SECT. XIII.

Temples in Samaria and Egypt.

There was a Temple likewise built by Sanballat upon Mount Gerizim, for the Ufe of the Samaritans; who pretended (upon the Return of the Jews from their Captivity) that they were of the Stock of the true ancient Hebrews, and that their Mountain was the most proper Place of Worship: upon which Principle the Samaritan Woman in the Gospel, argues with CHRIST: but that was destroy'd by Hyrcanus, as Jofephus teftifies.

The fame Author mentions another Temple the Jews had built in Egypt, when they were perfecuted by Antiochus: and that it was destroy'd much about the fame Time with that at Jerufalem. In Mac. i. the Apocrypha indeed, there is a Letter from the Jews at Jerufalem to those in Egypt.

SECT. XIV.

SYNAGOGUES.

So much for the Temple. They had other Places of Worship mention'd in

Scripture

Scripture by the Name of Synagogues ; which Word fignifies Congregations. Synagogues therefore, were Places, where the Jews of fuch a certain District or Quality, us'd to affemble and meet together to hear the Law expounded.

lxx. 8.

The first Mention we find of them, is in one of the Pfalms, to which the Name Pfal. of Asaph is prefix'd; tho' it is reasonable to conclude, from the Contents of it, that it could not be compos'd by that Mufician; nor any one else fo old as the Time of David: but by fome infpired Perfon after the Captivity; when their Temple and City, and all that belong'd to them were destroy'd and burnt by the Babylonians: when this Pfalmift might well say, They have burnt up all the fynagogues of God in the land.

Whoever was the Author, it is pretty plain from hence, that these Synagogues were in use before the Babylonish Captivity; and probably from the very Time of Mofes himself. St. James fays, Mofes Acts xv. of old time bath, in every city, them that 21. preach him, being read in the fynagogues every fabbath day. They were fcatter'd

up and down in the Countreys of Judæa, Galilee, and that Neighbourhood. In whatever City a competent Number of Jews fojourn'd, they had a Synagogue, one or more, if the Government would Acts ix. permit them. We read of feveral in Daib. vi. 9. mafcus: and of one in Jerufalem it felf;

2.

for the Benefit of those of the Jewish Religion who were Foreigners: the Citizens themselves reforting to the Temple upon all religious Occafions.

The Scribes (of whom we shall speak more particularly hereafter) us'd to officiate in thefe Synagogues, as the Priests did in the Temple: and fome of them were call'd Rulers of the Synagogue; who had the ordering of Matters there. But they all affected to appear confiderable, and were remarkably ambitious of fitting in the chief Seats there, for which our Mark. LORD rebukes them.

XI. 39.

Those who had been guilty of any notorious Crime, or were otherwife thought unworthy, were cast out of thefe Synagogues; that is, excommunicated; reckon'd as mere Heathens; fhut out from all Benefits of the Jewish Religion. They camo

22.

to a Refolution, that whoever confefs'd John ix that JESUS was the CHRIST, he should be put out of the Synagogue. And therefore, when the blind Man who had been reftor'd to Sight, perfifted in confeffing that he believ'd the Perfon who had been able to work fuch a Miracle, could not have done it if he were not of God, they caft him out. These Synagogues are in use among them to this Day.

CHAP.

V.

SECT. I. Their HOLY DAYS.

E have done with the Places us'd

W for religious Worship by the

Jews; we come next to treat of the Days that were accounted facred among them. The more effectually to do which, it may be proper to take notice of their Manner of dividing and computing Time in general; and to fee what Account we have of their Years, Months, and Weeks; by which means we shall get the most ad

vantageous

Gen. i.

14.

vantageous View of fuch Days, as were to be obferv'd by them with more than ordinary Solemnity.

SECT. II.

Their Computation of Time, by Years.

It is agreed on all Hands, that the Jewish Year was Lunifolar; confifting of twelve Lunar Months, with an Intercalation, to make the whole agree with the Solar Year. Those Luminaries, the Sun and Moon, were ordain'd partly for this Purpose, at their Creation. God faid, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night: and let them be for figns, and for feafons, and for days and years. However their Year was of two kinds, natural and legitimate; or common and facred. Their natural or common Year began with the Autumnal Equinox; that being the Time when they fuppos'd the World was first created. The legal or facred took its Beginning, by God's fpecial Direction, from the Time of their Emigration out of Egypt; which was about the vernal Equinox. This was just before their Harveft began; that, after they had gather'd

all