The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. The manner of their celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles.
THE day of expiation was not so solemn, and serious, and painefull, especially to the High-priest, but the feast of Tabernacles was as jocund, pleasant and mirthfull to all the people. It was but five dayes after that, beginning on the fifteenth day of the same month Tisri, and lasting eight dayes together, Levit. 23.34, 35, 36. Numb. 29.12, 35. 2 Chron. 7. ver. 8, 9, 10. Nehem. 8.17, 18. In which feast there was more rejoycing then in any of the other, and more parcels and varieties of solemnity.
The first particular of its solemnity and celebration was their dwelling in booths, (from which custome the feast tooke its name) which they began to do on the first day of the feast, and so continued all the time, and out of those booths they might neither eat, nor drinke, nor sleep, so long as the feast lasted. Their Booths were of boughs of trees, in the making of which, for height, and breadth, and place, and fashion, it were endlesse to trace their curiosity and traditions, and it is somewhat excentricke to our discourse which is confined to the virge of the Temple. Within which confinement we are to take up foure remarkable ingredients to the solemnity of this feast, and they are these.
1. The variety of their Sacrifices.
2. Their Palme and Willow branches.
3. Their Pomecitrons.
4. Their powring out of water and rejoycing.
Sect. 1. The severall sacrifices at the feast of Tabernacles.
THe Jerusalem Talmud doth give this briefe summary of the progresse of their proceedings in the service of the Temple every day of this feast.[a]Talm. Ier. in Succ. per. 5. They went first to offer the daily Sacrifice in the morning; then the additionall Sacrifices; after that the vowes and free offerings; from thence to eat and drink (or to dinner) from thence to the study of the Law; and after that, to offer the Evening Sacrifice, and from thence they went to the joy of the powring out of the water.
Now the constant or dayly Sacrifices of these dayes of the Feast were unalteredly the same that they were on all other dayes, a Lamb in the morning, and a Lamb at even: but the additionall Sacrifices for the time, were not onelyonly remarkable for their number (they and the dayly Sacrifices of this time amounting to 215. the number of the yeares of Israels being in Aegypt) but they were most remarkable for this alteration, because a Bullock lesse was offered every day then had been offered on the day before; and yet the very same number of Rams, Lambs, and Goats, retained every day alike: For on the first day of the Feast were thirteen Bullocks offered, on the second day twelve, on the third day eleven and so downward, as may be seen in Numb. 29. and yet on every day two Rams, fourteen Lambs, and one Goat, without any alteration, as is apparent in the same place.
The reason of which decrescency of the Bullocks, may be better guessed at, then surely given, and variety of conjecture sooner produced of others, then any certainty determined by our selves. Whether it were to reduce the whole number of the Bullocks to 70.[b]R. Sol. in Numb. 29. in parallel to the 70. Nations which should be abating and decaying, while Israel like the number of the Rammes, Lambs, and Goats, remained fixed: [c]Abarb. ibid.or according to the 70. years of mans age, which is daily decaying; or whether it were to shew the decay of Sacrifice in time to come; or to match 7 Bullocks with the seventh day; or to reduce the number of Beasts on that day to an equality with the number of the four and twenty courses; or whether this abatement were because the people abated dayly, and withdrew to their owne homes; or what else was the cause of it, we shall not be sollicitous to enquire further after, onelyonly we cannot but observe the manner of offering of these Sacrifices which were so numerous and so various, and the service with them.
The daily Sacrifice was offered according to the Rituall that hath been already observed by the Course appointed for that week, and according as every one obtained his imployment by the lottery. And at the offering of it the Levites sung the Hallel, of which mention and description hath beene made before.
But as for additionall Sacrifices, they found a way that every Course of the foure and twenty, who were now all present, should have a share in offering of one beast or other, and they proportionated the businesse after this manner.
[d]Succah. per. 5 & Maym. …n Tam. pe…. 10.On the first day there were thirteen Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, sixteen beasts in all, and these were offered by sixteen of the Courses; there remained then 14 Lambs for 8 Courses, six whereof offered two Lambs apeece, and the other two C…urses one Lamb apeece.
On the second day there were twelve Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, fifteen beasts offered by fifteen of the Courses; and then there remained 14 Lambs for 9 Courses to offer; five whereof offered two Lambs apeece, and foure one apeece.
On the third day eleven Bullocks, two Rammes, and one Goat, fourteen beasts offered by fourteen of the Courses: and then fourteen Lambs remained for ten Courses, of which four Courses offered two Lambs apeece, and sixe Courses one apeece.
On the fourth day ten Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, thirteen beasts offered by thirteen Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for eleven Courses, three Courses offered two apeece, and eight Courses one apeece.
On the fifth day nine Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by twelve Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for the other twelve Courses to offer, two Courses offered two a peece, and ten Courses one a peece.
On the sixth day eight Bullocks, two Rams, and one Goat, offered by eleven Courses: the fourteen Lambs remained for thirteen Courses to offer, one Course offered two Lambs, and twelve Courses offered one Lamb apeece.
On the seventh day seven Bullocks, two Rams, one Goat, and fourteene Lambs, foure and twenty in all were offered by the four and twenty Courses, every Course offering one beast.
Sect. 2. Their Palme and Willow branches. foreign
IT was enjoined by the Law, Yee shall take you on the first day (of the feast of Tabernacles) fruit of goodly trees, branches of Palme trees, boughes of thick trees, and Willowes of the brooke, and ye shall rej…yce before the Lord your God seven dayes, Lev. 23.40. Upon which text there was[a]Ab. Ez. Lev. 23. a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadduces, for what end these boughes and branches should be appointed: The Sadduces held that they were for the making of their Booths, but the Pharisees determined (and they carried it) tha… these were branches, and fruit of trees, which at this feast were to be carried in their hands.
[b]Maym. in Succah velul. per. 7.On the first day of the Feast therefore they prepared them branches of Palme, Willow, and Myrtle, and tied them together with gold or silver twist, or with other strings or twigs, and these the carried continually in their hand all the first day of the feast throughout. In the morning did a man go out of his house, he had his Lulabh in his hand, for so they called this bundle of branches. If he went to the Synagogue, if he prayed, if he went to visit the sick, he kept it still in his hand, and he might not leave it out of his hand all that day long. And all the rest of the dayes of the feast they went not to the Temple without these branches, and every day they went to the Temple purposely with them.
[c]Talm. in Succah per. 4There was a place a little below Jerusalem, which was called Motsa, thither they went and got Willow branches, (it seems upon the banks of Kidron) and every one got two, namely[d]Tosapht. in Succah. per. 3. one for his Lulabh, or to tye up with his Palme and Myrtle branches to carry in his hand, and one for the Altar. And once every day of the feast, they went with these in their hands about the Altar, and stucke one of them there. At first it was their custom upon the first day of the feast, to bring their branches into the Temple, and there to leave them till the next morning, sticking about the Cloyster that incompassed the mountaine of the house, and the next morning to come and take them in their hands againe. But this bred scuffling and scrambling and difference among them about which was which, so that the Sanhedrin saw cause to decree that every one should take his branch with him home, and bring it from home the next day.
Having therefore provided a Lulabh, or bundle to hold in their hands, and another Willow branch for the Altar, they came once every day into the Court, and went about the Altar, and set their boughes bending toward the Altar, and cryed Hosanna, or save now I beseech O Lord; O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity, Psal. 118.25. the Trumpets in the meane while sounding; and on the seventh day they walked about the Altar seven times; and this was called the great Hosanna: and every day when they went away they said foreign Beauty be to thee O Altar, Beauty be to thee O Altar.
The consideration of this custome giveth light to that passage, John 12.12, 13. Matth. 21.8, 9, 15. and to that in Rev. 7.9, 10.
Sect. 3. Their Pomecitron apples. foreign
THere seemeth not to be either mention or footing of this matter that we have now in hand in all the Scriptures, yet have the Traditionaries drawn it into being and practise from that expression in the text alledged even now, Ye shall take unto you foreign the fruit of goodly trees, (as our English renders it, and the Seventy differ but little from it) which the Talmudists descant upon in this variety.[a]Talm. Ier. in Succah. fol. 53. col. 2. & Talm Rab. in Succah. fol. 35. & Aruch. in foreign. R. Sol & Baal. turim. in Lev. 23. It is written foreign that is, a tree whose fruit is goodly, and whose wood is goodly. And what is that, but a Pomecitron? And if thou say a Pomegranate; his fruit is goodly, but his wood is not goodly. If thou say a Charob; his wood is goodly, but his fruit is not goodly. R. Simeon ben Jochai saith, A tree whose fruit is goodly, and its wood goodly; the taste of its fruit like the taste of its wood, its wood like its fruit, and its fruit like its wood, and what is this? A Pomecitron. It is called foreign saith Rabbi Levi foreign because it stayeth upon the tree from one yeare to another. Rabbi Tauchumah saith Aquila rendreth foreign by foreign for it is a tree that groweth by the waters. R. Abhu saith, read it not foreign but foreign for so in the Greeke tongue they call water foreign: Now what tree is that that groweth besides all waters? It is a Pomecitron. And according to this received construction doth the Chaldee Paraphrast roundly render that clause in the text alledged, Ye shall take unto you the fruit of the Pomecitron tree, which construction is generally received of all the Jewes.
And so generally received, that as they carried a branch or bundle of branches in the one hand at the Feast of Tabernacles, and held that an undispensable command, so did they also carry a Pomecitron in the other hand, and held that as strict a command and duty as the other. About which Ceremoniall Pomecitron (for so I may well call it) it would be tedious to produce the curiosities that are discussed, about the growth, quantity, quality, and complexion of it; I shall only relate one story about it, which is somewhat remarkable; and that is, of a[b]Succah. ib. Tosapht ibid. per. 3. Baithusaean, or Sadduce, who failing of the performance of a peece of service at the Altar, at the feast of Tabernacles (of which service we shall speak anon) and not doing it as he should, all the company fell upon him, and pelted him (the Talmudick expression is they stoned him) with their Pomecitrons.[c]Iuchas. fol. 15. Whereupon King Jannai being himselfe a Sadduce, called for a sword and slew divers of the wise men. Whether this were that King Jannai [d]Talm. Bab. in Sanhedr. per. 2. in Gemar. Halacah. 2.of whom there is the remarkable story in the Treatise Sanhedrin, in the place alledged in the margin, (a story that it may be hath some reference to this fact) it is not time and place to examine here.
Sect. 4. Their pouring out of water foreign and the Rubrick of every dayes service.
THE Ceremonies and customes used at this Feast, which have been mentioned already, were somewhat strange, but the strangest rite is yet behind, and that is their drawing and pouring out of water, and their great rejoycing for it, which pouring out of water was used every day of the Feast, and their rejoycing upon it, was so great, that in all this Feast, nay in all their Feasts throughout all the year, they had not the like. For the fuller view of which and of the whole festivity of this solemn time, having now shewn you the men in their festivall garbe, with their branches in the one hand, and their pomecitrons in the other, we will now take up in order, the severall and particular services and passages of every day as they did occur.
First, they came with thir branches and Pomecitrons in their hands to the morning dayly Sacrifice, and stood so attending while that was offered.[a]Tosaphta in Succah. per. 3. And when the parts of this Sacrifice were laid on the Altar, then was there this pouring out of water upon the Altar, but mingled with wine, and the manner thus:[b]Talm. ibid. per. 4. One of the Priests with a golden Tankard went to the Fountain or Pool of Siloam, and filled it there with water: He returned back again into the Court through that which was called the water gate, (which we have taken the survey of in its place): and when hee came there, the Trumpets sounded: Hee goeth up the rise of the Altar where stood two Basins, one with wine in it, and into the other hee put the water: and hee poures either the wine into the water or the water into the wine, and then poures them out by way of libation: which action whilest he was going about the people cried to him, Hold up thy hand: And the reason of this admonition was, because of that Baithusaean or Sadduce that we have newly mentioned, who when he was about this libation, and should have poured the Wine clear from him, he poured it upon his own feet, and this caused the multitude to pelt him with their pomecitrons.
At the time of this Libation did the musick and the song begin, and[c]Talm. Ierus. in Succah. pe…. 5. that song which they sung all the dayes of the Feast, at the daily Sacrifice was the Hallel (which we have described before) that being renewed daily, (saith the Jerusalem Talmud), as their Lulabh or branches were renewed daily: [d]Succah in mishueh per. 3.Now when they came, in the Hallel, to the beginning of the hundred and eighteenth Psalm, O give thanks unto the Lord, all the company shook their branches: and so did they when they came to these words, Hosanna, or save now Lord I beseech thee: and again at the saying of that clause, O Lord I beseech thee send now pro…perity: and so likewise at the saying of the last verse of that Psalm, which was the last verse of the Hallel, O give thanks unto the Lord, &c.
After the service of the daily Sacrifice was done, then fell they to the offering of the additionall Sacrifices which have been mentioned of so many Bullocks, Rams, Lambs, and a Goat: at which service the Songs-men sang again some peculiar and appointed part of a Psalm:
As on the first day, Psal. 105.
[e]Maym. in Tamid. in per. 10.On the second day, Psal. 29.
On the third day, Psal. 50. at ve. 16.
On the fourth day, Psal. 94. at ver. 16.
On the fifth day, Psal. 94. at ver. 8.
On the sixth day, Psal. 81. at ver. 6.
On the seventh day, Psal. 82. at ver. 5.
When these additionall Sacrifices were also finished, the people departed home to dinner (having first sung their Hosanna about the Altar, as hath been related, with their palms in their hands) unlesse there were any that had vowes or free-will offerings to offer, who stayed for that occasion. After dinner they went severally to the Divinity Schools or to the Study of the Law for a while; and when the time came, to the Evening Sacrifice, where the service was much answerable to what was in the morning.
Towards night they began the foreign Rejoycing for the pouring out, or drawing of the water, which mirth they continued far in the night every night of the Feast, and this their rejoycing was of so high a jollity, that they say, foreign.[f]Succah. per. 5. That he that never saw the rejoycing of the drawing of water, never saw rejoycing in all his life. At the time when the water was drawn or fetcht from the pool of Siloam, and poured out upon the Altar, they had not the liberty of their jollity, because of the seriousnesse and solemnity of the service that was then in hand; but when all the service of the day was over and night was now come, they fall to their rejoycing for that matter, which rejoycing is equally strange both for the manner and the cause of it: The manner was thus.
[g]Ibid. & Maym. in Succah Velulabh. per. 8.They went into the Court of the women, and there the women placed themselves upon balcones round about the Court, and the men stood upon the ground. There were four candlesticks (or beacons rather I might call them) of an exceeding great bignesse, and mounted of an exceeding great height, overtopping and overlooking the wals of the Court, and of the mountain of the house at a great elevation: By every Candlestick (which stood on every side of the Court one) there was a ladder, by which four young men of the Priests, did severally goe up to the Candlesticks with plenty of oil and yarn, which was ravelled of the Priests old coats and girdles, and they set them a burning.
The Pipe of the Temple began to play, and many Levites with their instruments in great aboundance, standing upon the fifteen steps that went down out of the Court of Israel into the Court of the women, and whosoever of them and of the Priests was musicall either with instrument or with voice, joined his Musick: In the mean while the greatest Grandees of the people, as the members of the Sanhedrin, Rulers of the Synagogues, Doctors of the Schools, and those that were of the highest rank and repute for place and religion, fell a dancing, leaping, singing and capering, with torches in their hands, with all their skill and might, whilest the women and the common people looked on: and thus they spent the most part of the night. And the more they abased themselves (like David before the Arke) in this activity, he more they thought they did commendably, and deserved praise.
At last, far in the night two Priests, standing in the Gate of Nicanor, do sound their Trumpets; and then they come down to the tenth step and they sound there again, they come down into the Court of the women, and there sound a third time, and so they goe sounding all along the Court till they come to the East-gate of it, and there they turn themselves and look back up toward the Temple, and they say thus, Our Fathers which were in this place, turned their backs upon the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the East, towards the Sun, but as for us, wee are towards him, and our eyes towards him.
[h]Talm. Ierus. in Succah. fol. 55. & Talm. Bab. ibi fol. 53.As the Grandees danced, some of them would say thus Blessed bee thou O my youth which hast not shamed my old old age, (foreign These were called men of performances), And others would say, Blessed be thou O my old age which hast gainsaied my youth. (These were Chasidin and men of repentance). And both of them would say, Blessed is he that hath not sinned, and he that hath sinned and his sin is pardoned.
At length wearinesse, sleepinesse, and satiety with their mirth, concludes the jollity till another night, and so they part, some to their own homes, and others stay the night out in their places still, foreign, nodding and sleeping sometimes as they stood or sate, upon one anothers shoulders, even while the sport was in hand.
And now to come to search after the reason of this strange and extraordinary jucundity at this time, it were no great difficulty to shew some cause why they might be more merry at the Feast of Tabernacles then at other festivalls, namely because they had now inned and gathered all their fruits, and therefore this Feast is called The Feast of ingathering in the end of the year, Exod. 23.15, 16. But why they should take up so great joviality, upon the pouring out or drawing of the water mentioned, is somewhat strange to observe, and not easie to resolve.
[b]Tosaphta ubi ante.[i] Rabbi Akibah giveth this reason of the pouring not the water, The Law saith, (he saith) Bring an Omer of Barly at the Passeover, for that is the season of Barly, that the Corn may be blessed. Bring wheat and the first fruits at Pentecost, which was the season of trees, that the fruit of trees may be blessed to thee. Bring foreign the libation of water at the Feast of Tabernacles, that the flowers may be blessed to thee. And accordingly it is said that whosoever will not come up to the Feast of Tabernacles shall have no rain. For now was the time of the latter rains, Joel 2.23.
[k]Maym. ubi …te.Maymony giveth this as the cause of the rejoycing, Because it was the rejoycing for the keeping of the Law, to which no joy can be comparable: And therefore saith he, The common people, and every one that would, were not actors in this rejoycing, for they neither sang nor danced, but were onelyonly spectators, but the actors were the great men of wisdome and Religion.
But remarkable is that passage in the Jerusalem Talmud, upon this question,[l]Talm. Ieru. ubi supr. Rabbi Levi saith, why is the name of it called foreign The drawing of water? foreign: Because of the drawing or pouring out of the Holy Ghost: according to what is said, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation, Esay, 12.3.
Whatsoever was the reason, this was the manner of their carriage at this Feast, and upon this occasion: the observation of which helpeth to illustrate that passage in Joh. 7.37, 38. which seemeth plainly to allude to this custome. For our Saviour in the last and great day of this Feast, (as vers. 2.) when they had all the seven days kept this great mirthfulnesse in reference to the drawing and libation of water, out of the poole Siloam, (which by some of their own confession referred to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost) he stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come to mee and drink: he that beleeveth on mee, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water: speaking this of the spirit, &c. As if hee had said to this purpose to them in more large expressions. Is it so much rejoycing to you to draw water out of Siloam, and pour it out, which doth but typifie the pouring out of the Holy Ghost? I tell you I am hee that can give you living water, and on him that beleeveth in mee, shall the Holy Ghost be so abundantly poured out, as if streams of living water were alway flowing out of his belly. And to confirm this his saying by a miracle, he doth presently after give sight to a man born blind, by sending him but to wash in the pool of Siloam, Joh. 9.7.
Thus was the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles day after day. Every day they came with their branches to the Temple, had the Hallel sung, drew water out of Siloam and poured it and wine upon the Altar, incompassed the Altar, and sung their Hosanna, and at night had the rejoycing for the drawing of the water. OnelyOnly there was this difference among the dayes: that on the night before the Sabbath that fell within the Feast, and on the night before the eight day, which was a holy day, they used not their dancing, singing, and rejoycing, but on the seventh day they went about the Altar seven times, missed their dancing that night, and on the eight day had the same solemnities, with the dayes before, ate their pomecitrons which they might not doe before; and at night had the great rejoycing in the Court of the women, and so concluded the Feast: And therefore this by the Evangelist is called not onelyonly the last day, but also the great day of the Feast, both because it was a holy day, and because it was the conclusion.
Sect. V. Of the Feast of Trumpets and Feast of Dedication.
OF the Feast of Trumpets and Dedication we have not much to speak, because they had not much peculiar at the Temple more then they had all over the land: save that there was with the sounding of Trumpets at the Temple, some additionall Sacrifices the first of Tisri which was the first day of the year: for which there is the injunction and the story, Numb. 29.1, 2, 3. OnelyOnly this tradition crept into that practise,[a]Maym. in. succah. per. 1. That whereas in others places the beginning of the yeare was sounded with a Trumpet of Rams or Sheeps horn: at the Temple, there was that and two silver Trumpets also used,[b]Talm. in Rosh. has…nah. fol. 31. and the Levites on that day sung the 81. Psalm.
The Feast of Dedication of which there is mention, Ioh. 10.22. had its originall, from the regaining and restoring of the Temple Altar and service from the hands of the Syrogrecian tyrants, who had defiled, spoiled, and ruined them. The institution of the Feast was by victorious Judas Maccabeus and his brethren and the whole Congregation, appointing it[c]1 Maccab. 4.52.59. from the five and twentieth day of the month Cisleu eight dayes forward: which fell about the former part of our December. The greatest owning of this Feast at the Temple in the service there was by singing over the Hallel every day of the eight, as hath been mentioned heretofore.[4]Maym. in Chanuchah per. 3. [d] And the greatest Ceremony of this Feast in all other places was, the lighting of Candles every Evening and setting them up at the doores of their houses to burn in the night: And to such supererogation in this point did some grow in time, that they used to light up a candle for every one that was in their family. Nay some yet would goe so high, as to double that number every night: as if there were ten in his house, he lighted up ten candles the first night of the Feast, and twenty the second, and thirty the third, and so still increasing that on the eight night he lighted up eighty candles.
The reason of the celebration of this Feast in this manner, is given by the Author cited next above in the Margin, in these words:[e]Id. ibid. When Israel prevailed against their enemies, and destroyed them, it was the five and twentieth day of, the month Cisleu, and they went into the Temple, and found not there any pure oil, but onelyonly one bottle: And there was no more oil in it, then to keep the Lamps burning for one day onelyonly: yet, did they light them with it: [f]Gloss. ibid.And a miracle was shewed there withall (saith his glossary there) for it maintained the Lampes burning eight nights: whereupon the wisemen of that generation, did on the next year appoint these eight dayes for dayes of rejoycing and praise and for lighting up of candles at the doores of their houses.