not to be able to bring a couple of Turtles, or Pidgeons, was to be the Tenth part of an Epha of fine Flower, i. e. an Omer, or about Six Pints. To this quantity of Flower there was to be a Log of Oil, Lev. xiv. 10, i. e. Half a Pint; and there was to be a Handful of Frankincenfe to all thofe Meat Offerings which had Oil and Frankincenfe appointed: (For in the Meat Offerings of the Sinner, mentioned Lev. v. II. and in the Offering of Jealousy, mentioned Numb. v. 15, there was to be no Oil, nor Frankincenfe, used.) But in general, He that brought his Mincha, be the Quantity more or lefs, he brought a proportion of Oil suited to it, to mingle them; and he brought Incense likewife proportionable. When the Flower and Oil were mixed, the Priest carried it to the Altar-and removing all the Frankincense unto the one fide, he took up a handful of the Flower and Oil mixed, and put that handful into a miniftring Veffel, and fanctified it therein. Then gathering up all the Frankincenfe, he put it upon the bandful in the Veffel, Altars, and falted it,

and fet it upon the and put it out of the

Miniftring

Miniftring Veffel upon the Fire. Thus Ainsworth (from Maimonides) upon Levit. ii. 2.

But what fort of an Offering was this, made up of Flower and Oil; or how comes fuch an Offering to be in ufe? The Answer is, It was cuftomary in the East to mix up these two Ingredients, and thus to make a Bread which was their ordinary food. The Perfian Maza was Barley Flower mixed with Oil and Water, and was Their daily Diet. * So Strabo, lib. xv. Now Maza, according to Hefychius, was

Barley Flower mixed with Water and Oil; and from hence came Oil to be ufed in Meat Offerings, because it was an ufual Ingredient to be mixed with Flower to make a Sort of Bread.

There were other things ufually mixed by the Heathen with their Flower, and particularly Honey, to make their Cakes which they offered on their Altars. But all fuch were expressly forbidden to the Jews, as not being an ingredient in their common

• Η δὲ καθ ̓ ἡμέραν δίαιτα, αριος μετὰ τὸ γυμνάσιον, κα páča-Strabo, p. 1067.

† Αλφια πεφυρμένα ὕδατι καὶ ἐλαίῳ. Hefyc.

Bread.

Bread. Such things as made the com mon food of Man were the things appointed to be Sacrificed; and as Bread was used where Flesh was used, it was proper that a Meat Offering, i, e. Bread fhould be joined to the Sacrifice of Flesh and where through Poverty or other means a Man could not bring to the Altar any Animal, an Offering of Flower mixed with Oil fhould be accepted.

;

The Mincha's, or Meat Offerings, among the Jews were either Public or Private. The Public ones confifted, 1. Of an Oblation of Barley, a Handful of which was always offered on the fecond day of the Paffeover; and with this there was always burnt fome Incense; and the reft was eaten by the Priests. 2. Two Loaves made of Wheat, offered at the Pentecoft. And 3. the Shew-Bread, which the Priefts did eat every Sabbath-day. To this ShewBread was always added Incense; which being a thing improper for Food, the words of Mofes ought to be explained.

The

Command is given, Levit. xxiv. 5-9, Thou shalt take fine flower, and bake Twelve Loaves, two tenth deals fall be

in

in one Cake; and thou shalt fet them in two Rows, Six on a Row, upon the pure Table before the Lord: and thou shalt put pure Frankincenfe UPON each Row, that it may be on the Bread for a Memorial, even an Offering made by Fire unto the Lord. It may feem by this as if the Frankincense were fome how or other put UPON each Row of Bread, and thus the Bread would be unfit for eating: Nor can one fay, from the manner of Expreffion here used, Whether the Bread, or the Incense, or the Bread and Incense was an Offering made by Fire unto the Lord. But it is well known that David did eat of the Shew Bread; and it was ordered that Aaron and his Sons fhould eat it in the Holy place, Levit. xxiv. 9. The Truth is, the Frankincenfe was put, not UPON, but By the Loaves in Veffels proper for that purpose. And thus the Jews of old explained it: "They fet by the "fide of each Row a Veffel, wherein

was a Handful of Frankincenfe, and "the Veffel was called Bezik, [a Cup or Phial.] So that there were two hand"fulls of Frankincenfe in two Cups, and

"the

"the cups had Verges that they might "reft on the Table." So Ainsworth upon this place tranflates Maimonides.

The Private Mincha's were of Nine feveral Sorts; but all agreed in this, that after a Pugil was burnt upon the Altar, the reft was eaten by the Priests, except a particular cafe or two where the whole was burnt upon the Altar; vid. Lev. vi. 23. So that in the cafe of the Meat Offering, where Frankincenfe was required, the Frankincenfe was to be burnt, the better to confume the Offering; and nothing was done that might interfere with the great End of all Sacrifices, which was to make Friends with God by Eating bis Bread. Numb. xxviii, 2.

The Heathen World had their feveral Sorts of Cakes, or Bread, which they made use of in their various Sacrifices to their Gods: Some had one Sort, Some Another ; and scarce was any Sacrifice made, in which there was not an Oblation of Corn in fome Shape or other added to the Flefb given to the God. When any one went to confult the Oracle of Trophonius, he carried with him into the

Den,