Merari, the Merarites. Kohath, the second son of Levi, had Amram, the father of Aaron and Moses; the latter of which was the governor and lawgiver of the Hebrews, the former their high-priest. Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. After the death of the two former, the priesthood remained with the two others; whose posterity David divided into twenty-four classes, who performed the offices of the priesthood weekly, in their turns. Sixteen of these classes were in the family of Eleazar, whose names and order were as follow:1. Jehoiarib, 2. Jedaiah, 3. Harim, 4. Seorim, 5. Malchijah, 6. Mijamim, 7. Hakkoz, 8. Abijah, 9. Jeshuah, 10. Shecaiah, 11. Eliashib, 12. Jakim, 13. Huppah, 14. Jeshebeah, 15. Bilgah, 16. Immer. So that there were but eight in the family of Ithamar, viz. 17. Hezir, 18. Aphses, 19. Pethahiah, 20. Jehezekel, 21. Jachin, 22. Gamul, 23. Delaiah, 24. Maaziah.

The other tribes were divided into different families, in the same manner, and their names were these: 1. The tribe of Reuben had four families; the Hanochites, the Palluites, the Hesronites, the Carmites.

2. The tribe of Simeon had five; the Nemuelites, the Jaminites, the Jachinites, the Zarhites, the Shaulites.

3. The tribe of Gad had seven; the Zephonites, the Haggites, the Shanites, the Oznites, the Erites, the Arodites, the Arelites.

a

1 Chron. xxiv.

Or, Ezechiel.

4. The tribe of Judah had five; the Shelanites, the Pharzites, the Zarhites, the Hesronites, the Hamulites.

5. The tribe of Issachar had four; the Tolaites, the Punites the Jashubites, the Shimronites.

6. The tribe of Zebulun had three; the Sardites, the Elonites, the Jahleelites.

7. The tribe of Manasseh had eight the Machirites, the Gileadites, the Jeezerites, the Helekites, the Arielites, the Shechemites, the Shemiadites, the Hepherites.

8. The tribe of Ephraim had four: the Shuthalites, the Bachrites, the Tahanites, the Eranites.

9. The tribe of Benjamin had seven; the Belaites, the Ashbeelites, the Ahiramites, the Shuphamites, the Huphamites, the Ardites, the Naamites.

10. The tribe of Dan had but one; the Shuhamites.

11. The tribe of Asher had five; the Jimnites, the Jesuites, the Beriites, the Heberites, the Malchielites.

12. The tribe of Naphtali had four; the Jahzeelites, the Gunites, the Jezerites, the Shillemites.

Hitherto we have spoken only of the Hebrews by birth, who descended from Abraham, and belonged to one of the tribes; whence it was, that they were better esteemed among the Jews than those who had been born Gentiles, and had embraced Judaism. For thus we find St. Paul urging it, as a matter of merit among the Jews, that he was

born a Jew. I was, says he, circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews: as touching the law, a Pharisee. The second sort of the Hebrews were such as were Gentiles by birth, but had embraced the Jewish religion.

e

None was excluded from receiving Judaism but eunuchs. All strangers were received into it, whenever they thought fit to submit to its laws, or at least to the principal of them; for these proselytes (that is to say, strangers,) were of two sorts. Some were called proselytes of habitation, others proselytes of justice. The former had only their dwelling or habitation among the Jews, and did not engage themselves to an entire observance of the law. But they were nevertheless obliged to keep the sabbath; and what the Talmudists call the precepts of Noah, that is, what God commanded Noah to observe, namely, not to worship idols, and to abstain from blood; together with some other commandments which He gave him, and of which we shall speak more particularly in another place. For the Jews were far from suffering the strangers, who dwelled among them, to live without laws. All which Maimonides explains in his Treatise of a Proselyte. "What," says he, "is a proselyte of habitation? He is one who engages to renounce idolatry, and observe the commandments, which

Phil. iii. 5.

d

Προσηλυτοι.

Or, proselytes of the gate, because permitted to live within their gates. Prid. Con. Pt. ii. lib. 5.

Chap. 2.

2

were given to the children of Noah; but neither is circumcised, nor baptized. He is called a proselyte of habitation, because we are permitted to give such a one an habitation among the children of Israel, and he is received as a religious Gentile." He adds, "Whoever engages to keep the commandments of Noah, and is exact in his observance of them, has a right to the rewards of a future state." And the Jews were forbidden to suffer any Gentile to live among them, who did not submit to the observance of these precepts; as we learn from the same author. "We are obliged," says he, "to kill all the Gentiles, who refuse to keep the commandments of Noah, if they are in our power. It is only to us, who are the inheritance of Jacob, and to those of any other nation who will become proselytes, that Moses has given the law. For it is said, There shall be no difference between the proselytes and you. And therefore, as to the law, let him embrace it that will; we force nobody to it but as for the commandments of Noah Moses, our master, who was taught by God Himself, has commanded us to force all those who shall come into the world to observe them, and to kill all those who shall refuse to keep them. He who receives them is called a proselyte of habitation; and must engage himself to do so, in the presence of three learned persons."

Should the Jews ever get the pre-eminence in any nation, we see, by this honest confession of Rabbi Maimon, that the Gentiles, Christians, &c. under their government, must either turn Jews, or have their throats cut.

The second sort of converted Hebrews were called proselytes of justice. They were so called because they embraced the whole law of Moses, and engaged themselves to live holily and justly. And they therefore had the rank and privileges of natural Jews. And it is of them that we are to understand those words of our blessed Saviour in the Gospel, Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte."

In order to become a proselyte of justice there were three ceremonies to be performed; the first of which was circumcision. The blood that was spilt in the performance of this, was called the blood of the covenant; and these new converts were thought to be the children of it. And as to the necessity of it, the commandment of GOD to Abraham is very express : The uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Circumcision was the seal, which sealed the covenant, into which the proselyte entered with God, and the solemn profession he made of observing the law of Moses. Which made St. Paul say, I testify to every man that is circumcised,' that he is a debtor to the whole law. And MaimonidesTM also teaches the same thing. "When a Gentile," says he, has a mind to enter into the covenant, to

h Matt. xxiii. 15.

'Gen. xvii. 14.

k

* Gal. v. 3.

Or, as the French has it, every man that causes himself to be circumcised.

Ibid. ch. 1.