[107] Yet this would appear to have been no serious loss, for the disease was quite able indeed to weaken the power of the Jews, but not to actually destroy it. So Balaam says in Josephus (loco cit. § 6.): Hebraeorum quidem genus nunquam funditus peribit, nec bello, nec peste, nec inopia terrae fructuum, nec alio casu inopinato delebitur.—In mala autem nonnulla et calamitates ad breve tempus incident; a quibus licet deprimi humique affligi videantur, postea tamen reflorescent, cum eos timere coeperint qui damna illis intulerant. (The nation of the Hebrews in fact will never utterly perish, and can be destroyed neither by war, nor plague, nor famine of the fruits of the earth, nor any other unlooked for disaster.—They will fall however for a brief space into sundry ills and calamities; whereby they may well seem to be broken down and brought to the earth. But they will flourish again, when once they have learned to fear the enemies that brought the disasters upon them). It was in order to bring about this consummation that Balaam gave his advice just cited.
[108] In fact Moses gives direct permission to captives to wed. Deuteronomy 21. vv. 11-13., “... and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife; then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, ... after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.” Comp. besides Ruth, Ch. 1. v. 4., Ch. 4. v. 13.—1 Chronicles, Ch. 2. v. 17.—1 Kings, Ch. 3. v. 1., Ch. 14. v. 21. Only after the exile was matrimonial connection with foreigners forbidden. Ezra, Ch. 9. v. 2., Ch. 10. v. 3. Nehemiah, Ch. 13. v. 23. Josephus, Antiq. Jud., XI. 8. 2., XII. 4. 6., XVIII. 9. 5.
[109] Vita Mosis, (Life of Moses), Bk. I., Works Vol. II. p. 130.
[110] Ch. 5. v. 5., “... but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, they had not circumcised.”.
[111] J. Laurentius, “De adulteriis et meretricibus Tractatus,” (Treatise on Adultery and Courtesans), in Gronovius’ Thesaurus Antiq. Graecor. Vol. VIII. pp. 1403-16.—G. Franck de Franckenau, “Disp. qua lupanaria sub verbo Hurenhäuser ex principiis quoque medicis improbantur,” (Disputation wherein Brothels (under the name “Hurenhäuser”—brothels) are condemned on medical as well as other grounds), Heidelberg 1674. 4to., in the author’s Satirae Medicae, (Medical Satires), pp. 528-549.—J. A. Freudenberg (C. G. Flittner) “Ueber Staats- und Privatbordelle, Kuppelei und Concubinat, in moralisch-politischer Hinsicht, nebst einem Anhange über die Organisirung der Bordelle der alten und neuen Zeiten,” (On Public and Private Brothels, Procuration and Concubinage, in their moral and political Aspects; together with an Appendix on the Organization of Brothels in Ancient and Modern Times), Berlin 1796. 8vo. We have not been in a position to make use of this book.
[112] Michaelis, “Mosaisches Recht,” (Mosaic Law), Pt. V. p. 304. From 1 Kings Ch. 3. v. 16. it might indeed be gathered that such establishments were in existence; but strictly speaking the passage proves only that two women of this character dwelt in a particular house. Comp. Philo, De special. legg. (Works ed. Mangey, Vol. II. p. 308.). The maidens’ chambers that according to 2 Kings, Ch. 17. v. 30. were set up in the precincts of the Temple at Jerusalem were cells with figures of Astarté, in which the Jewish maidens offered themselves to the goddess, and so in fact though not in name brothels.
[113] Proverbs, Ch. 7. vv. 6-27. Compare Genesis, Ch. 38. v. 14.—Ezekiel, Ch. 25.
[114] Leviticus, Ch. 19. v. 19.—Deuteronomy, Ch. 23. v. 17.; this latter passage Beer (loco citato) would fain utilise to free the Jews from the suspicion of having disseminated the Venereal disease in the XVth. Century. Spencer, “De Legibus Hebraeorum ritualibus,” (On the ritual laws of the Jews), p. 563., however showed at once that the prohibition strictly speaking only went so far as to forbid that harlotry should be practised for the honour of God, as among other Asiatic peoples; and explains the first passage in this sense, that the Jews must not, as had happened, dedicate their daughters to the service of Mylitta.
[115] Richter, XVI. 1.—1 Kings, Ch. 3. 16.—Proverbs, Ch. 2. 16., Ch. 5. 3., Ch. 7. 10., Ch. 23. 27.—Amos, Ch. 2. 7., Ch. 7. 17.—Baruch, Ch. 6. 43. Comp. Grotius, “Ad Matthaei Evangelium,” (Commentary on St. Matthew), V. 3. 4.—Hartmann, “Die Hebräerin am Putztisch und als Braut,” (The Hebrew woman at the Toilette table and as Bride), Amsterdam 1809. Pt. II. pp. 493 sqq.
[116] Deipnosoph., bk. XIII. p. 598. v. 65.