they observed their law, it was no easy matter to have any dealing with foreigners.' Thus their wealth, as I said before, consisted chiefly in land and cattle. And they are riches of this kind which GoD promises them, such as are most natural and substantial. He speaks to them neither of gold, nor silver, nor precious stones, nor fine furniture; much less of other riches which depend more upon trade, and the inventions of men: but, He says, He will send rain in its season; that the earth shall bring forth corn in abundance; that the trees shall be laden with fruit; that the harvest, the vintage, and seed time, shall follow one another without interruption." He promises them plenty of food, undisturbed sleep, safety, peace, and even victory over their enemies. He adds, that He will make them increase and multiply by looking favourably upon them; that His blessing shall make their wives fruitful; that He will bless their herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, their granaries and cellars, and the works of their hands." These are the temporal good things which GoD allows men to expect from Him. 1 2 Chron. ii. 17. "Lev. xxvi. 3, &c. n Deut. xxviii. 4. CHAP. V. Their Arts and Trades. WE know no people more entirely addicted to agriculture than the Israelites. The Egyptians and Syrians joined manufactures, navigation, and trade to it but, above all, the Phoenicians, who finding themselves straitened in point of room, from the time that the Israelites drove them out of their country, were obliged to live by trade, and be in a manner brokers and factors for all the rest of the world. The Greeks imitated them, and excelled chiefly in arts. On the contrary, the Romans despised mechanics, and applied themselves to commerce. As for the Israelites, their land was sufficient to maintain them; and the sea coasts were, for the most part, possessed by the Philistines and There Canaanites, who were the Phoenicians. was only the tribe of Zabulon, whose share of land lay near the sea, that had any temptation to trade; which seems to be foretold in the blessings pronounced by Jacob and Moses." Nor do we see that they applied themselves more to manufactures than to commerce. Not that arts were not then invented; many of them are older than the Flood: and we find that the Israelites had excellent workmen, at least as early as the time of Moses. Bezaleel and Aholiab, who made the tabernacle and every thing that was necessary for the service of GoD, are an instance that puts this past dispute. It is surprising how they came to be so well skilled in arts that were not only very difficult, but very different from one another. They understood melting of metals, cutting and engraving precious stones; they were joiners, makers of tapestry, embroiderers, and perfumers. We may be justly surprised that two of these arts should have been known at this early period by the Israelites, the cutting of jewels, and the casting of figures; such as the cherubim of the ark, and the golden calf which was made at that time. They who understand the arts ever so little, know how much ingenuity and what a number of tools those works require. If they were invented before, it is a sign that even the arts which serve only for ornament were then brought to great perfection; and if they had any secret, to do the same thing with more ease and a less apparatus, it was still a higher degree of improvement. But this only by the bye, to shew that people were not so dull and ignorant in these antient times as many imagine, the world being two thousand five hundred years old in the days of Moses. Gen. iv. 20-22. • Exod. xxxi. 2, 6. xxxvi. xxxvii, &c. • Exod. xxxi. 5. But whether these two famous workmen had learnt from the Egyptians, or their skill was mira culous and inspired by GoD, as the Scriptures seem to say, it does not appear that they had any to succeed them, nor that any of the Israelites were artificers by profession, and worked for the public, till the time of the kings. When Saul began to reign, it is taken notice of, that there was no workman that understood forging iron in all the land of Israel: and that they were forced to go to the Philistines to sharpen even the instruments which they used in husbandry. It is true, this was owing to the oppression of the Philistines, to hinder them from making arms. But several years after David was obliged, when he fled, to take the sword of Goliah, which must have been rather too heavy for him, and take it too out of God's tabernacle, where it was hung up for a lasting monument of his victory. This makes me think there were no arms to be bought. It seems, likewise, as if there was no bread sold ; since, upon the same occasion, Abimelech the priest was obliged to give David the shew-bread: which intimates, moreover, that the people kept but little bread in their houses, it may be, upon account of the country's being so hot. So the witch, to whom Saul went, made him bread on purpose when she entertained him, that he might recover his strength." Every one had an oven in his own house, since the 1 Sam. xiii. 19. 1 Sam. xxi. 9. law threatens them, as with a great misfortune, that ten women should bake their bread at one oven. At Rome there were no bakers till the time of the Persian war, more than five hundred and eighty years after the foundation of the city.* Were we to reckon up all trades particularly, it would appear that many would have been of no use to them. Their plain way of living, and the mildness of the climate, made that long train of conveniences unnecessary, which we think it hard to be without; though vanity and effeminacy, more than real want, have introduced them. And as to things that were absolutely necessary, there were few of them that they did not know how to make themselves. All sorts of food were cooked within doors. The women made bread and prepared the victuals; they spun wool, made stuffs and wearing apparel: the men took care of the rest. Homer describes old Eumæus making his own shoes; and says, that he had built fine stalls for the cattle he bred.' Ulysses himself built his own house; and set up his bed with great art, the structure of which served to make him known to Penelope again. When he left Calypso, it was he 1 Lev. xxvi. 26. k Pistores, Romæ non fuerunt ad Persicum usque bellum, annis ab urbe conditâ super 580. Ipsi panem faciebant Quirites, mulierum id opus erat. Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. xviii. c. 11. Αυτος δ' αμφι πόδεσσιν εοις αραρισκε πέδιλα, Ταμνων δερμα βοειον, ευχροες. Odyss. lib. xiv. ver. 23. To form strong buskins of well season'd hide. POPE. |