Antiquities Book 3, Chapter 10
Concerning The Festivals; And How Each Day Of Such Festival Is To Be Observed.
1. The law requires, that out of the public expenses a lamb of the first
year be killed every day, at the beginning and at the ending of the day;
but on the seventh day, which is called the Sabbath, they kill two, and
sacrifice them in the same manner. At the new moon, they both perform
the daily sacrifices, and slay two bulls, with seven lambs of the first
year, and a kid of the goats also, for the expiation of sins; that is,
if they have sinned through ignorance.
2. But on the seventh month, which the Macedonians call Hyperberetaeus,
they make an addition to those already mentioned, and sacrifice a bull,
a ram, and seven lambs, and a kid of the goats, for sins.
3. On the tenth day of the same lunar month, they fast till the evening;
and this day they sacrifice a bull, and two rams, and seven lambs, and a
kid of the goats, for sins. And, besides these, they bring two kids of
the goats; the one of which is sent alive out of the limits of the camp
into the wilderness for the scapegoat, and to be an expiation for the
sins of the whole multitude; but the other is brought into a place of
great cleanness, within the limits of the camp, and is there burnt, with
its skin, without any sort of cleansing. With this goat was burnt a
bull, not brought by the people, but by the high priest, at his own
charges; which, when it was slain, he brought of the blood into the holy
place, together with the blood of the kid of the goats, and sprinkled
the ceiling with his finger seven times, as also its pavement, and again
as often toward the most holy place, and about the golden altar: he also
at last brings it into the open court, and sprinkles it about the great
altar. Besides this, they set the extremities, and the kidneys, and the
fat, with the lobe of the liver, upon the altar. The high priest
likewise presents a ram to God as a burnt-offering.
4. Upon the fifteenth day of the same month, when the season of the year
is changing for winter, the law enjoins us to pitch tabernacles in every
one of our houses, so that we preserve ourselves from the cold of that
time of the year; as also that when we should arrive at our own country,
and come to that city which we should have then for our metropolis,
because of the temple therein to be built, and keep a festival for eight
days, and offer burnt-offerings, and sacrifice thank-offerings, that we
should then carry in our hands a branch of myrtle, and willow, and a
bough of the palm-tree, with the addition of the pome citron: That the
burnt-offering on the first of those days was to be a sacrifice of
thirteen bulls, and fourteen lambs, and fifteen rams, with the addition
of a kid of the goats, as an expiation for sins; and on the following
days the same number of lambs, and of rams, with the kids of the goats;
but abating one of the bulls every day till they amounted to seven only.
On the eighth day all work was laid aside, and then, as we said before,
they sacrificed to God a bullock, a ram, and seven lambs, with a kid of
the goats, for an expiation of sins. And this is the accustomed
solemnity of the Hebrews, when they pitch their tabernacles.24
5. In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the
beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when
the sun is in Aries, [for in this month it was that we were delivered
from bondage under the Egyptians,] the law ordained that we should every
year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came
out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover; and so we do celebrate
this passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till
the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the
passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues
seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on every one of which
days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs. Now these lambs
are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats which is added to all
the rest, for sins; for it is intended as a feast for the priest on
every one of those days. But on the second day of unleavened bread,
which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first partake of the
fruits of the earth, for before that day they do not touch them. And
while they suppose it proper to honor God, from whom they obtain this
plentiful provision, in the first place, they offer the first-fruits of
their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of
the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from
the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God; and,
casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use
of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately
reap their harvest. They also at this participation of the first-fruits
of the earth, sacrifice a lamb, as a burnt-offering to God.
6. When a week of weeks has passed over after this sacrifice, [which
weeks contain forty and nine days,] on the fiftieth day, which is
Pentecost, but is called by the Hebrews Asartha, which signifies
Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf, made of wheat flour, of two tenth
deals, with leaven; and for sacrifices they bring two lambs; and when
they have only presented them to God, they are made ready for supper for
the priests; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the day
following. They also slay three bullocks for a burnt-offering, and two
rams; and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats, for sins; nor is
there anyone of the festivals but in it they offer burnt-offerings; they
also allow themselves to rest on every one of them. Accordingly, the law
prescribes in them all what kinds they are to sacrifice, and how they
are to rest entirely, and must slay sacrifices, in order to feast upon
them.
7. However, out of the common charges, baked bread [was set on the table
of shew-bread], without leaven, of twenty-four tenth deals of flour, for
so much is spent upon this bread; two heaps of these were baked, they
were baked the day before the sabbath, but were brought into the holy
place on the morning of the sabbath, and set upon the holy table, six on
a heap, one loaf still standing over against another; where two golden
cups full of frankincense were also set upon them, and there they
remained till another sabbath, and then other loaves were brought in
their stead, while the loaves were given to the priests for their food,
and the frankincense was burnt in that sacred fire wherein all their
offerings were burnt also; and so other frankincense was set upon the
loaves instead of what was there before. The high priest also, of his
own charges, offered a sacrifice, and that twice every day. It was made
of flour mingled with oil, and gently baked by the fire; the quantity
was one tenth deal of flour; he brought the half of it to the fire in
the morning, and the other half at night. The account of these
sacrifices I shall give more accurately hereafter; but I think I have
premised what for the present may be sufficient concerning them.
year be killed every day, at the beginning and at the ending of the day;
but on the seventh day, which is called the Sabbath, they kill two, and
sacrifice them in the same manner. At the new moon, they both perform
the daily sacrifices, and slay two bulls, with seven lambs of the first
year, and a kid of the goats also, for the expiation of sins; that is,
if they have sinned through ignorance.
2. But on the seventh month, which the Macedonians call Hyperberetaeus,
they make an addition to those already mentioned, and sacrifice a bull,
a ram, and seven lambs, and a kid of the goats, for sins.
3. On the tenth day of the same lunar month, they fast till the evening;
and this day they sacrifice a bull, and two rams, and seven lambs, and a
kid of the goats, for sins. And, besides these, they bring two kids of
the goats; the one of which is sent alive out of the limits of the camp
into the wilderness for the scapegoat, and to be an expiation for the
sins of the whole multitude; but the other is brought into a place of
great cleanness, within the limits of the camp, and is there burnt, with
its skin, without any sort of cleansing. With this goat was burnt a
bull, not brought by the people, but by the high priest, at his own
charges; which, when it was slain, he brought of the blood into the holy
place, together with the blood of the kid of the goats, and sprinkled
the ceiling with his finger seven times, as also its pavement, and again
as often toward the most holy place, and about the golden altar: he also
at last brings it into the open court, and sprinkles it about the great
altar. Besides this, they set the extremities, and the kidneys, and the
fat, with the lobe of the liver, upon the altar. The high priest
likewise presents a ram to God as a burnt-offering.
4. Upon the fifteenth day of the same month, when the season of the year
is changing for winter, the law enjoins us to pitch tabernacles in every
one of our houses, so that we preserve ourselves from the cold of that
time of the year; as also that when we should arrive at our own country,
and come to that city which we should have then for our metropolis,
because of the temple therein to be built, and keep a festival for eight
days, and offer burnt-offerings, and sacrifice thank-offerings, that we
should then carry in our hands a branch of myrtle, and willow, and a
bough of the palm-tree, with the addition of the pome citron: That the
burnt-offering on the first of those days was to be a sacrifice of
thirteen bulls, and fourteen lambs, and fifteen rams, with the addition
of a kid of the goats, as an expiation for sins; and on the following
days the same number of lambs, and of rams, with the kids of the goats;
but abating one of the bulls every day till they amounted to seven only.
On the eighth day all work was laid aside, and then, as we said before,
they sacrificed to God a bullock, a ram, and seven lambs, with a kid of
the goats, for an expiation of sins. And this is the accustomed
solemnity of the Hebrews, when they pitch their tabernacles.24
5. In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the
beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when
the sun is in Aries, [for in this month it was that we were delivered
from bondage under the Egyptians,] the law ordained that we should every
year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came
out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover; and so we do celebrate
this passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till
the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the
passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and continues
seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on every one of which
days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs. Now these lambs
are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats which is added to all
the rest, for sins; for it is intended as a feast for the priest on
every one of those days. But on the second day of unleavened bread,
which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first partake of the
fruits of the earth, for before that day they do not touch them. And
while they suppose it proper to honor God, from whom they obtain this
plentiful provision, in the first place, they offer the first-fruits of
their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of
the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from
the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God; and,
casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use
of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately
reap their harvest. They also at this participation of the first-fruits
of the earth, sacrifice a lamb, as a burnt-offering to God.
6. When a week of weeks has passed over after this sacrifice, [which
weeks contain forty and nine days,] on the fiftieth day, which is
Pentecost, but is called by the Hebrews Asartha, which signifies
Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf, made of wheat flour, of two tenth
deals, with leaven; and for sacrifices they bring two lambs; and when
they have only presented them to God, they are made ready for supper for
the priests; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the day
following. They also slay three bullocks for a burnt-offering, and two
rams; and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats, for sins; nor is
there anyone of the festivals but in it they offer burnt-offerings; they
also allow themselves to rest on every one of them. Accordingly, the law
prescribes in them all what kinds they are to sacrifice, and how they
are to rest entirely, and must slay sacrifices, in order to feast upon
them.
7. However, out of the common charges, baked bread [was set on the table
of shew-bread], without leaven, of twenty-four tenth deals of flour, for
so much is spent upon this bread; two heaps of these were baked, they
were baked the day before the sabbath, but were brought into the holy
place on the morning of the sabbath, and set upon the holy table, six on
a heap, one loaf still standing over against another; where two golden
cups full of frankincense were also set upon them, and there they
remained till another sabbath, and then other loaves were brought in
their stead, while the loaves were given to the priests for their food,
and the frankincense was burnt in that sacred fire wherein all their
offerings were burnt also; and so other frankincense was set upon the
loaves instead of what was there before. The high priest also, of his
own charges, offered a sacrifice, and that twice every day. It was made
of flour mingled with oil, and gently baked by the fire; the quantity
was one tenth deal of flour; he brought the half of it to the fire in
the morning, and the other half at night. The account of these
sacrifices I shall give more accurately hereafter; but I think I have
premised what for the present may be sufficient concerning them.