The Temple Service in the Days of our Savior Described, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The manner and managing of the dayly service.
ON the North-side of the Court of the Temple, well towards the North-west corner of it, as wee have observed in its due place, there was a great peece of building which was called foreign [a]Talm. in Tam. per. 3. & in Middoth. per. 1. Maym. in Beth hal bech. per. 5.Beth Mokadh, the fire room, or the House of burning: and the reason of the name was, because in that room there was constantly a fire kept in all cold weather, both by day and by night. By day for the Priests to warm themselves by, when they came from the service, and by night for them to keep their guard by, for this was the chiefest Court of guard of the Priests, of all the three. Here the Elders of the House of their fathers warded, and had the keys of the Court gates hanging by them, being committed to them by Amarcalin: If they had a mind to sleep at any time, there were benches round about the room, on which they laid them down and slept: And the younger Priests that were with them (for such also were there) when they would sleep, they laid themselves down on the ground, and the holy garments in which they were to serve, they wrapped up and laid under their heads, as it were a pillow, and slept in their ordinary wearing garments.
Now betimes in the morning, against the President of the service should come, they had bathed themselves in water, and put on the garments of the service, and made themselves ready against he came: They had this Maxime concerning their bathing in water for the service, foreign [b]Talm. in Ioma. per. 3.That a man, yea though hee were clean, yet might he not goe into the Court to serve, till he had bathed himselfe in water. And for this purpose they had their bathing places in severall rooms, some for the High-priest, and some for the other Priests, which places wee have particularly observed in our survey. Having bathed themselves in the morning, they needed not to do that again of all the day, unlesse upon doing their easments of nature by seige, but they washed their hands and their feet, upon their making of water; and as oft as ever they came within the Court about the service, did they go out and in never so oft. And to this custome our Saviour seemeth to allude, Ioh. 13.10. Hee that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. At last the President commeth, and knocketh at the door, and they open to him: what President it was, whether of the Lots, or the Sagan, we will not dispute, ([c]Maym. in Tam. per. 6. Maymony saith, it was the president of lots) but the Talmudick dispute about the time of his comming, may bee worth our marking:[d]Tam. per. 1. At what hour (saith the Treatise Tamid) did the President come? And it answers thus. Not at all times alike: sometimes he comes at Cocks crowing, sometimes neer unto it, sometimes before it, and sometimes after: which nominated uncertainty of the time, and yet their readiness for him whensoever he came, is so parallel to those words of our Saviour, Mar. 13.35. that if those were not spoken in some allusion to this custome, yet may they bee well illustrated by it.
[e]Ibid.Out of the room Beth mokadh, they go through a wicket into the Court, carrying candles in their hands: and there as soon as they were all come in, they divide themselves, and half of them goe (in the Cloister walke) about the Temple, on the West and South sides of the Court, and the other half along the North and East sides, and both Companies met at the Pastry mans Chamber, which was on the left hand of the gate of Nicanor: and being met there they asked one another. Is all safe and well? Yes, all is well: And then they called the Pastry man up to go about his business, to make the foreign cakes for the High-priests meat offering.
Sect. 1. The manner of their casting lots, for every mans severall imployment.
THen did the President call upon them to go and cast lots, to decide and appoint what work every one must goe about. The place where they were to do this, was in the building Gazith, namely in that room of it that stood within the Court: for some part of it stood within the Court, & that part upon some occasions was as the Chappell of the Temple, and some part of it stood out into the chel foreign, and in that there sate the great Sanbedrin.
[a]Maym. in Tamid. per. 4.Being come together into the place, they all stand round, and conclude upon a number that they wil count, as threescore, fourscore, or a hundred, or what they thought good. Then the President of the lottery takes off some one of their caps, and puts it on again, and Here (saith hee) will I begin to count: Now put up your fingers: They put up their fingers, one, or two, or three, as they pleased: and hee begins at him whose cap he had taken off, and tells the fingers that were held up round: Hee at whose fingers the tale or summe agreed upon is up, hee is the man on whom the lot is faln, and to him doth that particular service accrew, for which the lot was cast.
[b]Ioma. per. 2.The first lotting was to determine, who should first cleanse the burnt offering Altar of its ashes. They had used to run and scramble for this service, and first come to the Altar, first doe it: But (besides the roughnesse and irreverence this manner of doing carried with it) a speciall occurrence and incovenience that befell at one time, (which was, that one of the Priests thus shuffling for this business, was thrust down by his fellow from off the rise off the Altar, and brake his leg) did cause the Sanhedrin to take order that the worke should be done with more reverence and calmness, and therefore they decreed that the lottery should appoint who should doe it, and this was the first imployment that they lotted for, and he at whom the number agreed upon is up, must have it.
Sect. 2. The cleansing and dressing of the burnt offering Altar.
HEE[a]Maym. in Tam. per. 1. to whom it was allotted to cleanse the burnt offering Altar (which was the first lot cast, and the first worke to be done) leaves his fellows in the room Gazith, and having first washed his hands and his feet at the laver, hee goes about the work.
[b]Maym. in Tamid. per. 2.There were three fires continually made upon the altar: the first was the great fire which was made for the burning of the sacrifices. A second lesse then it was made upon the side of it, from which they took coals to carry into the holy place to burn the incense. And a third was made for no other use, but to keep the fire in, that it might burn continually, and not go out: And they give their reason for this number of fires, which I shall not insist upon: Now he that was to dresse the Altar of its ashes first, he takes a silver chafing dish which usually stood on the West side of the Altar, and going to the Altar top, hee scrapes the coals this way, and that way, and takes up his dish full of burnt coals, and comes down with them to the pavement, and when he comes there, he turns his face towards the North, and goes so along, till hee comes to the Eastside of the Altar-rise, and there he laies down the coales on a heap, hard by the rise, in a place where they also laid the garbage of the Birds, and the ashes that were cleansed off the golden Altar.
When his fellow Priests perceived that hee was come down from the Altar, they hasted and washed their hands and feet; and taking the shovells and hooks that were for that service, they turned the peeces of the last nights sacrifice, if any were yet left unburnt, to the sides of the Altar, and if the sides would not hold them, they laid them upon the Altar rise. Then do they scrape together the ashes from all the sides to the middle of the Altar, upon a great heap, and take from thence as much as filled a great vessell of halfe an Homer (this vessell was called foreign Pesachtar) and this they bring down with them, yet leaving a reasonable big heap of ashes still, which they call Tapuahh. When they had brought this great vessell of ashes down, others of the Priests in lesser vessells carried them away, even out of the City: and laid them in a calm place, that the wind might scatter them as little as possible: and these ashes might not be put to any use.
This cleansing of the Altar every morning, they began most commonly about the dawning: but on the three solemn festivals they began much sooner, and on the day of Expiation, they began from midnight. When therefore they had thus brought off the ashes, they go about to make the fire: And first they begin with the great fire for the burnt sacrifices, which they called foreign The great pile, and this they made something towards the East side of the Altar. The second fire which was for the coals for the incense, was made of the wood of figtree only, and that was made toward the Southwest corner, as that place being neerest to the Priests standing upon the Altar rise, & the coals there being the readiest to be taken away. As for the third fire, which was for the keeping of the fire continually burning, it was made indifferently in any part of the Altar: Now besides all the other wood which was laid on the great fire, they added two singular billets, (for which they produce singular tradition) to it, when the sacrifice came on; which at the morning sacrifice was carried and laid on by one Priest, but at the Evening sacrifice by two. Having thus made the fire, they lay the peeces of the last nights sacrifice that were not burnt, upon it again; and so they come down, and return into the room Gazith again; and there the President calls them to a lottery again.
There were thirteen particular services more to bee assigned to particular men; as killing the sacrifice, sprinkling the blood, cleansing the golden Altar, dressing the lamps, bringging the parts of the sacrifice to the rise of the Altar, &c. The first of which was appointed by lot in the same manner as before, and the rest fell in order to the persons, as they stood in order beyond him: they therefore conclude again upon another summe or number, hold up their fingers, and hee counts again. The man at whose fingers the count is up, 1. Hee is appointed to kill the sacrifice. 2. Hee that stands next beyond him must take and sprinkle the blood. 3. The next beyond him must cleanse the incense Altar. 4. The next beyond must dresse the candlestick and lamps. 5. The next must bring the head and legs of the sacrifice to the rise of the Altar. 6. The next must bring his two shoulders. 7. The next, the rump and the feet. 8. The next, the breast, weasand and plucks. 9. The next, the two loins. 10. The next, the inwards. 11. The next, the meat offering. 12. The next, the High-priests meat offering. 13. And the next, the drink offering. And thus these thirteen severall imployments were distributed severally to thirteen men, the first by the lottery, and all the rest by the mens standing, and this was the second lot.
There were two lots for two services more used, namely for the burning of the incense, and for the bringing of the peeces of the sacrifice from the rise of the Altar, to the Altar top, and laying them on, but those two lots were not cast till a little further in the day, then the time that we are now upon. Now the reason why they counted fingers or hands in their lotting, and not the persons themselves, was, because they held it not convenient to number Israelites by their persons, but by some other thing: the reason of which conceit they give, but it is out of the rode of our present pursuit, to follow the inquiry after it.
Those who were missed, and were not either by the lot, or by their standing appointed to any of these imployments, that are mentioned, they put off their Priests garments, all but their linnen breeches, and went about the more servile works; as to f…tch out the vessells, that were to bee used, to carry away the ashes, that were fetched off the Altars, and the like.
Sect. 3. The killing of the morning sacrifice, dressing the lampes and incense Altar.
THen[a]Talm. in Tamid. per. 3. & in Ioma. per. 3. doth the President say to them, Go and see whether it be time to kill the dayly sacrifice: One or another went to the top of some of the buildings about the Temple, and when he sees it fair day, he saith, foreign It is fair day. I, but (saith the President) is the Heaven bright all up to Hebron? Hee answers, Yes. Then saith he, Go and fetch the Lamb out of the Lamb room; and so they do, and though hee were searched before, whether he were right and faultlesse, yet do they now search him again by candlelight, but they may not kill him but by daylight: yet once (as the Talmud relateth) they were deceived by the moonlight, and thought it had been day, and so slew the morning sacrifice by night.
He that was alotted to kill the Lamb, and had fetched him out of the Lamb room, brought him to the place of the rings, where the sacrifice was usually slain; and the rest that were to sprinkle the blood, and to carry the parts to the Altar, goe with him thither, and wait for their imployment till it come: others go into the room where the vessells of the service lay, and from thence they bring ninety three silver and gold vessells, which were all to be used that day; in one of them they give the Lamb water to drink, for that, they thought made him to flea the better.
The Seniors that carried the keys of the gates of the Court, when they saw their time they caused the gates to bee opened, and at the opening of the last gates of the two Courts, the trumpets founded, and gave warning to the Levites and Stationary men, for their attendance: At last the gate of the Temple it self was opened, for those two to go in at, that were to dresse the golden Altar and the Lamps, who took with them for that purpose, two golden vessells, the one they called foreign Teni, and the other foreign Coz.
As soon as the noyse of the opening of the Temple doore was heard, he that was to slay the sacrifice slew him: and as neer as might be, he that cleansed the incense Altar, cleansed it while the sacrifice was in slaying. And when they sprinkled the blood, he that was to dresse the lamps, dressed some of them at the time of sprinkling.
The manner of clensing the incense Altar was thus. He took the golden dish Teni, and set it before the Altar, and took his handfull of coals and ashes of the Altar, put them into it, and brushed the rest into it; left it standing there, and so came out.
The dressing of the lamps was in this manner. There was a great stone that lay before the Candlestick, in which there were hewed three steps; whereby, he that was to dresse the lamps, stepped up. What lamps were out, he took out the yarn and oil, and put in new, and lighted them at some of the lamps that were not out. Only that which they called the western lamp, if that were out, it must not bee lighted but by some fire fetched from the sacrifice Altar.
The western Lamb foreign was not that which stood most westward of all the seven, but the middlemost of all, and it was so called, because it was set bending westward, towards the most holy place, and all the rest of the lamps stood bending towards this.
As for those lamps that hee found burning, he snuft them, drest them, and supplyed them with new oil. And thus hee did only by five lamps at this time, for hee dressed not all the seven at once: and having thus done, he sets down his golden dish Coz, on the second step on which he had gone up, and so he came out.
In the mean while they without were sprinkling the blood, flaying the sacrifice, and dividing it into its peeces: which so divided, the severall men, appointed to carry the peeces to the rise of the Altar, brought them thither, salted them, and left them there, and now again goe into the room Gazith, which was as their Chappell, to their prayers.
Sect. 4. Their Publick Prayers, their Phylacteries.
THen[a]Tamid. 4. per. the President cals upon them to goe to prayers; which they began thus,[b]Maym. in Tamid. per 6. Seder Tephil l…th. Thou hast loved us O Lord our God with an everlasting love, with great and abundant compassion hast thou compassionated us, O our father our King: for our fathers sakes who trusted in thee, and thou taughtest them statutes of life. So be gracious to us also, O our father, O most mercifull father, O thou compassionate one, pity us. And put into our hearts, to know, understand, obey, learn, teach, observe, do and perform all the words of the Doctrin of thy Law in love, and enlighten our eyes by thy Law, and cause our hearts to cleave to thy commandements, and unite our hearts to love and to fear thy name, &c.
After this prayer they rehearsed the ten Commandements, and after the ten Commandements they said over their Phylacteries.
There is mention of their Phylacteries in the Scripture, Mat. 23.5. and they were four sections or Paragraphs of the Law, written in two parchments, which parchments they wore about them continually, as memorandums of their observance of the Law, and evidences of their devotion: and therefore they were called in the Greek tongue Phylacteria, or Observatories, and in the Hebrew Tephillin, or Oraisons.
The portions of the Law that were written in these parchments were these:
I. Exod. chap. 13. ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
II. Exod. chap. 13. ver. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
III. Deut. chap. 6. ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
IV. Deut. chap. 11. ver. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
The manner and curiosity of writing these sentences[c]Vid. Maym. in Tephillin. per. 1. & 2. & Buxtorf. Lex. Tal. in foreign. in their severall columnes, and in what parchment, and with what ink, is largely discoursed by the Authors cited in the margin, with which I shall not trouble the Reader at this time: only I may not omit the reason why these were used, rather then any other sentences of the Law, which was this, because in every one of the sections there is mention, either of Those words being Totaphoth, or frontlets between their eyes, or a memoriall between their eyes, or that they should bind them upon their hands. And accordingly the place where they wore these two parchments was, the one upon their foreheads downwards, towards between their eyebrowes, and the other upon their left arm: whereupon[d]Tanchuma. fol. 6. col. 3. Tanchuma hath taken occasion to expound Gods swearing by his strong arm, of his swearing by the Phylacteries.
I doubt whether all the nation used these Phylacteries indifferently, or only those who were called, The Scholars of the wise, who pret…nded more knowledge, devotion, and study of the Law then the common people:[e]Iuchasin. It is recorded by the Jewish writers, that the Sadduces though they could not away with the Pharisees traditions, yet that they used Phylacteries as well as they, but only that they differed from them in opinion, about the place where they should wear them: but whether husbandmen, tradesmen, and the rest of the common people wore them, as well as scholars, and the learned of the Nation; this one passage of Maymony amongst other arguments, may give some occasion to suspect: He speaking of those things, for which a man might be allowed, to passe by a synagogue whilst they were at prayers there and not come in, among other things he saith thus,[f]Maym. ubi sup. were his Phylacteries seen upon him, then that was a sign that he neglected not the Law, and so though he had occasion to passe the Synagogue at that time, yet his Phylacteries appearing, spake for him, that it was not for want of devotion, that he passed the Synagogue, but was called away by some businesse or occasion.
Howsoever the common people did not wear these Phylactery parchments, as the learned did, yet both learned and unlearned were bound alike to the rehearsing or saying over the Phylactery sentences contained in them morning and evening every day.[g]Talm. in Beracoth. per. 2. Yea workmen, that were on the top of a tree, or on the top of a piece of timber, (rearing or repairing a house) they were bound to this rehearsall there, when the time of the day for it was come.
This rehearsall, is commonly called by the Hebrews foreign Keriath Shemaa, the saying over of Shemaa, because one of the Sections began with Shemaa Israel, Heare O Israel &c. Deut. 6.4. which though it were not the first of the foure, as they stand written in the booke of the Law, nor though it were not first written in their parchments which they wore, yet was it ever the first in their rehearsall, and the reason is given, because it containeth the first and the foundation of all other duties, and that is, to love the Lord.
The time of their Keriath Shemaa, or rehearsall of their Phylactery sentences in the morning, is thus determined in their traditions.[h]Ibid. per. 1. At what time of day do they say over their Phylacteries in the morning? Namely, from such time as a man can see to distinguish between blew and white: Rabbi Eliezer saith, between blew and green, even untill sunne rising, Rab. Joshua saith, untill the third houre. And at what time do they say them over at Evening? Namely, from the time that the Priests goe into eat their offerings untill the end of the first watch &c.
Now besides this dayly rehearsall of these sentences morning and evening, to which they were all bound by their traditions, they also held it a great piece of piety to say them over at the hour of death: so it is related of one of the ten Martyrs of the kingdome, (for so let me translate foreign) that as he was saying over his Phylacteries, he was slaine and cast unto the dogs. And to speake from more later times, Joseph the Priest [i]Lib. 1. ad ann. 1096.in his various History of the Turkes, Jewes, and Christians (a booke very rare to be had) describing a massacre raised by the red Crosse Souldiers that went under Godfrey of Bulloine, and the rest to the holy warre, against the Jewes in Germany: he recordeth it severall times over, that when such and such murdered Jewes were ready to expire, yea even children in their mothers armes, they said their Keriath Shemaa, or their Phylacterie sentences over, and with those in their mouthes they gave up the ghost.
Sect. V. The burning of incense, and the rest of their prayers.
COncerning the time of the burning of incense, they have this tradition foreign [a]Joma per. 3.That the incense of the morning was offered betweene the sprinkling of the bloud, and the laying of the pieces upon the Altar: and of the Evening, betweene the laying on of the pieces on the Altar, and the drink offering. Now for this imployment of offering the incense, they goe to lotting againe, to be resolved who should do it; and so there was another lot likewise cast, to determine who should bring the pieces from the rise of the Altar and lay them on.
He that was alotted to burne the incense, tooke a silver dish in which there was a censer full of frankincense; another tooke another dish and went to the top of the Altar, and thence tooke some burning coales and came downe. These two must go into the Temple; now as they go, there was a great vessell or instrument, or what shall I call it? (they call it foreign Migrephah) which being rung or strucke upon, made an exceeding great sound; and so great, that they set it out by this hyperbole foreign One men could not heare another in Jerusalem, when the foreign Migrephah founded: It was as a Bell that they rung, to give notice of what was now in hand. And the ringing of it, as saith the Treatise Tamid, served for these three purposes.[b]Tam. per. 5. 1 Any Priest that heard the sound of it, knew that his brethren were now ready to goe in and worship, and he made haste and came. 2 Any Levite that heard it, knew that his brethren the Levites were going in to sing, and he made haste and came▪ And 3 the head or chiefe of the Station hearing the sound of it, brought up those that had beene uncleane and had not yet their atonement made, into the gate of Nicanor to have them there atoned for.
The two men then, that are going into the Temple to burne incense, ring upon this Mig…ephah as they goe by it, (for it lay betweene the Altar and the porch) to give notice to all who were to attend, that now the service was in beginning, and to chime them in. As they goe up the steps, the two that had b…en in before, to cleanse the incense Altar, and to dresse the Lampes, go up before them: He that had cleansed the Altar goeth in, and taketh up his dish T…ni, and worshippeth, and commeth out. He that had dressed the five Lampes before, dresseth now the other two, and taketh up his dish Coz, and worshippeth, and commeth out. He that went in with the censer of coales after a little office done towards the disposing of the incense, leaves the other there, and hee also comes out.
Now he that is left there alone for the burning of the incense, h… offers not to kindle it, till the president from without with a loud voice give him notice when he shall beginne: yea though it were the High-priest himselfe that offereth the incense, yet he begins not to do it, till the President have called to him, Sir offer: and assoone as hee hath given the signall to the incense offerer that he shall begin and offer, all the company in the Court with-drawes downward from the Temple, and fall to other of their prayers.
Sect. VI. The rest of their prayers.
BEsides the prayers and rehearsal of the Decalogue and of their Phylacteries mentioned before, they had three or foure prayers more which they used at the morning Service, and they were these;[a]Tam. ubi supr. The first they called foreign Emeth, and Jatsib, because it began with those two words, and it referred to their Phylacteries, and it was of this forme. Trutb and stability, and firme and sure, and uprigbt and faithfull, and beloved and lovely and delightfull, and faire and terrible and glorious, and ordered and acceptable and good and beautifull is this word for us for ever and …ver. The truth of the everlasting God our King, the Rocke of Jacob, the shield of our salvation for ever and ever. Hee is sure and his Name sure, and his Throne setled, and his Kingdome and truth established for ever more, &c.
[b]Ibid. & Maym. ubi supr.The second is called by the Talmud text foreign Avodah, but by Maymony foreign Retseh, yet they both agree in one as to the prayer it self, only the one names it after the first word in it, and the other after one of the chiefest words in it. The tenor of it was thus, Be pleased O Lord our God with thy people Israel, and with their prayer, and restore the service to the Oracle of thy house, and accept the burnt off…ring of Israel and their prayer in love, with well pleasednesse; and let the service of Israel thy people, be continually well pleasing to thee. And they conclude thus, We praise thee who art the Lord our God, and the God of our fathers, the God of all flesh, our Creatour, and the maker of all the Creation, blessing and praise be to thy great and holy Name, because thou hast preserved and kept us; so preserve and keepe us, and bring back our captivity to the Courts of thy holinesse, &c.
A third prayer ran thus, foreign Appoint peace, goodnesse, and blessing, grace, mercy, and compassion for us, and for all Israel thy people; blesse us O our father, even all of us as one man, with the light of thy countenance, for in the light of thy countenance thou O Lord our God hast given us the law of life, and loving mercy and righteousnesse and blessing and compassion and life and peace, let it please thee to blesse thy people Israel at all times. In the book of life, with blessing and peace, and sustentation let us b… remembred and written before thee, wee and all thy people the house of Israel, &c.
And a fourth prayer was used on the Sabbath as a blessing, by the Course that went out, for a farewell, upon the Course that came in, in these words, Hee that caused his name to dwell in this house, cause to dwell among you love, and brotherhood, and peace, and friendship. Compare 2 Cor. 13.11.
Now whereas there is some seeming doubtfulnesse among the Talmudicall writers, about the time of these prayers, they leaving it somewhat uncertaine whether they were uttered immediately before the offering of the incense, or in the very time of its offering, the Evangelist Luke hath determined the question, and resolved us, that the multitude was praying at the very time of the incense, Luke 1.10. and even the Glosse upon the Talmud it selfe, doth tell us, that those prayers were the peoples prayers, the last only excepted.
When those prayers were done, he whose lot it was to bring up and lay the pieces of the sacrifice upon the Altar, did th…t busin…sse in that manner as hath been mentioned before, namely, first flinging them into the fire, and then taking them up again, and laying them in order.
After which things performed, the Priests, especially those that had beene in the holy place, (with the holy vessels in their hands that they had used) standing upon the stairs that went up into the porch, lifted up their hands and blessed the people. Compare Luke 1.22.
Not to insist upon the large disputes and discourses[c]Taanith per. 4. May…. in Tephil. & Bircoth. cohani…. per. 14. & 15▪ that are among the Jews about th…ir lifting up their hands; the blessing they pronounced was that in Numb. 6.24, 25, 26. The Lord blesse thee and keep thee, the Lord m…k… his fac… shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And the manner was thus, they lift up their hands abov… their heads, with their fingers spread, and one of them saith over this blessing word by word, and they say after him, and they make it all one blessing (but in the Synagogues they made it three) and when they have ended it, the people answered, Bless…d be the Lord God, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
After this blessing the meat offering was offered, and after that the foreign meat offering of the High-priest, and last of all the drinke offering; and then began the song and musick, of which we have spoken before; and upon every stop of the song, the trumpets sounded and the people worshipped; and having done so at the last close they departed.
Thus was the ordinary and common service of the Temple morning and evening, save that at the evening service there was some small difference from this rubrick, which was not very materiall: as that then they cast not lots for their severall imployments, but those that the lot had assigned them in the morning, they retained in the afternoone: onelyonly about the matter of burning the incense they cast lots anew amongst those of the house of the father that served that day, that had never burnt incense in their lives: but if all of them had at one time or other been upon that imployment, then he that had had it by lot at the morning Service, did also performe it at the evening: likewise at the evening Sacrifice the burning of inconse was a little later then at the morning, as was toucht before; for it was not till after the laying on of pieces of the beast upon the Altar, and the offering of the drink offering: so that then the burning of incense and the publique prayers fell in just with the time of the Minchah or meat offering. The Priests also lifted not up their hands in blessing the people at the evening service on some dayes, as they did in the morning, and the reason why they did not, is given, and the matter discussed in the beginning of the fourth chapter of the Treatise Taanith, but it may seeme more tedious to the Reader then either usefull or delightsome to insist upon it.