they put foreign for foreign,All Banquets called Suppers ſometimes. Dinner, and they called all Banquets, Suppers, in what time ſoever of the day they were, although they were not in the Evening, and foreign & foreign, permutantur, the one is put for the other, as that which Matthew calleth a Dinner, cap. 22. 4. Luke calleth a Supper, 14. 16.
The Greekes had foreign, prandium; ſecondly, theyThe Greekes ſed more ſumptuouſly. had foreign, a refreſhment betwixt Dinner and Supper, which is called Merenda, a beaver or afternoons drinke; and they called this Caenae foreign; thirdly, they had their Supper, and then they had Banquets after Supper; and this the Greekes called foreign, Latinè comeſſatio, foreign, to keepe a Banquet with whores; and Paul alludeth to this word, Rom. 13. 13. Let us walke foreign Deus Moabitarum.honeſtly as in the day. foreign, not in rioting and drunkenneſſe, not in chambering and wantonneſſe. And becauſe the Iewes uſed to travaile ſo farre before the heat of the day, therefore they called this ſpace which they travailed diaetam terrae, Gen. 35. 16. This ſheweth their moderate dyet.
They were ſparing at Dinner, and they fed more freely at Supper; the Lord gaue them bread in the morning, and but Quailes at night, Exod. 16. 12.
They went to Supper at the ninth houre, after the EveningThey meaſured the houres by their ſhadow. Sacrifice, and before the ſetting of the Sunne they ended it; this was called Heſperiſmus; the ancient Greekes called this foreign, that is, the time when a mans ſhadow was ten foot in length, for they meaſured the houres by their ſhadow, when the ſhadow was of ſuch a length, then it was ſuch an houre; when their ſhadow was ſix foot long, then they uſed to waſh themſelues, and when it was ten foote long, then they went to Supper.
The meat upon which they fed at Dinner and Supper was called [Sagnadah] their ſuſtentation, and [Tereph]foreign Fulcrum. a foreign Fulcire. foreign Eſc… foreign rapere. victus their foode, which commeth from the roote Taraph, to take by rapine, or hunt for the prey; becauſe of old they hunted for their meat, Gen. 27. 3. Take thy weapons, thy Quiver, and thy Bow, and goe out to the field, and take [hunt] me ſome Veniſon.
Things ſet before them upon the Table were Eſculenta, What things were ſet upon the Table.poculenta, & condimenta, the firſt for meat, the ſecond for drinke, and the third for ſauce to reliſh their meat; Meat and drinke the Scriptures oftentimes expreſſe by bread and water, 2 King. 6. 22. ſet bread and water before them, that they may eat and drinke: then it is added in the next verſe, he prepared great proviſion for them.
Their bread was of Wheat, Barley, Lentils, & Beanes,Of their bread. Wheat was the moſt excellent bread, Deut. 32. 14. I fed thee with fat of the kidnies of Wheate; this bread when it was not fermented, was called the poores bread, Deut. 16 3. becauſe the poore had not leaſure to ferment it.
The ſecond ſort of bread was of Barley, which wasBarley a baſe bread. abaſer ſort of bread, uſed onelyonly in time of ſcarcitie, Revel. 6. 6. And for the baſeneſſe of it Gideon is compared to a Barley Cake, Iudg. 7. 13. thoſe were called by the Greekes foreign, eaters of Barley; this Barley-bread is a bread which nouriſheth little, therefore it was a great bleſſing of Chriſt, when he fed fiue thouſand with fiue barley loaues, Ioh. 6. 9.
They had a more baſer ſort of bread made of Len…ils, Millet, and Fitches. Ezek. 4. 9. Daniel and his companions eat of the Lentils, Dan. 1. 12. And the reaſon ſeemeth to be this why they eat Lentils and refuſed theWhy Daniel eat Lentiles. Kings meat, becauſe they uſed not theſe Lentils in their Sacrifices to their Idols. The Romans of old tooke their name from thoſe, and they were called Le…ticuli & Fabij.
They uſed alſo to eat herbes, Prov. 15. 17. Better is a dinner of herbes where louelove is, than a ſtalled Oxe and hatred therewith: and Rom. 14. 2. another who is weake eateth herbes: and the reaſon why they would eat herbes ſeemeth to be this, becauſe men before the Flood eat herbes onelyonly.
Their other meats were called Opſonia, and their courſeſt ſort of meat was Locuſts and wilde honey, Mat. 3. 4. there were ſundry ſorts of Locuſts, of which, foure ſorts were cleane, Levit. 11. the reſt they might not eat of them.
Their drinke was water, Sicera a compoſed ſtrongOf their drinke. drinke, and wine mixed, or foreign not mixed; if they mixed it with water, then they were ſaid foreign, and when it was mixed with ſpices, it was called [Mimſach]foreign vinum mixtum a foreign miſcuit. Libamen, muſtum.
Their Condimenta, the ſauces which made their meats to reliſh, were Salt and Vineger onelyonly. Ruth 2. 14. Dip thy morſell in the Vineger.
By this which hath beene ſaid, we may perceiue whatThe ſpare dyet of Gods people. was the ſober dyet of the people of God in old times, they uſed but a ſpare dyet; this was called by the Latines, Menſa neceſſaria, & Seneca hanc menſam produxit ad aquam & panem.
There are three ſorts of dyets ſet downe in the Scripture;Three ſorts of dyet. Iohn Baptiſts dyet, Chriſts dyet, and the Epicures dyet: Iohn the Baptiſt came neither eating nor drinking, Mat. 11. 18. That is, he eat wilde honey, and the courſeſt things; Our Lord dranke Wine, but yet very moderately: the Epicures dyet is, Let us eat, let us drinke, for to morrow we ſhall die, 1 Cor. 15. 32. Iohn the Baptiſts dyet and Chriſts dyet are not the two extreames, but they are both vertues, the two extreames are the Epicures dyet, Let us eat, let us drinke; and the dyet of the ſcrupulous man who eateth onelyonly herbes, Rom. 14. 2. the Epicure taketh God to be an indulgent father to him, in giving him the creatures to eat of them at his pleaſure; and the other taketh God to be a niggard, who granteth not the liberall uſe of the creatures to his children.
Of the manner how they ſat at Table.
AT the firſt in the daies of the Patriarches they ſat ſtreight up as we doe now, and afterwards they ſat in beds; and ſome hold that they learned this cuſtome from the Perſians, but this cuſtome was more ancient than the Perſians, for it was in the dayes of Samuel, 1 Sam. 9. 22. And he brought them into the Parlor, and made them ſit in the chiefeſt place. Ezek. 23. 41. 2 Sam. 4. 5.
Sometimes they had triclinia, when three ſat in a bed, or biclinia, when two ſat in a bed, and they had foreign, when they did Luxuriare.
Chriſt and his Diſciples when they eat the Sacrament, they ſat in beds, therefore when the Church of Corinth received the Sacrament together, we muſt not thinke that they ſat in beds as Chriſt and his Apoſtles did, for then they ſhould hauehave had too many beds, which had beene exceſſiue, and contrary to the more modeſt cuſtome of the Greekes.
This kinde of ſitting was halfe ſitting and halfe leaning, which the Evangeliſt calleth foreign, yet becauſe it was uſuall Table-geſture, they call it ſitting. Ezek. 23. 41. and the Hebrewes call their Chambers Meſubboth, and their ſitters Meſubhim.
If three ſat in a bed, then the midſt was the chiefeſt place, and he that lay in his boſome erat ſecundus a primo, he was in the ſecond place, and he that ſat next unto him, was in the third place; he that was beſt beloved leaned in the boſome of the Maſter of the feaſt;To leane in the boſome a token of louelove. from this cuſtome is that ſpeech borrowed, to be in Abrahams boſome, to ſignifie that familiaritie and ſocietie, which the Saints of God ſhall hauehave with the Father of the faithfull in the Heaven, and alſo to ſignifie the unitie of eſſence in the Father and the Sonne, he is ſaid to come out of the boſome of the Father, Ioh. 1. 18.
Of their Feaſts.
OF their ſundry ſorts of feaſts, of thoſe who were invited to their feaſts, of the number of thoſe who ſat at their feaſts, the end wherefore they made feaſts, and more particularly, of their exceſſe and pompe in their feaſting compared with the Greekes.
Firſt, they had feaſts before their marriages, in theirThey had feaſts at their marriage. marriages, and after their marriages; before their marriage, and theſe feaſts were called Keduſhim, ſponſalia; and the Greekes called them foreign and foreign. Secondly, they had a feaſt at the day of their marriage, Gen. 29. 22. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feaſt; and Ioh. 2. Chriſt was preſent at a marriage feaſt in Cana of Galile: and Chriſt alludeth to this forme, Luk. 14. 8. When thou art bidden to a wedding, that is, to the feaſt at the wedding; ſo Rev. 19. 9. And ſo they had a feaſt after the marriage; and the Greekes called theſe foreign, and the gifts which were brought to the bride after ſhe was married were called foreign, becauſe the vaile was taken off her face then, and theſe things which were offered to her after ſhe was unvailed, were called foreign.
Secondly, the Iewes had feaſts at the weaning of theirFeaſts at the weaning of their children. children, and not at the day of their birth, Gen. 21. 8. but the Heathen had feaſts at the day of their birth, as Pharaoh, Gen. 40. 20. and Herod, Mat. 14. 16. and this was called foreign.
Thirdly, they had feaſts at the day of their death,Feaſts at their death and buriall. Iere. 16. 7. Neither ſhall men teare themſelues for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead, neither ſhall men giuegive them the cup of conſolation to drinke for their father, or for their mother; thou ſhalt not alſo goe into the houſe of feaſting, to ſit with them to eat and to drinke: the Greekes called th…ſe foreign, and foreign was Epulum ſepulchrale: & afterwards this feaſting degenerated much, for they uſed to ſet meat upon the graues of the dead; and Syracides alludeth to theſe delicates poured upon a mouth ſhut up, are as meſſes of meat ſet upon a graue, Ecclus 30. 18. So afterwards in the primitiue Church they had Caenam novendinalem for the ſoules departed, they feaſted the poore for the ſpace of nine dayes, and they prayed, that the ſoules might hauehave a refreſhment in that time; and this was diſcharged in the Councell of Carthage.
So they had a feaſt when they made a Covenant, asFeaſts at their Covenants. Iacob and Laban, Gen. 31. 54. ſo Ioſhua and the Gibeonites, Ioſh. 9. 14. And the Greekes called theſe feaſts foreign, from foreign libo. The Scythians in their Covenants and feaſts did drinke others bloud, theſe the Greekes called foreign, ſanguinipotas, drinkers of bloud.
So they made feaſts when they departed from othersforeign, ſacrificia ante expeditionem. at their farewell, Gen. 31. 27. and theſe the Greekes called foreign.
So they made feaſts at the returning of their friends to welcome them home, as the father of the forlorne ſonne killed the fed Calfe when his ſonne came home; and theſe feaſts the Greekes called foreign; ſo Ioſeph made a feaſt when his brethren returned to him, Gen. 49. 16.
Thoſe who were invited to their feaſts were calledWho were invited and who not? foreign, and they who were not invited were called foreign adſcititij, and they were called foreign, umbrae, et muſcae advolantes, and foreign qui lingua ſua ſe nutriunt; and they were ſaid foreign, a metaphor borrowed from the dogges who fanne with their tailes when men feede them.
The number which they invited were not many; inThe number at their feaſt. that feaſt of Iobs children were his ſeven ſonnes and three daughters; and Chriſt and his twelue Diſciples, and therefore that is falſe, ſeptem convivium, & novem convitium: the Greekes ſaid, incipere debet a Gratiarum numero, & progredi ad Muſarum, that is, they would hauehave no fewer than three at a feaſt, and no more than nine.
The perſons invited ſhould be the poore eſpecially; when thou makeſt a feaſt, bid not the rich but the poore, thatWhat perſons were to be invited. is, the poore rather than the rich, men ſhould not invite to be invited againe. Luk. 6. 12. men ſhould not invite foreign or foreign, whoſe God is their bellie. Heliogabalus invited to his feaſt, eight black, eight blind, eight lame, eight hoarſe; he made no choiſe of his gueſts, but he made a mocke of it.
The end wherefore they made feaſts, was the glorieThe end of their feaſts. of God, 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore yee eat or drinke, or whatſoever yee doe, doe all to the glorie of God: Aſſhuerus feaſt was onelyonly to ſhew his magnificence and pride, but Eſthers feaſt was for the glorie of God, and for the ſafetie of the Church.
The ſecond end of their feaſts, was to expreſſe theirBreaking of bread a token of louelove. heartie louelove and friendſhip, for to eat and drinke together, was the greateſt token of louelove and friendſhip, 2 Sam. 12. 3. He had an Ewe-lambe &c. which did eat of his owne meat, and dranke of his owne cup, & lay in his owne boſome: ſo Pſal. 41. 9. Yea mine owne familiar friend in whom I truſted, which did eat of my bread: and ſo the communion in the life to come is expreſſed by eating of bread, Luk. 14. 15. Bleſſed is he that ſhall eat bread in the Kingdome of God: and Obadiah 7. theſe three are joyned together, viri faederis, pacis, & panis, that is, that makes a Covenant together, that hath peace, and that eat together; but Abſolon killed Amnon at the feaſt; ſo Gedaliah was killed by Iſmael at the feaſt, Iere. 40. and Iohn the Baptiſt by Herod, Mat. 14.
Of the place where the Romans uſed to make their Feaſt.
TH… place where the Romans ſat at their meat was called Caenaculum, and where they lay it was called Cubiculum, and by the Greekes Triclinium.
The ancients at the firſt ſat in the Kitchin, or a placeThe place where they feaſted. neere to the Kitchin, where they did dine or ſuppe, and this was called Atrium, from the blacknes of the ſmoke, and the Courts afterward kept this name, & they were called Atria, then they changed from this place and removed to an upper chamber, and there they uſed to dine and ſuppe, the Iewes following the Roman cuſtome who had ſubdued them, ſat alſo in an upper chamber; Chriſt and his Diſciples eat the Paſſeover in an upper chamber, according to the cuſtome of the Romans; theſe Chambers were called Conclavia, cloſets, or ſecret places; and Chriſt ſaith, when thou prayeſt enter into thy Cloſet, Mat. 6. 6.
The beds which they had were called Diſcubitorij Lecti, or Toralia, and they were covered with herbes & ſtraw before they found out Quilts or ſowed CoveringsHow the beds on which they eat were called. called ſtragula, and the Greekes called them foreign & foreign, and they differed from the ſleeping beds called foreign, a bed wherein one ſlept, and ſometimes they had three and ſometimes foure of thoſe beds in a Chamber.
For thoſe three beds, the Ancients made one long bedThe forme of their bed…. called foreign, after the forme of the Greeke Letter foreign, that it might almoſt compaſſe about the round Table, which they called Semirotundum ſuggeſtum, an halfe round Table, like the Greeke foreign, and it was thus painted foreign
Martial. Accipe lunata ſcriptum teſtudine ſigma. Octo capit, veniat, quiſquis amicus erit.
And the round Table joyned with it, was called Antiſigma, becauſe it made a ſemicircle upon the other part, it was ſemirotundus ſuggeſtus, and joyning with the bed, it made the full circle; this great bed ſometimes contained ſeven;Martial: De Stibadio. Lib. 14.
Septem ſigma capit, ſex ſumus, adde lupum.
Chriſt and his Diſciples ſat not in Stabidio, but in ſeverall beds, in biclinijs, or triclinijs.
He who made thoſe beds was called Lectiſterniator, & he who kept the chamber cleane after the beds were made, was called Mediaſtinus, the charge of thoſe wasThe decking of their beds and chambers. to hang the Chamber with Tapeſtry and Curtaines; and Chriſt meaneth of ſuch a Chamber when he ſaith, he will ſhew you a large upper roome, furniſhed and prepared, there make readie for us, Mark. 14. 15.
The Tables which they had, either ſtood upon one foot, and they were called foreign, or upon two, and they were called bipedes, or upon three, and they were called tripodes.
At the firſt, their Tables were not covered with linnen,How their Tables were covered. but after Supper they tooke a Bruſh or Sponge & ſwept the Table.
Martial: Haec tibi ſorte datur tergendis ſpongla menſis.
Afterwards they uſed to cover their Tables Gauſapo villoſo, with a cloath made of rough Cotton, and afterward with linnen, and they had Napkins with which they wiped their hands called foreign.
They had menſam urnariam a Table upon which theirOf their Tables. veſſels ſtood; by Varro called Cylibantum foreign, becauſe it kept the Cups, and it was called Gartibulum or Gertibulum, a gerendis vaſibus; this menſa urnaria ſtood but in the Kitchin, but the other ſtood in triclinijs, in their upper chambers.
When the Chamber and the Table were thus prepared,Of their waſhing before meat. the gueſts were waſhed in baths, and then they were anointed; the ſervants who anointed them were called Vnctores or foreign, & the place where they were anointed was called foreign, they waſhed their feete, and the veſſell in which they waſhed their feete was called Pelluvium, & that in which they waſhed their hands was called Malluvium; when they waſhed before the dinner, it was called foreign, and after dinner foreign.
They were curious in anointing of their bodies; forOf their anointing. every part of the bodie they had a ſeverall ointment; they anointed the feete with Egyptian ointment, the cheekes and the breaſt with the Phaenician, but the armes with the Siſymbrian, the necke and the cheekes with the ointment made of the herbe Serpillum.
Chiefly they anointed their head and their feete with Nardus, and this by Marke, cap. 14. 3. is called foreign, upright Nard, and the box in which it was kept, was called Alabaſtris, a box cut out of a precious ſtone in Egypt.
When they ſat at theſe coſtly Tables, they had great banquets and feaſts; this was called Caena dubia, caena opipara, caena ebria, by Plautus, caena triumphalis, by Plinius, caena dapſilis; Oppoſit to theſe was caena pura, caena ſine ſanguine, & caena terreſtris, in which they eat onelyonly herbes.
Of their manner of drinking.
THey meaſured their drinke by a cup called Cyathus, and ſome were ſaid potare ſextantes, quadrantes, trientes; He that dranke Sextans was of a weake bodie; he that dranke Deuux was a drunkard, he that dranke triens was one of the middle ſort; they uſed to drinke harmonicè, there were three ſorts of mixtures like three harmonies in muſicke, the firſt was foreign, three parts of water and two of wine; ſecondly, foreign, when they mixed three of water and one of wine; thirdly, foreign, when one part of wine, and two of water were mixed.
They dranke ſometimes nine cups for the nine Muſes, and three for the three fatall ſiſters.
Auſonius, Ter bibe, vel toties ternos, ſic myſtica lex eſt. Vel tria potandi, vel ter tria multiplicandi.
And ſometimes they dranke as many cups as there were letters in their friends name, to whom they dranke.
Martial. Nevia ſex Cyathis, ſeptem Iuſtina bibatur.
And ſometimes amongſt the Romans, they dranke as many cups as they wiſhed years to him for whom they dranke, and they uſed to coole their wine in ſnow water; ſo they had a veſſell in quo …olebant aquam colare, in which they uſed to ſtraine the water.
Martial. Attenuare nives nôrunt, & Lintea noſtra, Frigidior caelo non ſalit unda tua.
They had a Maſter of the feaſt, called Pater diſcubitus, and by Tacitus, Rex convivij, and the Greekes called him foreign; & foreign, who aſſigned to every man his place where he ſhould ſit, and foreign, who taſted the wine before others dranke.
When they were at Supper, they had all ſort of muſicke and perfumes, and when they departed the Maſter of the feaſt gaue them foreign, gifts; ſo our Lord in his great and laſt feaſt, had his perfumes, his prayers ſweetning the prayers of the Saints, they had their hymne, and he had foreign, he gaue them his fleſh and his bloud.
Of their Apparell.
THe matter of their Apparell was Wooll, Linnen, and Silke, and Xylinum, which was a middle betwixt Wollen and Linnen.
Silke was called Meſhi, Ezek. 16. 10. 13. Aquila tranſlatethforeign Sericum. a foreign extrahere. it foreign, becauſe it was ſoft and ſmooth, and eaſie to be handled, or it was called ſo, from [Maſhah] extrahere, becauſe it was eaſily drawne out; ſilke is not a new invention, as ſome take it to be, for it was in uſe amongſt the Hebrewes and Greekes, and it was called Serica Medica, becauſe the Medes brought it upō Camels from Bactria.
Secondly, they had Wooll; and thirdly, Byſſus, white Linnen, which groweth in Egypt and Paleſtina, l…ke to the leaues of the Poppie; and this is called Sheſh; foreign Xylinum.ſheſh is not rightly tranſlated Linnen, but it ſhould be tranſlated Xylinum or Cotton, and the reaſons are theſe, the Lord forbiddeth to make a garment of linnen and woollen, therefore the Curtaines could not be made of linen and woollen, but of [Sheſh] byſſus, or Cotton; ſecondly, Linnen doth not receiue the ſcarlet dye, as this Xylinum or Byſſus doth; their courſer cloaths were of Camels haire, ſuch as Iohn the Baptiſt wore.
The colour of their cloaths, firſt white, Eccleſ. 9. 8.Of the colour of their cloaths. Let thy garments be alwayes white; thoſe the Hebrewes called [Hhorim] Candidi. They uſed this white as a ſigneWhite cloaths a ſigne of proſperitie. of proſperitie, victorie, felicitie, joy and gladneſſe. Chriſt himſelfe upon the Mount appeared cloathed in white, ſo he appeared to Iohn in white, Revel. 1. 13. ſo the white robes given to the Martyrs in ſigne of victorie, Revel. 7. 14. and white horſes, Zach. 6. and Rev. 7. 9. the Saints are brought in cloathed in white, bearing Palmes in their hands.
Secondly, they had cloaths of ſcarlet colour, this was called foreign, which commeth of a worme bred in the ſtalke of a certaine herb, and it hath Shani joyned with it, becauſe the cloath was twice dyed in it, and this was called foreign; Matthew ſaith that they put Chriſt in Coccinea tunica, in a ſcarlet coat; the other Evangeliſts ſay, in purple, that is, in ſcarlet tending more to purple, it was not bright ſcarlet; and the whore is called the ſcarlet whore, becauſe ſhe was dyed with the bloud of the Saints, Revel. 17. 4. So there was hyacinthinus color, a violet or purple colour.
Of the divers names of their ſtuffes, whereof their cloathes were made.
FIrſt, the Babylonians cauſed to weaue in divers colours and pictures in their cloath, and this was called veſtis babylonica: ſuch was that which Achan ſtole, Ioſh. 7. 21.
The ſecond was the Phrygian cloath, ſowed with needle worke, and this was called opus Phrygionicum, the Hebrewes call it rokem. The hangings of the Tabernacleforeign were ſuch; The Queenes veſture was ſuch, Pſal. 45. This the Seventie call foreign, from foreign a needle, and foreign ſowed with a needle.
Thirdly, Alexandrinum, the Alexandrian; This was when threeds of divers colours were woven together, and this was called foreign, multilicium, or variegatum: ſuch was Ioſephs partie coloured coate, and the Queenes daughters in thoſe dayes wore a partie coloured gowne. 2 Sam. 13. 18. This was alſo called Plumarium, which ſhined like the Doves necke, Pſal. 68. 13.
The Aſſyrians and Canaanites made opus barbaricum, woven in both the ſides, or foreign, ſuch was the veile of the Tabernacle, both woven on the one ſide, and on the other.
So they had opus plectile, as Aarons girdle; opus interraſile, imboſſed worke; ſo they had veſtes undulatas, vel ſcutulatas, water chamlet.
Of their husbandrie.
FIrſt, they plowed the ground, this was called [Hharaſh]foreign aravit. foreign Novellare. Then they plowed it the next yeare, and this was called [nir] novellare: and Ieremiah alludeth to this 4. 3. Plow up your fallow ground; then he harroweth the ground, breaketh the clods and maketh it ſmooth, Eſay 28. 24. and prepareth it for the ſeed: This was called occare.
The Oxe when hee plowed the ground hee eate cleane provender, ſo the aſſe: and Eſay alludeth to this Eſay 30. 24. The Oxen likewiſe and the young aſſes that eare the ground, ſhall eate cleane provender, which hath bin winnowed with the ſhovell, and with the fanne. Their other herds they fed them with Sycamores or wilde figges, Amos 7. 14. I was a herd man and a gatherer of Sycamore fruit.
They ſowed divers ſorts of graine, Eſay 28. 25. as fitches, cummin, wheat, barley, and rie.
The barley and the flaxe were ſmitten with the thunder, but the wheat and the rie were not ſmitten, becauſe they were hid in the darke, Exod. 9. 31. 32. There was not ſuch difference betwixt the barley and the wheat, that the one was hid in the ground, when the other was ſho… up; therefore it is not rightly tranſlated hidden in the darke, but erant ſerotina, or ſomewhat latter.
There were three moneths betwixt their ſowing and their firſt reaping, and foure moneths to the full harveſt, Ioh. 4. 35. Say not yee, there are yet foure moneths, and then commeth harveſt? their barley harveſt was at the Paſſover, and their wheat harveſt was at the Pente cost.
Of the manner how they threſhed their corne.
THey had ſundry formes in threſhing of their corne; Firſt, they beat out their weaker graine with a ſtaffe, as their fitches, and cummin, Eſay 28. 27. And this ſtaffe was not unlike to our failes.
Againe, ſome of their graine was trodden out with the feete of Oxen or Horſes; with Oxen Deut. 25. 4. Thou ſhalt not musſle the mouth of the Oxe, that treadeth out the corne. And Hoſea alludeth to this forme, Ephraim is an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corne, Hoſ. 10. 11. So with the feete of horſes, Eſay 28. 28. nor bruiſe it with his horſemen; or elſe it was bruiſed out with an inſtrument of wood, which was either a plaine peice of wood ſet with teeth of yron, to cut the ſtraw and bruiſe out the corne; This was called hharutz, forforeign the ſharpneſſe of it. Or elſe they uſed a wheele to bruiſe it out, and this was called gneglah, as the firſt was called trahea.
A compariſon taken from the ripe figges.
HOSEA 9. 10. I found Iſrael like grapes in the wildernes, I ſaw your fathers as the firſt ripe in the figge tree at her firſt time, Cant. 2. 13. the figge tree putteth forth her greene figges; the greene figge was called groſſus, and the ripe figge was called carica, matura ficus. When it is ſaid, that Chriſt came to the figge tree, and found nothing but leaues, for the time of figges were not as yet, Mark. 11. 13. it is meant of thoſe firſt ripe figges, theſe are called greene, or untimely figges, Revel. 6. 13.
The firſt ripe figges are eaſily ſhaken off and fall away. And Nahum alludeth to this, Nahum 3. 12. All thy ſtrong holds ſhall be like figge-trees with the firſt ripe figges, if they be ſhaken, they ſhall fall into the mouth of the eater. And as men long moſt for the firſt ripe figs, ſo did the enemies for Nineve, and one ſhaking of the enemie ſhould make them fall like the firſt ripe figges into their mouth.
A compariſon taken from their ſhepherds.
THe ſhepherd in cold weather keepeth his cloake cloſe about him, and the Lord alludeth to this forme, Ier. 43. 12. He ſhall aray himſelfe with the Land of Egypt, as a ſhepheard putteth on his garment, that is, hee ſhall take away the ſpoiles of Egypt, and keepe them as ſure as the ſhepheard keepeth his cloake about him.
The ſhepheards in the Eaſt went out and in before their ſheepe, and their ſheepe followed them, and Chriſt ſh…weth this, Ioh. 10. 3. The ſhepheard calleth his ſheepe by name, and leadeth them out.
The ſhepheard hath his call, whereby he calleth his ſheepe, and they know his voice, Ioh. 10. 3. Hee hath his ſhepheards crooke, and his rodde; the one to catch them, the other to driue them: and David alludeth to theſe, Pſal. 23. 4. Thou art with me, thy rodde and thy ſtaffe they comfort me.
The ſhepheard hath his whisſle, and his pipe wherewith he delighteth him ſelfe when he feedeth his ſheepe Iudg. 5. 16. Why abod'st thou among the ſheepfolds to heare [ſharikoth gadarim] it ſhould not be tranſlated, the bleating foreign Fiſtula.of the flockes, but why abodeſt thou amongſt the ſheepfolds, delighting to heare the whisſle.