panied with great sacrifices and rejoicings among all classes of the people. Nehem. xii. 27–43.

Q. Did Nehemiah constitute himself governor ?

A. No he committed the charge of the city to his brother Hanani, and to Hananiah, ruler of the palace, with a strict charge to keep the gates safely, and never to suffer them to be opened before sunrise.* Nehem. vii. 1-3.

Q. What was the next procedure of Nehemiah?

A. He instituted a scrutiny into the genealogies of all the people; and finding many that claimed the privileges of the house of Aaron unable to produce their registers, he put them from the priesthood.† Nehem. vii. 5-64.

Q. What was the next thing that obtained his regard?

A. Finding the Jews grossly ignorant of the law, he and Ezra applied themselves to instruct them. For this purpose they seized the opportunity when the people were assembled to observe the feasts of the seventh month; when Ezra, from a raised platform, read

* Dean PRIDEAUX and others infer from this delegation of authority, that Nehemiah now returned to Persia, agreeably to the limitation noticed ii. 6. The examination of the genealogies no doubt took place before his departure.

+ The discrepance evident on comparing Ezra ii. 1–65. Nehem. vii. 5-67. arises, according to Dean PRIDEAUX, from the corrections made by Nehemiah, who added the names of some who arrived in Judea at a later period, and expunged the names of others.

the book of the law, which was explained to them by the Levites.* Nehem. viii. 1-8.

Q. Was any benefit produced by this measure?

A. Yes the people seeing how seriously they had tansgressed, "wept when they heard the words of the law;" and for the first time, since the days of Joshua, observed the feast of tabernacles according to the prescribed manner.† Nehem. viii. 9--17.

Q. By what was this festival followed?

A. By a solemn fast, day of the same month.

observed on the twenty-fourth

On this occasion the Israelites

* Ezra read the law from the Hebrew text, whilst the Levites "rendered it period by period into Chaldee,-then the vulgar language of the people."-PRIDEAUX's Connection, &c. + See also Levit. xxiii. Numb. xxix.

Ezra, of whom the Scriptures make no further mention, is considered as the restorer of the Jewish law, and on this account is held by the Jews in as much estimation as the lawgiver himself. To him is attributed the collection and revision of those books of the Old Testament which were extant in his days; in the execution of which he is said to have corrected the errors which had originated in the mistakes of transcribers, arranged the books in their proper order, inserted several elucidatory passages, (Gen. xxxvi. 31. Exod. xvi. 35. Deut. ii. 12. Prov. xxv. 1.) changed obsolete names for others of a modern date, (Gen. xiv. 14. Judges xviii. 27, 29.) and finally, caused the whole to be written out in the Chaldee character, which during the Babylonish captivity, had come into general use.

The Samaritans, whose Scriptures consist of the five books of Moses only, have retained the ancient Hebrew character, (said to bear a close affinity to the old Phoenician) and make

separated themselves from all strangers; confessed their sins; bewailed the dreadful calamities that had overwhelmed their country; and concluded by a solemn

their boast of it, because the law was therein written; whilst they curse the memory of Ezra as an impostor, for its rejection.

From the Jewish traditions, said to have been examined and approved by Ezra, arose the oral or traditionary law; delivered, as the Jews insist, at the same time as the written law, which they pronounce imperfect, obscure, and of no force without it. Upon the oral law they say the covenant was made: thus denying Moses himself, and resolving their religion into mere tradition. This abuse was so flagrant in the days of the Redeemer, as to have superseded the law entirely. Mark vii. 13. They say that the words of the law are weighty and light; but the words of the scribes, all weighty that the written text is as water; but the mishna and talmud are as wine and hippocras: by these and such like comparisons manifesting that the word of God is become of no effect through their traditions.

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These traditions, they affirm, were given by God to Moses, with an express injunction to transmit them from generation to generation by tradition only. From Moses they passed through the hands of a variety of individuals, in succession, until they reached Rabbi Judah the holy, who wrote them in the mishna.

This work, however, originated in necessity for certain doctors who discoursed on the traditions, being constantly in the habit of annexing their numerous inferences and deductions to the traditions on which they were founded, the mass of matter became so bulky, about the middle of the second century, that they could no longer be preserved by mere memory. The dissolution also of the Jewish schools by the

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covenant in writing, to serve the Lord, and to obey the laws he had given them by his servant Moses. Nehem. ix. 1.-x. 39.

final overthrow of their state by Adrian, had rendered the usual means of preserving these traditions impracticable. The whole was therefore collected by Rabbi Judah, son of Simeon, president of the Sanhedrim, and master of the school at Tiberias in Galilee. This compilation, and the comments made upon it by the doctors, constitute the gemara or complement. The mishna and gemara constitute the talmud. Of these there are two;-the Jerusalem, and the Babylonian: but the former is so very obscure that it is almost entirely neglected. See PRIDEAUX's Connection, &c.

But the Karaïte Jews reject the talmuds. This sect, now found almost solely in the Crimea, is said to have separated from the mainstem as early as the return from Babylon. They derive their name from Kara, a Babylonish word for Scripture; because its members measure their rule of faith by the pure letter of the law, rejecting entirely all talmuds, traditions, rabbinical writings, and marginal interpolations of scripture. On this account the Rabbinists hold them in detestation.

They deem it an act of piety to copy the bible, or copious commentaries upon its text, once in their lives. All their MS. copies of the Old Testament begin with the book of Joshua ; even the most ancient do not contain the Pentateuch, which is kept apart in a printed version for the use of their schools.

The members of this scct are irreproachable in their conduct. In the Crimea their honesty is proverbial, and their word is considered equal to a bond. They observe their fasts most scrupulously, abstaining even from snuff and smoking for twenty-four hours together. They give great attention to the instruction of their children, who are publicly taught in their synagogues.-See Dr. E. D. CLARKE's Travels.

Q. What things were particularized in this covenant? A. The non-intercourse with strangers by marriage; the sanctification of the sabbath; the observance of the sabbatical year; a small annual tax to defray the expenses of the temple service; and the payment of tithes to the priests and Levites. Nehem. x. 28-39.

Q. How did Nehemiah re-people Jerusalem ?

A. He caused the people to cast lots, to bring one in ten to dwell there. Nehem. xi. 1-, 2.

Q. How long did Nehemiah govern Jerusalem ?

A. About twelve years; after which he returned to the Persian court. Nehem. xiii. 6.

Q. Did the Jews observe the covenant?

A. No in the absence of Nehemiah, Eliashib the high priest prepared a room in the temple for Tobiah the Ammonite, his relative; the Levites were deprived of the maintenance allowed by law, and therefore forsook the temple service to look after their fields; the sabbath was profaned by all kinds of labour and traffic; and great numbers of the Jews intermarried with the Gentiles. For these transgressions they were reproved by Malachi,† the last of the prophets. Nehem. xiii.

+ The suitability of the reproofs of the prophet Malachi to the general state of the Jewish nation during Nehemiah's absence, has given rise to the opinion that the governor and the prophet were contemporary. When Malachi actually flourished it is impossible to ascertain, seeing the sacred record is silent on the subject. Archb. P.NEWCOME places him about B. c. 436, and Dr. KENNICOTT about B. c. 420.