The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the appearance of the people at the three festivalls.
THE[a]Maymon. in kidd. h…odesh. per. 1. great Sanhedrin was as an Almanack to all the Nation, to give them notice of the new moons, by which they might fix their monthly feasts, and know when to celebrate their solemnities. Now although the Sanhedrin had the skil to know the night when the new moon should appear (for from its appearing they began the month) yet they did not determine of the thing, till they had the testimony of two men, which gave in evidence that they had seen the new moon: And hereupon it was, that very many couples repaired to Jerusalem for this purpose, who having seen the first new moon, set away thither to give testimony of it, and there were intertained in a place of the City, called foreign [b]Rosh. hash. per. 2.Beth Jaazek, [c]Aruch. in foreigna Court walled in with stone, and examined about the businesse and feasted, that men might be encouraged to come to witnesse upon so needfull an occasion: it is besides our present purpose to inquire curiously after the quality of the persons whose testimony was to be accepted, or how, or how farre they came, or why they should come, when the persons of the great councell might see the moon themselves, and how they of the Sanhedrin that saw the moon, did witnesse among themselves about it, and therefore we wil let these disquisitions alone, and content our selves with observing this, that[d]Gl…ss. in Maym. in loc. cita…. as that Court held it self bound to fix and give notice of the new moones, so they held themselves bound to determine upon this matter by the mouth of two witnesses, as they did also in other Judiciall matters.
The two first witnesses that came, if their testimony were current did serve the turn, and they looked no further (yet had they something to say to all the couples that came, because they would encourage the work:) or if those two did not serve the turn, when any other two did, then they tooke course that all the Country might know of the day with what speed might bee.
For that purpose their course at the first was this: At night (after they had concluded by day, by such witnesse, that the new moon was seen the night before) they caused one to goe upon mount Olivet, with a bundle of most combustible wood, and other stuffe, and there he set it on fire, and waved it up and down, and this way, and that way, and never left, till he saw another do so upon another hill, and so another on a third: and those that took at him, they waved their blazes up and down, till they were answered with the like from another hill, and so the intelligence was quickly dispersed through the whole land: Nay, saith the Talmud, [e]Rosh. hash. ibid.it went from mount Olivet to Sartaba, from Sartaba to Gryphena, from Gryphena to Hhevaron, from Hhevaron to Beth Baltin: and he that stood there never left waving his blaze, till he saw all the place of the captivity full of the like.
The Country thus seeing these flames and blazes, knew that the new moon had appeared the night before, and that the Sanhedrin had concluded the day past, for the first day of the month, and so they knew how to count forward: But it seems experience taught them in time, that by such kind of intelligence, they might be, and sometimes were deceived foreign by the Samaritanes or prophane persons, or some of their enemies, that made such flamings for the very nonce that they might deceive them:[f]Ibid. per. 1. Therefore they fell to a second way of dispersing their intelligence, and that was by sending messengers up and down the Countrey for this purpose: What a toil would a good Almanack have saved, nay an indifferent one would have given as much, or more certainty about this matter, then this way did, or could doe, because of the slipperinesse of it in severall particulars.
These messengers were sent abroad upon this errand onelyonly seven months in the year: As,
1. In the month Nisan, that the people might know the right day of the Passeover.
2. In the month Ijar, because of the second Passeover, or the Passeover in the second month.
3. In the month Ab, because of the Fast, on the ninth day.
4. In the month Elul, because of the beginning of the year, the next month after: for Elul was most ordinarily mensis vacuus, or a month of nine & twenty days only, and so they knowing the first day of Elul, they might observe the thirtieth day, for the first of Tisri, or the beginning of the year: And if on the thirtieth day they found not either by the sight of the moon, or by some intelligence from the Sanhedrin, that that proved the first day of the month; they kept the next day after also for it, that they might make sure.
5. In Tisri, because of the day of Expiation, and feast of Tabernacles.
6. In Cisleu, because of the feast of Dedication.
7. In Adar, because of the feast of Purim.
The knowledg of the certain day of the three festivalls, Passeover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, being thus imparted to all the Countrey, they were by the Law to resort to Jerusalem, at the times appointed, and to keep the Feast, and to rejoice there. Their appearance there, was called foreign Raaiah, and their festivating and rejoycing, was called foreign chagigah. Their appearance was made in the Court of the Temple, the first holiday in the festival week: and they were to bring their sacrifice for their appearance, and peace offerings for the Hagigah, or for the solemnity of the festivity, and their peace offerings for their rejoycing, and these were called, foreign Peace offerings of joy.
[g]Hagigah. per. 1.There were some that were acquitt…d and excused from this appearance; as, Men-servants that were not made free, the deaf, dumb, silly, lame, uncleane, uncircumcised, those that were very old, the sick, tender and unable to travail a foot, and infants till they were able to walk up to the mountain of the House, holding their Fathers by the hand.
And as miraculous providence did preserve their families in the Countrey, when they were gone up to these solenni…ies (and had left at home none but women, children, and some Men-servants, which were not free,) so it was little lesse then a miracle, that all these vast multitudes of people, should find provision & acommodation for them, when they came to Jerusalem. And this the Tal…udicks do justly take notice of as a speciall wonder, and remarkable work of God, of which they have this observation.
[h]Aboth. R. Nathan. per. 34.Ten wonders, say they, were shewed to our fathers at the Sanctuary. No woman ever prooved abortive by the smell of the flesh of the Sacrifices. And no man ever stumbled in Jerusalem: Neither did any man ever fall in Jerusalem. Nor was there ever abortion in Jerusalem: Nor did any man ever say to his fellow, I have not found a fire where to rost my Paschall in Jerusalem: Nor did any man ever say to his fellow, I have not found a bed in Jerusalem to lie in: Nor did ever any man say to his fel…ow, My lodging is too strait in Jerusalem, &c.