Josephus furnishes us with three instances of divorce by wives, which proceeded from less honourable motives than those above-mentioned. The first is that of Salomè, the sister of Herod, who, having quarrelled with Costobarus her husband, sent him a bill of divorce.* The second is that of Herodias, who, after she had a daughter by her husband, Herod Philip, divorced her. self from him, that she might marry his half brother, Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. And the third is that is Drusilla, the sister of Agrippa, who gave a bill of divorce to her husband Azizus, king of Emesa, that she might marry Felix, the procurator of Judea. In these, ambition was the ruling principle; and before it the love of husband and children, a sense of character, and regard for religion, were weak and unavailing.

The only other circumstance connected with the Jewish forms of marriage, is that which regards the brother's widow, and is known by the name of Jus Leviratus, the law concerning which is given in Deut. xxv. 5-10, and enjoins the brother of the deceased to take his widow, and rear up seed unto his brother, to perpetuate his name and heir his effects; an instance of which we have in Matt. xxii. 25. It is evident, however, from the case of Ruth iii. 12, 13. iv. 5, 10, that the law extended farther than the husbands brother, namely, to such kinsman as had the right of redemption. And it is also plain, from Gen. xxxviii. 8, that the custom of marrying the deceased brother's wife was far more ancient than the Mosaic law. It was under that law, however, that it became doubly binding, for it connected the love of preserving a brother's name with the preservation of property in the several families and several tribes. The name given to it by the Jews was Ibum, or "the husband's

Antiq. xv. 7.

Antiq. xviii. 5.

• Antiq. xx. 7.

brother;" and it required no betrothing, for he acquired his sister-in-law by a divine right; neither were there any ceremonies as at ordinary marriages, only all the effects of the deceased were delivered up to him, and all his claims, for the behoof of the child who should be accounted his heir; yet she was allowed to marry none till three months after her husband's death, that it might appear to all that there was no child.-Such was the practice in ancient times, but it is not now insisted on; that is to say, they go through the form, but they do not oblige the surviving brother to marry the widow. The practice of the Jews, in Buxtorff's time, was as follows; On the preceding evening, after evening prayers at the synagogue, one of the Rabbins was chosen to preside, and two others to assist him as judges. Next morning, after prayers, these with the levir, the widow, and two witnesses, met at a certain place, and the presiding Rabbi asked whether the husband had been dead three months? Whether she was the wife of the levir's brother? Whether the deceased and he were of the same father? And whether the widow had reached her twelfth year? On all which being satisfied, he proceeded to ask whether the levir was willing to marry her, or wished to be separated? Whether he acted willingly or by constraint? And being also satisfied as to these, especially as to the brother's refusal to comply with the law-he commanded the widow to keep the spittle in her mouth till farther orders. A shoe was then brought; it was put upon the right foot of the levir; the woman stepped forward and repeated the following words: "My levir refuses to raise up the name of his brother in Israel. He does not choose to wed me according to the law of the levir;" and the levir assented to her accusation, which being done, she loosed with her own right hand the thong of the shoe; pulled it from his foot, and cast it to

the ground, at the same time (not spitting in his face,) but spitting on the ground before his face, she distinctly repeated three times the following words: "So shall it be done to the man who does not wish to build up the house of his brother, and his name shall be called in Israel-the house of him that hath his shoe loosed;" after which the judges and spectators all repeated, "The shoe is loosed." The judge then asked the shoe to be kept as an evidence of the transaction; the widow received a writing from the judge to the same effect, a copy of which is given by Maimonides, and the parties were dismissed. It is somewhat remarkable that the Athenians appear to have adopted the spirit of this law of the levir; for "no heiress could marry out of her kindred, but resigned up herself and her fortune to her nearest relation, who was obliged to marry her ;" and among the modern eastern nations we still meet with the law or custom of marrying the brother's widow. Thus Olearius informs us, concerning the Circassians, that, "when a man dies without issue, his brother is obliged to marry the widow, to raise up seed to him." The Hon. Mr. Elphinstone says, that among the Afghauns, as among the Jews, it is thought incumbent on the brother of the deceased to marry his widow; and it is a mortal affront to the brother for any other person to marry her without his consent. The widow, however, is not compelled to take a husband against her will." M. Volney, in his Travels into Syria, tom. ii. p. 74, observes, that "the Druzes retain, to a certain degree, the custom of the Hebrews, which directed a man to marry his brother's widow; but this is not peculiar to

a Buxtorff, Synag. Judaic. cap. 41, 42. Basnage, Relig. of the Jews, book v. chap. 19.

Terent. Phormio, Act 1, Scen. 2; and Potter's Grecian Antiq. vol. i. p. 159. < Travels into Persia, p. 417. d History of Cabul, book ii. chap. 3.

them, for they have this, as well as many other customs of that ancient people, in common with the inhabitants of Syria, and with the Arabians in general." But Neibuhr says, "It does, indeed, happen among the Mahometans that a man marries his brother's widow, but she has no right to compel him so to do." So far, then, respecting the levirate.

One cannot survey the Jewish espousals, marriages, and divorce, without reflecting on the frequent political and spiritual allusions that are made to them in Scripture. Thus Israel is said to have been married to the Lord, Is. lxii. 4, 5. liv. 5. Committing idolatry, by following after the gods of the heathen, was considered as adultery, and a breach of the covenant between God and Israel, Jer. iii. 6-9. God's reproofs to them for their infidelity were sharpened by the recollection of their marriage relation with him, Jer. ii. 2, 3. iii. 14. The state of believers, in this world, is compared, by the apostle Paul, to the time that elapsed between the betrothing and the marriage in 2 Cor. xi. 2. And heaven is spoken of as the place where the marriage is to be celebrated, and where the saints shall be happy with Christ for ever, Rev. xix. 7. xxi. 2-4. Such are the allusions to the forms of marriage among the Jews; and, perhaps, even the law of the levirate, although not so applied by the inspired writers, may serve to excite in the breast of the pious a hymn of gratitude to that elder brother who, on the moral death of our progenitor, espoused the church, and obtained for himself a glorious

SECT. III.

·Children of the Jews.

Reasons why so much desired: ceremonies at the birth: circumcision; the persons present; their different offices; prayers on the occasion. Circumcision of sick children deferred for a time. Children dying before the eighth day, how disposed of; a feast commonly after circumcision. The case of bastards and daughters; origin and uses of circumcision. Probable reasons for fixing on the eighth day. Why it was omitted in the wilderness. Treatment of children while minors as to food, clothing, &c.; children much attached to their mother; and why; singular manner of carrying them. The nature of their education. The degree they acquired at the age of thirteen; could choose their tutors at fourteen; the solemn ceremony then used; different ages at which they could marry, and attend the passover. The birthright of the eldest; in what it consisted. Parkhurst's reflection on it.

CHILDREN were much coveted by the Jews, both from that desire of offspring which is natural to man, and the peculiar circumstances of the Jewish nation; for the inheritances in the tribes depended on it, and the family of David in particular was promised the honour of being the progenitor of the Messiah. Hence the anxiety of the Jewish matrons for a numerous offspring. It multiplied their chances for being the mother of our Lord.

1. Treatment at the birth. We are strangers to most of the domestic regulations of the ancient Jews; but Buxtorff informs us, that after the days of our Saviour, it was the custom for the father of the family, or some person eminent for piety, at the hour of delivery, to write above the door, around the inside of the walls of the apartment, and on the bed, words to the following import: "Adam, Eve, but begone Lilith ;" the meaning of which is explained by them to be, "If a son, may he live till he marry a wife like Eve, or, if a daughter, may she live till she marry a husband like

• De Synag. Jud, cap. 4.