He was standing upon the lowest of the fifteen steps, which led from the court of Israel to that of the women, when there arose a cry among the thousands who surrounded him, “The high-priest is coming!” He came from an adjoining building and walked towards the altar. The breastplate with its precious stones beamed from his breast. Over the ordinary [white robe] of the priests, which descended in folds to his feet, he wore a magnificent upper robe of a blue purple. The bells between the pomegranates, on the borders of his robe, gave a clear sound as he walked. Over this upper garment he had a third, which was shorter, called the ephod, splendidly embroidered with purple, dark blue, crimson and thread of gold, on a white ground. On his head was a white turban, and over this a second, striped with dark blue. On his forehead he wore a plate of gold, on which the name of Jehovah was inscribed; and being at once high-priest and prince, this was connected with a triple crown on the temples and back part of the head.
The priests made way for him, as he entered in his glory, and stepped in majesty along. Arrived at the altar, he looked round on the innumerable multitude that were assembled, while silent congratulations were addressed to him by every heart. Helon thought on the splendid description of the high-priest Simon, the son of Onias, in the book of Jesus the son of Sirach.
“When he came from behind the veil, he was as the morning star in the midst of a cloud; and as the moon at the full. As the sun shines on the temple of the Most High; as the rainbow with its beautiful colours; as the beautiful rose in spring; as the lily by the rivers of waters; as the branches of the frankincense tree in time of summer; as fire and incense in the censer; as a vessel of beaten gold, set with all manner of ornaments of precious stones; as a fair olive-tree, budding forth fruit; as a cypress tree growing up to the clouds! When he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with all his glory, and when he went up to the holy altar, he adorned the sanctuary all around. When he took the portions out of the hands of the priests, and stood by the hearth of the altar, and his brethren stood around him, he was as a young cedar in Lebanon, and they surrounded him like palm-trees. All the sons of Aaron in their glory had the oblations of the Lord in their hands before all the congregation of Israel. And he fulfilled the service at the altar, and offered up a pious oblation unto the Most High. He stretched out his hand to the cup and poured out the blood of the grape, he poured it at the foot of the altar, a sweet smell to the Most High, King of all. Then shouted the sons of Aaron and blew the curved trumpets and made a great noise to be heard, for a remembrance before the Most High. Then all the people straightway fell down upon the earth upon their faces, and worshipped the Lord God Almighty, the Most High: the singers also sang praises with their voices, there was made sweet melody with great variety of sounds. And the people besought the Lord, the Most High, by prayer, that he would be merciful, till the worship of the Lord was ended and they had finished the service. Then he went down and lifted up his hands over the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and gave them the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and wished them peace in his name. And they bowed themselves down to worship a second time, that they might receive a blessing from the Most High; and said, ‘Now therefore bless ye the God of all, who alone doeth wondrous things every where, who keeps us alive from the mother’s womb and deals with us according to his mercy: may he grant us joyfulness of heart, and that there may be peace in our days in Israel for ever, and that his mercy may abide with us, and that he may deliver us at his time.’”[[117]]
This description had often awakened the enthusiasm of Helon, but now he saw it realized, in the most impressive service ever performed in Israel—that of the morning after the Passover. There stood the high-priest, spiritual and temporal sovereign of the people, on the mountain of Jehovah, in sight of his sanctuary, and looked through the lofty portico, full upon the curtain of the most holy place. On the other side, through all the courts even to the foot of mount Moriah, was a countless multitude, all occupied with prayer and praise, all waiting anxiously for his blessing, and expecting to be purified by his offering. Around him were all the priests of Israel, obedient to his nod, ministering to him in the most sacred employment of the people, their appearance before Jehovah. He himself, the man who bore the name of Jehovah on his brow, with every thing that oriental splendour could accumulate, lavished on him, in honour of that name, surrounded by the flames of the altar of burnt-offering, which flashed up to heaven! It was a sight to awaken every sublime religious feeling of such a mind as Helon’s.
The Hallel was sung. The priests, stationed on the pillars near the laver, accompanied the song with the sound of their trumpets and the [Levites] on the fifteen steps sung it, with their cymbals, cornets and flutes. David had appointed four thousand Levites for musicians and singers, and their number was probably not much smaller now.[[118]] The multitude responded, with its hundred thousand voices, to the song of the choir; and when the Hallelujah, with which the psalms begin and end, was thrice repeated with the united volume of vocal and instrumental sound poured forth at once, a less lively imagination than Helon’s might have fancied that Jehovah himself appeared in the flames of the altar, to receive the homage of his people. It was here only that one of these psalms, so full of the boldest flights and of the deepest emotion, must be heard, to be fully felt. Such a moment had inspired them; such a moment alone could revive that intensity of feeling, which is necessary fully to comprehend them.
Helon was so absorbed, that the wave of the people had forced him, unconscious of it, far down to the extremity of the court. He could only see from a distance the movements of the high-priest about the altar. His majestic figure, as he passed to and fro before the flames which arose in the back ground, received from them a strong illumination, which to Helon’s fancy gave something solemn and unearthly to the form. When the sacrifice and the Hallel were ended, the people fell on their knees, and bowed their faces to the earth to receive the high-priest’s blessing. He washed his hands with the usual solemnities, and advanced to the steps of the Levites, praying thus; “Praised be thou, O Lord our God, thou king of the world, who hast sanctified us with the consecration of Aaron, and commanded us to bless thy people Israel in love.” He then turned first to the sanctuary and afterwards to the people; then [lifting his arms] to the height of his shoulder, and joining his hands together, so as to leave five intervals between the fingers, with eyes cast down on the ground, he laid the name of Jehovah on the people and said,
The Lord bless thee and keep thee,
The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee,
The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and give thee peace!—Num. vi. 24.
At every repetition of the word thee, he turned to the north and the south. The people replied; “Praised be the name of his kingdom for ever!” They continued a while when the benediction was concluded, each praying to himself, while the high-priest, turning to the sanctuary, said, “O Lord of the whole world, we have done what thou hast commanded us, and thou wilt do what thou hast promised. Thou wilt behold us from the habitation of thy holiness; thou wilt look down from heaven and bless thy people Israel!”