The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the Levites.
Sect. 1. Of the Porters and Guards of the Temple.
THE[a]1 Chron. 25. & 26. Levites were divided into Porters and Singers;[b]Erachin. per. 2. in Gemar. fixed offices which they might not change, one to intrude into anothers office, and neither of them into the Priests.
The distribution of Porters into four and twendy Courses, is not so clearly legible in the Scripture, as is such a distribution of the Priests and Singers; for the courses of both those, are both numbred and named, and so are not these. And yet do these two texts 2 Chron. 3.14. and 1 Chron. 26.17, 18. hold out so fair a probability of such a thing, that it may almost'as readily be concluded upon, as may the other. For in the former, the Porters goe in the very same equipage, as to the matter of division into Courses, with the Priests, and Singers. He appointed the Courses of the Priests, according to the order of David his Father, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the Lord, as the duty of every day required; the Porters also by their courses et every gate. And in the latter, the first Fathers of the Porters are summed up to the very same number that the first fathers of the other Courses were, namely, to four & twenty: Amongst all the Porters [c]Kimch. in 1 Chron. 26.(saith David Kimchi) there were foure and twenty according to the rest of the Courses: Six on the East side, four on the North, four on the South; at Asuppim two and two, four in all; four on the West, and two at Parhar; behold four and twenty. And our Rabbins have distributed them into four and twenty places, &c.
The Office of the Porters was first to open and shut the doors of the Mountain of the house, and of the Court of the Women; (for we have observed elsewhere, that the Priests tooke care for opening and shutting the Gates of the other Court) and to attend in those Gates all the day for prevention of any inconvenience that might come, to the prejudice of the purity, safety, or peace of the place or service. Secondly, the Scripture puts some Treasureship upon the porters, as that they had some Treasures and Treasuries at the Gates where they attended; of which is spoken at large in our Treating concerning the Gates and Treasuries elsewhere. As for that part of their office and imployment, which the Rabbins do sometimes make mention of, (under the phrase of foreign) whether it were the brushing of the Gates, and keeping of the guilding bright, or their being the Turne-keyes at the wickets, or little doores within the great Gates; when the Gates were shut, it was a worke so coincident with their attendance at the Gates continually, that it is but a piece of that imployment, and needs not be taken for an office by it selfe.
Now besides this care of the Porters at the Gates by day, there was as much or more both at the Gates and other places by night in the guards which were see to watch the Temple, which were four and twenty in all.[d]Maym. in Beth. habbech. per. 8. The guards of the Sanctuary (saith Maimony) was an affirmative command; although there were not feare either of enemies or theeves: and the command concerning this guarding, was that it should be by night. And they that warded were the Priests and the Levites, as it is, said, thou and thy sons with thee, before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, &c. Now whether the Levites that were of these guards were the Porters onelyonly, and not the Singers also of every Course as it came in, might very well be questioned, if it were worth the labour to examine it;[e]Middoth per. 1. but were they or were they not, the guards were in number four and twenty, and were kept every one in foure and twenty places ev…ry night, three of Priests, and one and twenty of Levites. 1. There was a guard at every one of these gates of the Mountaine of the house, one at the East gate Shusha; one at the North g…te Ted…; two at the two South gates Huldah; and one at the West gate Coponius: And there was a guard within every one of the four corners of that great square; so that there were nine in that boundary wall that incompassed the holy ground. The three other gates on the West quarter, namely one of Parbar, and two of Asuppim, had not night guards at them as the rest had, though they had porters by day, either because the steepe descent from them, did helpe their security, or b…cause they found some security for them some other way. 2. About the wall that enclosed the Courts, there were two guards at the two East corners, and two at the West, and both of them without the wall of the Court: and there were five at five of the seven gates. The two gates that had not the Levites guards upon them, were the Water gate, over which there was a guard of Priests in the chamber of Absines and the upper gate of Corban, by which there was a guard of Priests in the roome Beth Mokadh. And there was one guard more of Levites on the North side, in the chamber of Corban, over against the Holy place, and another on the South side over against the Vaile, and another just behinde the most holy place. The gate Nitsets had a guard of Priests and Levites both at it, very neare together; All which places will be easier understood upon sight of them in the Map that we have drawne of the Temple and building about it, if it could once finde the happiness to come to sight.
[f]Id. ibid.There was one that walked the Round through all these guards every night, and him they called the man of the Mountain of the house; and if he found any one not standing on his feet, he said unto him, Peace be unto thee; but if he found any one asleep he struck him and had liberty to set fire on his Garments: so that they would say, what noise is yonder in the Court? why, it is the noise of a Levite heaten and his coat burnt, because he slept upon the guard. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Jacob saith, one time they found my mothers brother sl…eping and they burnt his garments. Now whether this man of the Mountain of the house were the Sagan [as some have thought, but very unlikely,] or one man of the Course th…t then waited, appointed for this purpose; as is the opinion of[g]Maym. ubi ante. Maimony and[h]Bartenor. in Middoth. Bartenora, or whosoever he was, me thinks his action in burning the sleepers garments, giveth light to that place, Rev. 16.15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments.
Sect. 2. Of the Singers, and Temple Musicke.
NOt to insist upon the ordaining and division of the singers and their Courses, of which there is large description, 1 Chron. 25. nor to search the ground of the Temple musicke from the Law; about which the Gemarists are copiously inquisitive in the Treatise[a]Erachin fol. 11. Erachin; let us take up a little consideration first of the persons of the singers themselves, and then of their song and musick.
[b]Maim. in Kele Mikdash per. 3.Maimony tels us that the singers were Levites, and Israelites together foreign Hee had spoken immediately before, that the song of the Temple was properly with voices and not with instruments, because the ground of that song which was the service, was the voice foreign which is a maxime that the Talmud speaketh of exceeding oft; yet he concludeth that others stood with the voices, with instruments. And some of them (saith he) were Levites and some of them were Israelites of note, that had married with the Priesthood; for none might go up into the deskes of the song men, but men of note.
The Mishueh in the Treatise Erachin cited above, doth make the like d…vision in this point, and it doth it so, as that the Israelites, our Rabbin speaketh of, appeare to have their part in the instrumentall musick onelyonly, and not in the vocall. For having made mention of the sounding of the Trumpets, and the musick of other instruments, and how, and when they were used, it concludeth thus: Now these (that played upon such and such instruments, for that was the discourse in the next words before) were the servants of the Priests. The words of Rabbi Mier: Rabbi Jose saith, it was the family of Pegarim, and the Family of Tsippariah of foreign Emmaus which were taken to the Priesthood. Rabbi Haninah the son of Antigonus, saith they were Levites. The Glosse upon the place, saith these were Families of Israelites of note, whose daughters the Pri…sts had married. [c]Succah per. 5. in Gema…a.The Treatise Succah, speaketh of these very Families, and saith they were of Ai and Emmaus, (it is written foreign there) and the Glosse there, saith they were Israelits of worth, whose daughters and widowes were fi… to be married to the Priests.
So that it is a disputed case whether any were imployed in the Musicke but the Levites onelyonly; but if any other, they were to bee as neere the Priesthood as possible, both for alliance and qualifications, and when they were come to the highest they could, they were not admitted to joine voices with the vocall musick, which was the proper song, and the proper service, but onelyonly to joine with the instrumentall: which was but thus much, that if any man of worth and piety, or in neere affinity with the priesthood, had addicted himselfe to musicall devotions, and to pour out his praises to God that way, (as that was then greatly in use) if he came to offer to joine his skill and devotion to the Temple quire, they refused him not, but let him put in with his instrument among the instruments, but among the voices he might not joine, for that belonged only to the Levites. So it is said in the 2 Sam. 6.5. And David and all the house of Israel played on all manner of instruments made of fine wood, even on Harps, and on Psalteries, and on Timbrels, and on Cornets, and Cymbals.
As for the number of the singers, that is the voices, they were never to be under twelve, for so was the number of every course when they were divided into their courses, 1 Chron. 25. But as many above twelve as might be, and so their Tradition is express;[f]Erachin ubi supr. There must not be lesse then twelve Levites in the deskes, but they adde to the number ever. And whereas the Levites children might never come within the Court, upon any other occasion, nor at any other time whatsoever; yet might they come in when the Levites were singing, and might sing with them, not going up into the desks, and looking over as the Levites did, but standing upon the ground, betweene their fathers legs.[g]Glossa ibid. And the warrant for this they take from those words in Ezr. 3.9. Then stood Jeshua with his sons, Kadmiel & his sons, &c. And they sang together by course, &c. And they back it also with this reason, &c. foreign [h]Gemara. ibid.Because the voice of those was sma… and the others big, those tr…bled, and the other sang more base: And so by this meanes they made the more full, anh the more sweet musick.
The instruments that they used, were either winde instruments, or instruments with strings. The first of their winde instruments to be looked after, were their Trumpets, of whose attendance on the Altar service we finde mention 2 Chron. 7.6. and 29.26 and in divers other places, where the use of them is ascribed to the Priests, and not to the Levites; for indeed they were none of the consort, but a musick when the consort stopped, as we shall see anon.
The number of the Trumpets, was to be[i]Maym. ubi supr. not under two, nor above an hundred and twenty: the reason why not under two, was because of that command, Numb. 10.2. Make thee two Trumpets: and why not above 120. was, because of that example at the beginning of the Temple service, 2 Chron. 5.12.
The Lord enjoined in Numb. 10.10. That in the day of their rejoycing, and in their solemn feasts, and in the new moons, they should blow with Trumpets: This was the warrant and engagement of this Trumpet musick, and the manner of it was thus.
Those that blew with Trumpets were the Priests, for so was the originall institution, that the Priests the sons of Aaron should blow with them, Numb. 10.18. 1 Chron. 15.24. And their standing, when they were about this peece of service, was not where the Levites stood in the desks, or neare them, but it was clean on the other side of the Altar, and they stood looking downe the Court when they blew the Trumpets, as the Levites stood looking up the Court when they sang and plaid, but both looking on the Altar:[k]Tamid. per. 7. Two Priests stood by the Table of the fat foreign with two silver Trumpets in their hand, &c. as saith the Meshuth of the Talmud in the place cited in the margine: Now it speaketh of two Priests, because that was the lowest number of trumpets that might be used, and if there were more they stood in the same place in more compasse, namely on the west side of the rise of the Altar, for there as is observed in the place, the Table of the fat was placed.
The manner of their blowing with their trumpets, was first a long plain blast, then a blast with breathings and quaverings, & then a long plain blast again; this the Jews ca…l foreign, and in their short writings they expresse it thus foreign. The Mishuch last cited, saith that the Priests standing in the place there mentioned foreign, sounded, blew alarm, sounded, for so let me English it till further discourse do more fully shew its meaning.
The Priests did never blow, but these three blasts went together, and hereupon arose that dispute, which occurs more then once or twice in the Talmud about how many times the trumpets sounded before the Altar every day.
The generall tradition ra… thus, foreign:[l]Erachin. per. 2. in. Mish. & Succah. per. 5. They never sounded lesse then one and twenty soundings in the Sanctuary, and never more then eight and forty: But there were some that expresse it thus,[m]Gemara. ib. That they n…ver sounded lesse then seven soundings, nor more then sixteen: Now the reason of this difference, which indeed was no difference at all, was this[n]Talm. Ier. in Succah. per. 5. & Gemara. Bab. in Erach. per. 2. because the one party held the three distinct blowings to be but one sounding, and the other held them to be three soundings distinct.
The Jews do express these three several soundings, that they made at one blowing, by these words foreign [o]Talm. Bab. in Succah. ubi sup. in Gemar. fol. 53. & Gloss. ib & Gloss. in Erach. ubi sup.an Alarm in the midst [for so our English renders foreign, Num. 10.5, 6. Vatablus, vox infracta, a broken or quavering sounding] and a plain note before it and after it: which our Christian writers do most commonly expresse by Taratantara: though that word seem to put the quavering sound before and after, and the plain in the midst, contrary to the Jewish description of it.
A second Wind instrument that they used, was foreign Chalil, or foreign Abbubh, a Pipe, or H…b…y, or Cor…et, or some such loud Wind musick [which of these I will not much question:] the Jews in this story give us some character of it.[p]Gemara in Erach. ib d. & A…c. in foreign. Our Rabbins have delivered [say they] that there was an Abbubh or Pipe in the Sanctuary; [the Gemara and the Gloss intimate Chalil and Abbubh were all one] It was smooth, it was thin, it was of reed, and it was from the dayes of Moses. The King commanded, and they gilt it all over with gold, but then the sound of it was not so sweet as before. They took off the gilding, and the sound was as sweet as eve….
Now this Pipe or Hoboy, or call it what you wil, was not a constant musick at the Altar every day, as the trumpets were, and the other instruments that we are to speak of, but it was used only twelve dayes in all the year,[q]Erach. ubi sup. in M shu. There were not to bee l…ss then two Chalils or pipes, [saith the Talmudick tradition] and there were not to be more then twelve. And on twelve dayes of the year did they play on the Chalil, before the Altar, namely at the killing of the first Passeover [or the Passeover in the first month] and at the killing of the second Passeover; [in the second month:] on the first Holiday of the Passeover week… on the H…liday of Pentecost, [Lev. 23.21.] and on the eight dayes of the feast of Tabernacles: And they played not on a Pipe of brasse but of reed, because the sound of that is sweet: And the close was made with one Pipe or Hoboy alone, because such a close is most delightsome: For one pipe [[r]Gloss. ibid. saith the Gloss] drew out the close after the other had done: for this is a better way then if they should have closed all together. And this musick of the Chalil was at the time of the offering: and the Levites sung the Hallel with their voi…es, all the the twelve dayes mentioned, but on the other dayes the other instruments were used, and they sung the ordinary song.
Those other instruments therefore, that were the constant musick, and never failed from attendance were these three, foreign Nebhel, Kinnor, and Tseltsel, and these were severally distributed to the sons of the three master Musitians, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, 1 Chr. 15.19, 20, 21. See these three instruments named together [save that in stead of foreign the word foreign is used, which maketh no difference,] 1 Chr. 16.5. and 25. 1. Neb. 12.27. &c. 2 Chron. 29.25.
In going about to determine punctually and exactly, what kind of instruments these three were; wee might spend a great deal of time in shewing what this and that, and the other author saith of them; and when we have done all wee must sit downe with a conjecture, that it may be one of them was of this fashion, and another was of that, for it will bee very hard and daring to be positive in them; and therefore we will only take up with Josephus his character, and description of them, who himself was often present no doubt at the Temple musick, and whose describing of them will give satisfaction enough to those, that look rather after the time, order, and managing of the mus…ck, then at the very consort of the musick it self.
1. foreign [s]Ioseph. l. 7. c. 10. pag. apud me. 216.He renders foreign, a…d defines it thus, foreign.
2. foreign He expresseth by foreign, and gives it this character; foreign.
3. And foreign or foreign he translateth foreign, and saith of that kind of instrument, foreign.
Upon which words wee may take up these observations.
1. That foreign and foreign which our English constantly translates Harpes and Psalteries, were strung-instruments, and not wind-instruments, as those were that wee have spoken of before.
2. That though both these were instruments with strings, yet there was this difference between them. 1. That the one was struck with a quill or a bow, as are our Citterns and Viols; and the other with the fingers, as the Pandura and the Lute. And 2. that the notes of the one was made and differenced by stops and frets, and of the other by the severall strings: for so are the words foreign & foreign to be understood and distinguished. 3. That the foreign Nebhel had twelve strings, which made twelve severall notes; [as it is with our Harps and Virginalls, where the severall notes are not made by stops, at they are on Lutes, but every severall string is a severall note] And the foreign Kinnor had ten strings, but the notes were made with frets and stops: I should therefore according to Josephus his character, if that be current, translate Nebhel a Harp, for the severall strings made the severall notes, and it was struck with the fingers, in both which things our Harps agree. And foreign Kinnor I should liken to our Citterns or Viols, stopt on the frets, and played on with a quill or bow, and should translate it a Violl. [t]Gemara in Erach. ubi sup.Rabbi Judah said, The foreign Kinnor of the Sanctuary had seven strings: but in the dayes of Messias it shall have eight, as it is said, To him that excelleth upon Sheminith, or upon the eight string of the world to come.
3. foreign which both our English, the Lxx. [in Psal. 150.] and Iosephus [in his words cited] do render Cymballs, seemeth to have been neither wind-instrument, nor string-instrument, but some broad instrument of brasse, whereon their musick was made by beating on it, as on a taber. They were great and broad Cymballs of brasse, saith Iosephus. And the Talmudicks tell this story of one of their cymbals;[u]Ibid. fol. 10. & Tal. Ierus. in Succah. fol. 55. There was a Cymball foreign in the Sanctuary, and it was made of brasse, and the sound of it was sweet. It became crackt, and the wise men sent and fetcht workmen from Alexandria, who mended it, but then the sound was not so sweet as before. They took off the mending and the sound was as sweet as it used to be. *Maym. in Kele Mikd. per. 3.There might not bee above one Cymball in the quire at once, and this seemeth to have born the Base, as being deepest and loudest: to this the Apostle alludes in his expression, 1 Cor. 13.1.
We shall not be further curious, nor inquisitive about this matter, concerning the form or nature of the musick-instruments: since our inquiry is after the song it self, I shall only add this,[w]Erach. per. 2 in Mishu. that of the Nebhels or Harps, there might not bee less then two in the Quire, nor above six;[x]Tosaph. in Erach. per. 2. and of the foreign Kinnor or Viols not under nine, but as many above as possible: and so the least Quire that could be, was nine viols, two Harps and one Cymbal. And now let us hear the musick it self.
1. The trumpets sounded their foreign Taratantara [for so for company will we call it,][y]Succ. per. 5. in Msh. Maym. in every morning at the opening at the Court gates, particularly at the opening of the East gate, or the gate of Nicanor: [z]Gloss. ibid.Now though this practise had not any express and literall command, yet was it grounded upon this necessity and reason, because that the Levites and Stationary men might have notice to come to attend their desks and service: and that the people of Jerusalem might hear and take notice, and those that would, come to the Temple: so that this sounding was as it were the bells to ring them in to the service: And after this the trumpets sounded not til the very time of the morning sacrifice.
2. The song and musick began not to sound, till the powring out of the drink-offering. This is a traditionary maxime exceeding common, and received among the Rabbins, and they descant upon it thus, foreign.[1]Erachin. in Gemara. ubi sup. fol. 11. They utter not the song but over the wine of the drink-offering: [2]Gloss. ibid.for a man singeth not but for gladnesse of heart. [3]Gloss. in Pesachin. cap. 5. fol. 64.Therefore they utter not the song at the very time of the offering, but over the wine which cheereth God and man, as Jud. 9.13. And so the treatise Tamid describing the manner of the daily service, relateth that when the High-priest was minded to offer the sacrifice,[4]Tam. per. 7. He went up the rise or bridg of the Altar, and the Sagan on his right hand: when he came to the midst of the rise, the Sagan took him by the right hand and lift him up: then the first man that was to bring up the peeces of the sacrifice, raught him up the head and the feet, and the second raught him the two shoulders, and so the rest raught him the rest of the parts, and hee disposed of them, &c. And when he was to go about the Altar, to sprinkle the blood upon the horns of it, hee began at the South-east corner, and from thence to the North-east, and so to the North-west, and concluded at the South-west. They give him the wine of the drink-offering to poure it out: the Sagan stood by the horne of the Altar, and a napkin in his hand: and two Priests stood by the Table of the fat, and two silver trumpets in their hand to sound. They came and stood by Ben Arza, the one on his right hand, and the other on his left: He [the High-priest] stooped down to pour out the drink-offering, and the Sagan waved with his napkin, and Ben Arza struck up his Cymball, and the Levites begun the song. And so may we understand that passage, 2 Chron. 29.27. And when the burnt-offering began, the song of the Lord began with the trumpets and with the instruments; namely, when the drink-offering was poured out, for till then the offering was not perfect, because every burnt-offering was bound to have a meat-offering, and a drink-offering, or else it was not right, Num. 15.5. And this may be the proper cause, whatsoever the Jews descant, why the musick began not til the drink-offering: namely, they stayed till the offering was compleat, and then began.
3. The constant and ordinary Psalms that they sang were these:
[5]Tamid. ubi sup. Rosk. hash. fol. 31. Maym. in Tamid. per. 6.On the first day of the week, the four and twentyeth Psalm, The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, &c.
On the second day of the week, the forty eight Psal. Great is the Lord, and greatly to bee praysed in the City of God, &c.
On the third day, the eighty second Psal. God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the Gods, &c.
On the fourth day, the ninety fourth Psal. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth, &c.
On the fift day, the eighty first Psal. Sing aloud unto God our strength, make a joyfull noyse unto the God of Jacob, &c.
On the sixth day of the week, the ninety third Psal. The Lord reigneth, be is cloathed with Majesty, &c.
On the Sabbath day they sang the ninety second Psal. which bears the title of A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day.
These were the known, and constant, and fixed Psalmes, that the singers sang, and the musick plaid to, on the severall dayes of the week: And the reason of the choice of these severall Psalmes for the severall dayes; [6] the Gemara on the treatise Rosh hashanah, and the Gloss upon the treatise Tamid, do give to this purpose.[4]Rosh. hash. ubi sup. Gloss. in Tamid. c. 7.
On the first day of the week they sang the Psalm, The earth is the Lords, and the fulnesse thereof, &c. Because on the first day of the week of the creation, God possessed the world, and gave it in possession, and ruled in it.
On the second day of the week they sang the Psalm, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praysed, &c. For on that day the Lord divided his works, the waters, and reigned over them.
On the third day they sang the Psalm, God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty, &c. Because on that day the earth appeared, on which is Iudging and Iudges; and by his wisdome hee discovered the earth, and established the world by his understanding.
On the fourth day they sang the Psalm, O Lord God to whom …engeance belongeth, &c. Because on the fourth day he made the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and will be avenged on them that worship them.
On the fifth day the Psalm, Sing aloud unto God our strength, &c. Because of the variety of Creatures that were made that day to praise his name.
On the sixth day, the Psalm, The Lord reigneth, hee is cloathed with Majesty, &c. Because on the sixth day God finished his works, made man, who understands the glory of the Creator, and the Lord ruled over all his works. Thus they descant.
4.[7]Ibid. Now the singers, in singing of these Psalms, divided every one of them into three parts, making three large pauses or rests in them; and ceased their musick and singing for a while; these parts and pauses the Talmudicks call foreign, and they say thus of them, that they were foreign Pausings or intermissions in the vocall musick, and when the voices ceased the instruments ceased also, and so in every Psalm the musick made three intermissions.
5. At these intermissions the trumpets sounded, and the people worshipped foreign For at every pause [saith the Talmud] there was a sounding with the trumpets, and at every sounding there was a worshipping, their sounding with the trumpets, was, as hath been spoken before, a Taratantara, [as we hav chosen to call it,] and they never sounded otherwise then so, when they sounded, namely, three strains, a plain, a quavering and a plain again: and thus did the trumpets sound one and twenty blasts every day; three at the opening of the Court gate, nine at the morning sacrifice, and nine at the evening sacrifice: namely, three soundings at the three pausings of the musick, and the three strains named, at every sounding: and so wee see that the trumpets were never joyned with the Quire in consort, but sounded only when the Quire was silent.
Thus was the Song, and these were the Psalms sung ordinarily throughout all the year: but at some certain dayes there were other Psalms and Songs used, and the trumpets also sounded extraordinary soundings, besides that number now mentioned.
As 1.[8]Succ. per. 5. on the Eve of the Sabbath, the trumpets sounded two soundings more then they used to doe at other dayes; namely one [which consisted of the three strains] to cause the people to cease from work, and another to distinguish between the common day, and the holy day that was now come in.
2. On the Sabbaths themselves, there was an additionall sacrifice besides the dayly sacrifice, according to the appointment, Num. 28.9, 10.[9]Maym in Tam…d. per. 6. And at the time of this additionall sacrifice, the Levites sang Moses his song, in Deut. 32. Hear O Heavens and I will speak, &c. but they sang it not all at one time, but divided into six parts, and sang one part of it every Sabbath, and so in six Sabbath dayes they finished it, and then began again. Thus did they at the additionall morning sacrifice: and at the evening sacrifice they sang Moses song in Exod. 15. And the consideration of this [that on the Sabbaths they sang both the Songs of Moses] helpeth to illustrate that passage in Rev. 15.3. where the saints are said to sing the song of Moses the servant of God: because they were now come to their everlasting sabbath, having gotten the victory over the beast and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, and having the Harps of God in their hands: [10]Succah ubi sup.Now at the additionall sacrifice, and song of the Sabbath, the Priests sounded their trumpets three times more, as they did at the ordinary songs, the singers making their pauses and stops in those songs as well as in the other.
3.[11]Rosh. hash. ubi sup. & Maym. ubi sup. At the additionall sacrifices which were appointed for the first day of the year. Num. 29.1, 2. &c. [which was called the feast of trumpets, because the trumpets then sounded to give notice of the years beginning] the Levites sang the eighty first Psalm, Sing aloud unto the God our strength, &c. And if the first day of the year fell upon the fifth day of the week, [for which day this Psalm was appointed in the ordinary course] then they said it twice over, once at the dayly sacrifice, and once at the additionall sacrifice, but beginning at one of the times at the sixth verse, I removed his shoulder from the burthen, &c.
4. At the evening sacrifice of the first day of the year, they sang the nine and twentyeth Psal. The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness, &c. And if the first day of the year chanced to light upon the Sabbath, the Psalms of the first day of the year were sung, and took place of the Psalms for the Sabbath.
5. At the Passeover, and at some other times as hath been related, they sang the Hallel, which to describe wee will referre till we come to take up the celebration of the Passeover in its due place.
Sect. 3. Of the Stationary men, or Israelites of the Station.
AS there were four and twenty Courses of the Priests, and as many of the Porters and Singers, so also were there four and twenty Courses of Israelites for the station. This indeed, is a title that is a stranger to the scripture, and not mentioned there, and yet the thing it self seemeth not to want its ground, nor the men themselves their warrant from thence.
There were two maximes in reference to ther sacrifices, which were as premises, out of which was necessarily deduced the conclusion for Stationary men, and those were these. 1. A mans sacrifice could not be offered up, unlesse he himselfe were present it, and standing by it, and so is the undoubted tenet in both Talmuds foreign [a]Vid Talm. utrumque in Taanith. per. 4. Maym. in Kele Mikd. per. 6.A mans sacrifice may not possibly bee offered up if he himself be not present at it. And hence it was, that although women were at all other times, forbidden comming into the Court of Israel, yet when any woman had a sacrifice to be offered up for her, she had admission into the Court, and there was a kind of necessity, that she should be there, foreign [b]Tosaph. in Erach. per. 2.A woman might not be seen in the Court, but only at the time of her offering: and then she might be, nay then she must be present there. And the reason of this was, because of that command, that whosoever had a burnt sacrifice to offer up,[c]Ab. Ezr. in Lev. 1. he must bring it to the Sanctuary himselfe, and if bullock or lamb, he must put his hand upon the head of it, Levit. 1.3. and 3.2.8.
2. There were some sacrifices, that were the sacrifices of all Israel, or of the whole congregation: and particularly foreign [d]Tal. Ieru. in Pesachin. per. 3.the continual dayly sacrifice was the offering for all Israel: And accordingly the[e]Shek. per. 4. lambs for the dayly sacrifice, and other sacrifices which were offered up for the whole congregation, were provided, at the publick charge out of the Temple treasury.
Now it was impossible that all Israel should be present at the sacrifices that were to be offered up for all Israel, and therefore it was needfull that some representatives should be chosen, who in stead, and behalf of all the people, should be present at every sacrifice that should be offered up for the whole congregation: And because this attendance would be continuall, in regard of the dayly sacrifice, which was a sacrifice of this nature, and so the service would bee very heavy for any one company of men to attend continually; therefore they appointed four and twenty Courses of these Stationary men, as well as of the Priests and Levites, that their attendance in these vicissitudes might be the more easy and portable, even as the others were also divided into the like couses for the same ease. The Jews hold that these stations were first ordained by the former Prophets. For the former Prophets appointed, [saith[f]Maym. ubi sup. Maymony,] that they should choose out of Israel, men upright and religious, and that these should be as the messengers of all Israel, to stand by the sacrifices, and these are called foreign The wen of the station, and they divided them into four and twenty Courses, according to the number of the Courses of the Priests and Levites, and over every station there was one made chief or President, and him they called, the President of the station.
[g]Taan. per. 4. Maym. ubi. sup.These men of the Station in every Course, did as the Priests and Levites did in their Courses, those that were in Ierusalem and neer it, when their week came, went and attended upon their station: but those that were at distance and further off, gathered together into their severall Synagogues, and there fasted and prayed, and read some part of the Law: because though at distance, yet would they joyn in service with, and for their brethren of their Course, who were now in their attendance at Ierusalem: They fasted on the second, third, fourth, and fifth days of that week, and read over the story of the creation, in Gen. 1. and 2. in the six dayes every day a portion of it. They would not fast on the first day of the week, because they would not slip out of the joy and delight of a Sabbath into a Fast, and they would not fast on the last day of the week, because they would not preface the joy and delight of the Sabbath, with a Fast neither. But the four dayes between, they spent in that solemn duty, for the prosperity of their brethren that were at Ierusalem, and of the work that they were about.
The Stationary men that were at Jerusalem, were to attend constantly upon the Temple service, whilst it was in hand, except at some particular times, when they had a dispensation, of which an on: & their attendance referred especially to two ends.
First, they stood to be a representative congregation, in behalf of all the people, at the offering up of the daily sacrifice which was the sacrifice of all the people; and at the use and administration of the publick ordinances and service. The Iews were so precise and punctual about this point, of having a competent congregation present, when the publick ordinances were administred;[h]Megillah. per. 4. Maym. in Tephillah. per. 11. that in their Synagogues they would not have publick prayers, nor reading of the Law, unless ten men were there; much more was there a fitting congregation of the people required to be at the Temple-service, which concerned all the people, to be administred unto, besides the Priests which were to administer: There was sacrificing there, twice a day, and reading of the Law at the least twice, and prayers four times, and it had becomed and behooved [if it had been possible] all the people to have been there present and attending; which because it could not possibly bee done, that all the people should bee constant there, they ordained and provided these Courses of Stationary men, to be as the Deputies of all the people, and a representative Congregation in their behalf. It had been a visible contempt of those ordinances, to have had them administred daily, and none of the people to have been attending on them: and it would have been a hazard, that in time they would have been neglected by the people, if they had been only left to their own liberty, to come, or not to come to them, as they saw good; therefore to prevent this visible contempt that might have accrewed, and to provide that there might bee alwaies a congregation of the people, these stationary Courses were ordained, that if devotion brought no other of the people to the service, yet these their representatives might be sure to bee attending foreign, And this their standing there, at prayers, supplications and oraisons, and at the reading of the Law, was called the station.
A second imployment that they, or at least, some of them had, was to take care [as representatives of the people] that those of the people that had been under any uncleanness, and being now cleansed were come to have their atonement made, might be dispatched, and the business done for which they came. And so it is intimated by the treaty Tamid, when it relateth[i]Tam. per. 5. that upon the ringing of the Migrephah, [of which hereafter] by those that went into the holy place to offer incense, the head or chief man of the station, brought such persons up into the gate of Nicanor, to have their atonement made.
There have been some who have conceived that these Stationary men, as representatives of the whole congregation, were to lay their hands upon the head of the dayly sacrifice, which was an offering for all the people; I did once go along also with this opinion, but now I find the Jews on the contrary, asserting[k]Maym. in Corban. per. 3. That there was no laying on of hands upon the sacrifices of the whole Congregation, but only in two cases. The one was upon the scape-goat, and the other was upon the bullock that was offered for the whole Congregation, when it sinned of ignorance, and the thing was hid from the tyes of the Assembly: And that it was a tradition delivered even by Moses himself: that for the whole Congregation, hands were laid but upon these two sacrifices. And accordingly there were divers sacrifice times, when the Stationary men were excused from attendance; though the sacrifice were a sacrifice for the whole congregation;[l]Id. ib. Tal. in Taan. per. 4. As they never made a station at the morning sacrifice all the eight dayes of the feast of Dedication, nor at the evening sacrifice on those dayes, when there was an additionall sacrifice, added to the dayly.
These Stationary men in the week of their attendance, might neither be trimmed by the Barber, nor might they wash their cloaths in all that time: And the reason of this was, because they were to do these things before they entred their attendance, and to come near to it, and not to have these things to do, when they were entred.