APPEARANCE OF THE TEMPLE.

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chambers along the walls, wherein the utensils for the Temple service were kept. The eastern portion of this court was somewhat elevated, and was reserved for the priests.

The Temple was elevated by twelve steps above the court of the priests. It was built of massive blocks of white marble, and richly gilded: it was to these that the disciples drew their Lord's attention: "Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are here!" (Mark xiii. 1); and again "Some spake of the Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts (Luke xxi. 5). The exterior of the Temple is thus described by Josephus (Wars of the Jews, v. 5, § 6): "Now the outward face of the Temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprise either men's minds or their eyes; for it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight; and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected a very fiery splendour, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun's own rays. But this Temple appeared to strangers, when they were coming to it, at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow; for, as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceedingly white. On its top it had spikes with sharp points; . . . of its stones, some of them were fortyfive cubits in length, five in height, and six in breadth.”

The interior of the Temple was divided as before into two portions, by a party-wall and a curtain: at the time of our blessed Lord's death this curtain or "veil was rent in twain from the top to the bottom" (Matt. xxvii. 51), signifying, as St. Paul points out, that the Gentile was henceforth to share in the privileges of God's favour: for "He (Christ) is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Eph. ii. 14).

The fate of this splendid building was predicted by our Lord Himself:-" And as some spake of the

Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones, and gifts, He said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down" (Luke xxi. 5, 6). This prediction was within a few years literally fulfilled: the Temple shared the ruin of the city Jerusalem, and was utterly destroyed by Titus the holy vessels were carried off, and assisted to grace the triumphal procession of the conqueror at Rome.

In addition to the Temple there sprang up at a period subsequent to the Babylonish captivity local places of worship, named synagogues. At the time of our Lord's ministry they existed not only in the towns of Palestine, but also in foreign towns where Jews were settled: there were, for instance, several of them in Damascus, for St. Paul asks for letters "to the synagogues" in that town (Acts ix. 2). They were erected either by congregations or by pious individuals, as in the case of the Roman centurion of whom the Jews said: "He loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue" (Luke vii. 5). We have no particulars as to the character of these buildings; the furniture consisted of seats, some of them higher than the others for the persons in authority (Matt. xxiii. 6); a pulpit or stage for the teacher; and a box to keep the sacred books in. The organization of the synagogues will be described in the next chapter.

INSTITUTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD.-PROVISION FOR ITS MAINTENANCE. OBJECT OF THE INSTITUTION. THE LEVITES.-THEIR DUTIES. MODE OF CONSECRATION. THE DUTIES OF THE PRIESTS. THEIR DRESS.-CONSECRATION SERVICE. THE HIGH PRIEST. HIS DUTIES.-HIS DRESS. CONSECRATION. SYMBOLIC MEANING OF THE SACERDOTAL DRESS AND CONSECRATION

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LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD.

RITUAL. HISTORY OF THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD.-COURSES OF PRIESTS.-DIVISIONS OF THE LEVITES.-NETHINIM.-OFFICE RS OF THE SYNAGOGUE.

THE institution of the Levitical priesthood dates from the period of the Exodus. Immediately after the directions in reference to the tabernacle were finished, Moses was bidden :- "Take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office" (Exod. xxviii. 1). Shortly afterwards the whole tribe of Levi was set apart for the service of the tabernacle, as recorded in the following passage from Numbers viii. 13-18:-" And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the Lord. Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine. And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an offering. For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the first-born of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. For all the first-born of the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. And I have taken the Levites for all the first-born of the children of Israel."

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The tribe of Levi, being thus solemnly dedicated to God's service, had special provision made for their maintenance in lieu of any portion of the promised land: The Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel; and, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve (Numb. xviii. 20, 21). In addition to the tithe

OBJECT OF THE INSTITUTION.

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of the fruits of the field and of cattle, forty-eight cities, together with the "suburbs " of the cities, or the surrounding ground for a distance of 1000 cubits outside the walls (Numb. xxxv. 1-8), were set apart for their use throughout the various tribes.

The tribe of Levi being, as it were, a composition for the firstborn, represented the whole people of Israel, and was thus a perpetual memorial to them that they were "a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exod. xix. 6). At the same time, the selection of a certain portion of the nation for the special offices of religion was designed to teach that the holiness of Jehovah was unapproachable to all except those whom He specially appointed to approach Him: this view of the priesthood Moses sets forth in his address to Korah and his company :-" Even to-morrow the Lord will show who are His, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto Him: even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him" (Numb. xvi. 5). Still further to impress this truth on the minds of the people, there were various degrees of approach ordered for the tribe of Levi itself, corresponding to the different compartments of the tabernacle, the general body of the Levites, being restricted to the court, the priests, who were all sons of Aaron, to the Holy place, while the high-priest alone was permitted to enter the Most Holy place. The duties, and distinctive marks of these divisions we shall now proceed to describe in order.

The Levites were divided into three families, named after Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Their office is thus defined :- Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him, and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and his sons" (Numb. iii. 6—9).