extraordinary emergencies called for it, they had also their occasional, public, extraordinary fasts; such as in times of war, persecution, famine, pestilence, &c.

But, besides the public fasts of this nature mentioned in Scripture, they had also private ones observed by individuals, and public ones of human appointment, noticed in their synagogues. Thus, some fasted every Monday and Thursday, which were synagogue days, and hence the Pharisee boasted that he fasted twice a week. Others fasted on the Monday and Thursday of the passover week, and on the Monday after it; whilst every month had its fasts for one reason or another. Thus, they fasted on the 1st of Abib, or of the moon in March, for the death of Nadab and Abihu; on the 10th for the death of Miriam; on the 26th for the death of Joshua; and on the 29th they prayed for the latter rain. They fasted on the 10th of Zif, or of the moon in April, because of the death of Eli and his sons, and the taking of the ark by the Philistines; and on the 28th, because the prophet Samuel died.—They held a feast on the 15th and 16th of Sivan, or of the moon which appeared in May, to commemorate the victories of the Maccabees over the heathen at Bethshan; and the 23d was a fast to bewail Jeroboam's preventing the first fruits from being brought to Jerusalem.-They fasted on the 17th of Thammuz, or of the moon which appeared in June, for the sin and punishment of the golden calf. They fasted on the 1st of Ab, or of the moon which appeared in July, because of the death of Aaron; on the 9th because the murmuring Israelites were sent back into the wilderness to sojourn there until they died; on the 18th for the extinction of the evening lamp during the reign of Ahaz; and on the 24th there

Luke xviii. 12.

was a feast in commemoration of the abolishing that law made by the Sadducees, which gave to sons and daughters an equal portion of their fathers' effects.-They fasted on the 17th of Elul, or of the moon which appeared in August, for the disasters that happened after the return of the spies; the 22d was a feast in commemoration of the carriage of the wood to the temple for consuming the sacrifices; and the 25th was a feast in commemoration of Nehemiah's dedicating the walls of Jerusalem. They fasted on the 5th of Tizri, or of the moon which appeared in September, for the death of some eminent doctors of the law; and the 23d was a festival of joy for the re-delivery of the law of Moses, when they read Moses's blessing the tribes, and the history of his death.-They fasted on the 6th day of Bul, or of the moon which appeared in October, for the loss of Zedekiah's eyes, and the murder of his children.'

-They fasted on the 6th of Chisleu, or of the moon which appeared in November, for the burning of Jeremiah's roll by Jehoiachim; on the 7th they had a feast for the death of Herod the Great; on the 15th a fast for Antiochus' profanation of the temple; and the 21st was a feast for Alexander's delivering up the Samaritans to their power. They fasted on the 8th of Thebeth, or of the moon which appeared in December, because the law was translated into Greek at the request of Ptolemy Philadelphus; on the 9th because Ezra and Nehemiah died upon it; and on the 28th was a feast of joy for the ejection of the Sadducees from the Sanhedrin, where they had gained the ascendency in the days of Jannæus. -They fasted on the 10th of Shebat, or of the moon which appeared in January, for the death of the elders who outlived Joshua; and on the 23d for the resolution

to punish the Benjamites in Judg. xx.-They had a feast on the 3d of Adar, or of the moon which appeared in February, because Zerubbabel's temple was then finished; the 7th was a fast for the death of Moses; and the 25th a feast for the release of Jehoiachin. One would suppose that these feasts and fasts would have been sufficient, and yet several fasted on the day before every new moon, or when a near relation died, or in general, when any calamity befel themselves or their families.

They began their fasts always in the evening, and observed them till the following evening, on which they might chew some food, if hungry, but might not swallow it. The public fasts were called yn, Thonithtzebur; and the private ones 'n'yn, Thonith-ihed. The way of vowing a private fast among the modern Jews is-To-morrow shall be a fast to me:" and the following prayer is offered up: "My God, at the time thy temple stood, if any sinned, he offered an oblation and was forgiven. But now, since the sanctuary is de-. stroyed, on account of our sins, we have no other method but fasting and prayer. Let it please thee, therefore, O Lord my God, and the God of my fathers, that the fat and blood of my body, which shall be consumed by my fasting, be in thy sight as if I had brought an oblation, and be thou gracious to me." He who vowed and paid was called wp, kedush; and he who vowed and did not pay was called Din, huta. Doctors of the law, however, and teachers were forbidden to indulge in private fasts, for fear of injuring their health, and impairing their usefulness; but they were bound to observe public fasts, that the weight of their example might influence others. No private fast was allowed to be held on a sabbath, or new moon, on any public fes

tival, or on the eve of the day of annual expiation. And no public fast was allowed on the sixth day of the week for that was employed in preparing what was needful for the sabbath; nor on any of the three great feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles. It appears from Zechariah, that, when the Jews fasted, the male part of the family fasted by themselves, and the female part by themselves; for the houses were usually divided into two parts, the apartments for the men, and the apartments for the women; and none but the lowest class of the Jews lived promiscuously.

• Buxtorff, Synag. Judaic. cap. 30.

Chap. xii. 12-14.

PART VII.

SECT. I.

The Synagogue.

The other modes of instruction hinted at; proseuchas explained; their utility; places where situated; usual form. Synagogues the chief.

AFTER examining the tabernacle and temple, their ministers and service, feasts and fasts, we are naturally led to turn our attention to the Jewish synagogue, as an excellent mean of instruction, especially to those who resided at a great distance from the temple.

a

The Jews were, indeed, highly favoured. They had many advantages for religious instruction above the other nations of the world; for they had the written word expressly revealed to them from heaven. The Levitical cities were so many centres for diffusing information: The schools of the prophets, to which they resorted on the sabbaths and new moons, also tended to improve their minds. And the high places, proseuchas, or oratories, which were commonly open at top, and in retired situations, invited the people to meditation and prayer. These were sometimes on eminences: for in Luke vi. 12, we find our Saviour going up to a mountain, where he continued all night in prayer to God (ẻv tñ προσευχὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, or “ in a proseucha dedicated to God." Sometimes they were built by the sides of rivers,

2 Kings iv. 23.