[Page 257].—The father of the family killed the paschal lamb.] Ἐν τῇ ἑορτη οὐχ οἱ μὲν ἰδίωται προσάγουσι τῷ βωμῷ τὰ ἱερεῖα, θύουσι δε οἱ ἱερεῖς, ἄλλα νομοῦ προστάξει συμπᾶν τὸ ἔθνος ἱερᾶται κατὰ μέρος ἑκάστου τὰς ὑπὲρ ἀυτοῦ θυσίας ἀναγόντος τότε καὶ χειρουργοῦντος. Philo. Vit. Mos. p. 686. So the Mishna; “Mactat Israelita, excipit sanguinem sacerdos.” Surenh. ii. 153.
[Page 258].—The priests blew the trumpet.] The trumpet here spoken of, and elsewhere, was the חצוצר (tuba.) Joseph. Ant. xiii. 12. 6. straight and of metal, opposed to the שופר (cornu.) Vitringa, Syn. i. 203. The trumpets are represented on the Jewish coins, and on the triumphal arch of Titus.
[Page 259].—Roasting in deep ovens.] See Pococke’s description of the ovens now used in Palestine, ii. 40.
[Page 260].—Fifteenth of the month Nisan.] The Jewish ecclesiastical year began with the month Nisan or Abib, (the month of the ears of corn.) Exod. xii. 2. As the Jews reckoned by lunar years, Nisan, beginning with the first new moon after the vernal equinox, would sometimes fall in the end of March, sometimes in April; and hence it is impossible to assign any of the Jewish months exactly to corresponding months of the Roman calendar. The Passover was always to be accompanied by the offering of the first-fruits, or the new barley; and as this would not, ordinarily, be ripe before the middle of April, (Shaw p. 335) an additional month was intercalated, whenever the difference between the solar and lunar year had become so great, that this part of the law could not be complied with. See Michaelis Mos. Law, § 199. De mensibus Hebræorum. Comm. xi.
The Jewish months followed in this order; the times assigned to them in our calendar must be understood with the limitation above-mentioned.
| 1. | Nisan, or Abib | 30 | days, | March and April. |
| 2. | Jiar, or Siv | 29 | April and May. | |
| 3. | Sivan | 30 | May and June. | |
| 4. | Tammus | 29 | June and July. | |
| 5. | Abh | 30 | July and August. | |
| 6. | Elul | 29 | August and September. | |
| 7. | Tisri, or Ethanim | 30 | September and October. | |
| 8. | Marchesvan (or Bul) | 30 and 29 | October and November. | |
| 9. | Kisleu | 29 and 30 | November and December. | |
| 10. | Tebheth | 29 | December and January. | |
| 11. | Shebat | 30 | January and February. | |
| 12. | Adar | 29 and 30 | February and March. |
When an intercalary month was necessary, it was added after Adar, and called Veadar. Only four of the months, Abib, Exod. xiii. 4. Siv, 1 Kings vi. 37. Ethanim, 1 Kings viii. 2. Bul, 1 Kings viii. 38., are mentioned by name before the captivity. The civil year began with Tisri, at the autumnal equinox. Wähner, Ant. Heb. ii. 15.
[Page 261].—Ceremonies of eating the Passover.] The laws of Moses respecting this rite are found Exod. xii. 1-20. 43-49. Deut. xvi. 1-8. Exod. xxxiv. 25. Lightfoot (Works, i. 959. seq.) has collected the passages from the Rabbinical writings, which describe the manner of eating it so fully, that it is unnecessary to do more than refer to him for all that is here related. See also Maimonides de Sol. Pasch. Fasc. Hist. Sacr. vii. 837. What our author says of their standing around the table, appears doubtful: the Israelites ate their first Passover, undoubtedly, in this way; but in our Saviour’s time they appear to have used the ordinary recumbent posture, and this is agreeable to the accounts of the Rabbins.
[Page 262].—The divan.] This is a raised platform, about four feet wide and six inches high, from the floor in the houses of Aleppo, according to Russel, (p. 27) running round the head and sides of the room, close to the wall, on which mats and cushions are spread. It serves as the ordinary seat of the Orientals, instead of our chairs.
[Page 263].—The table in the east is low.] Mariti (ii. 144.) describes a table at which he dined, as raised about a hand’s breadth from the floor, and two feet broad.