Transcriber’s Note
Don’t expect standard (or even consistent!) spelling. Any apparent errors are most probably exactly the way they were printed.
Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Ditto typesetting errors: word spacing; lower for upper case; transposed, repeated or missing letters; b/d, u/n etc. The original text used long s (ſ), rendered here as regular s.
The printer’s somewhat idiosyncratic application of italic type has been changed to more standard usage, e.g. Moses, not Moses; Deut. 16. 6., not Deut. 16. 6; for consistency, all footnotes, poetry and biblical references have been italicised even if not so printed.
Footnote markers have sometimes been moved a few words left or right, in order to minimise interruption to the flow of the text and/or help to clarify which word is being referenced.
Greek: Ligatures are expanded to individual letter glyphs. Accents have been corrected without note.
Hebrew: Misuse of normal/final letter forms has been corrected without note.
Beyond that, a number of changes are noted [at the end].
Moses and Aaron:
Civil and Ecclesiastical
RITES,
Used by the ancient Hebrews; observed,
and at large opened, for the clearing of
many obscure TEXTS thorowout the
whole SCRIPTURE.
Which Texts are now added to the end of the Book.
Wherein likewise is shewed what
Customs the Hebrews borrowed from
Heathen people: And that many Heathenish
Customs, originally, have been unwarrantable
imitations of the HEBREWS.
The Eleventh Edition.
By Thomas Godwyn, B.D.
LONDON,
Printed for S. Griffin, R. Scot, T. Basset, J. Wright
and R. Chiswel, 1678.
TO THE
RIGHT HONOURABLE
WILLIAM
Earle of Pembrook, Lord Chamberlain of His Majesties Houshold, L. Warden of the Stanneries, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, one of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council, and Chancellor of the famous University of Oxford.
All Grace and Happiness.
Right Honourable,
That many have no better acquaintance with Christ and his Apostles, is, because they are such strangers with Moses and Aaron: Were Customes antiquated thorowly known, many difficulties in Scripture would appear Elegancies; and the places which now (through obscurity) dishearten the Reader, would then become sweet invitements to an unwearied assiduity in perusing those sacred Oracles. If my present labour shall give such light to some obscure passages, that thereby Gods people shall be drawn on with the greater delight, to the exercising themselves in reading of Holy Writ, it shall not repent me of my tedious travels in these Rites and Customes, of Generations long since past; which whosoever undertaketh, shall find the way long and thorny, the path over-grown and hardly disernable; the Guides few to direct, and those speaking in strange Languages; and many apt to discourage him, because themselves are either lazy, and will not, or lame and cannot walk the same way. But now (through Gods assistance) being come to the end of my Journey, the discoveries made on the way, such as they are (and such some are, as not observed before) humbly crave your Lordship’s protection.
From Kensington,
Feb. 21. 1624.
Your Honour’s in all duty,
and service devoted,
Tho. Godwyn.
THE ARGUMENT OF EACH BOOK and CHAPTER.
[The first Book.]
Of Persons.
[Chap. 1.] The form of their Common-wealth till Christ, and when the Scepter departed.
[2.] Publicans, their Office, who the chief.
[3.] Prosolytes, who, how made.
[4.] Kings, Why Pilate clad Christ in Purple; Herod in white.
[5.] High-Priests, Priests, Levites, Nethinims.
[6.] Prophets, who, the Wise-man, Scribe, and Disputer, mentioned, 1 Cor. 1. 20.
[7.] Title of Rabbi, when, how, to whom given.
[8.] Nazarites and Rechabites.
[9.] Assideans; difference between the Righteous and Good man, mentioned, Rom. 5. 7.
[10.] Pharisees, whence their name, when they began, what their Dogmata.
[11.] Sadduces, whence their name, when they began, what their Dogmata.
[12.] Essenes, whence their name, when they began, what their Dogmata.
[13.] Gaulonitæ, and Herodians, what they were.
[The second Book.]
Of Places.
[Chap. 1.] Their Temple, how forty six years a building. Why certain Psalms are entituled Graduales Songs of degrees.
[2.] Synagogues, Schools, Houses of Prayer; why their School preferred above their Temple.
[3.] Gates of Jerusalem.
[4.] Groves and High-places.
[5.] Cities of Refuge.
[The third Book.]
Of Daies, Times, and Feasts.
[Chap. 1.] Their daies, hours, weeks, years.
[2.] Their manner of feasting, salutations, blessing, cup of blessing.
[3.] Their Sabbath; a Sabbath-daies-journey, how much, and whence.
[4.] Their Passeover, and feast of unleavened bread: How a soul cut off from Israel.
[5.] Their Pentecost, what the second-first Sabbath was, Luk. 6. 1.
[6.] Their feast of Tabernacles, Hosanna, and Hosanna-Rabba.
[7.] Their feast of Trumpets, their New-Moons, Translation of feasts.
[8.] Their feast of Expiation: what meant by the filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things, 1 Cor. 4. 13.
[9.] Their Sabbatical year.
[10.] Their Jubilee, their use thereof.
[11.] Their feast of Purim, and feast of Dedication.
[The fourth Book.]
Of their Idolatry.
[Chap. 1.] The beginnings of Idolatry.
[2.] Moloch, Adram-Melech, Anam-Melech, Baal, the Tabernacle of Moloch, &c.
[3.] Baal-Peor, Baal-Tsephon, Baal-Zebub, Baal-Berith, Bel and the Dragon.
[4.] Dagon.
[5.] The molten Calf.
[6.] Astaroth, Ammonia, Juno, the Queen of Heaven, Diana of the Ephesians.
[7.] Other Idol-gods mentioned in Scripture.
[8.] Sorts of divine revelation, Urim and Thummim.
[9.] Teraphim, what they were.
[10.] Sorts of Divination forbidden.
[The fifth Book.]
Of their Consistories.
[Chap. 1.] Courts of Judgements, their Ecclesiastical Consistory.
[2.] Sorts of Excommunication.
[3.] Civil Consistories, what persons necessarily present, what meant by the Magistrate, Judge, and Officer, Luk. 12. 58.
[4.] The number of their civil Courts, what meant by a Council, Judgement, fire of Gehenna, Matth. 5.
[5.] Manner of electing Judges.
[6.] Ceremonies common in all capital Judgements: whence that phrase came, his bloud be on us and our children.
[7.] Their capital punishments what they were.
[8.] Punishments not capital.
[9.] Punishments borrowed from other Nations: whether S. Paul fought with the beasts at Ephesus.
[The sixth Book.]
Of Miscellaneous Rites.
[Chap. 1.] Circumcision; whence, the use of Godfathers in Baptism.
[2.] First-fruits, first-lings, first-born.
[3.] Sorts of Tithes, manner of paying them.
[4.] Marriages and divorces, copies of their dowry bill, and bill of divorce: what meant by power on the Womans head, 1 Cor. 11. 10.
[5.] Burials, manner of embalming, manner of their Sepulchres, what meant by baptization of the dead, 1 Cor. 15. 9.
[6.] Of their Oaths.
[7.] Of their writing, their Masorites, and their work.
[8.] Israels pitching of their tents, or of their camps.
[9.] Their Measures.
[10.] Their Coyns, first of brazen Coyns, silver Coyns, and gold Coyns.
