Probably, then, we have three stages in the historical development of Naziritism, but we may take it that the mark of the ^a,zir\ie par excellence all through was the unshorn locks, as the use of ndzir in Lv 2.5^-" seems to prove. The root idea of Naziritism is 'separated unto God,' and in the three prohibitions we have a triple expression of that separation. The first and second came to be merely conventional signs of Naziritism, but it is not difficult to conjecture what significance they had originally. During the period of his vow the Nazirite left his hair unshorn ; at the close he burned it at the sanctuary as an offering. The custom of sacrificing the hair w^as widespread among many nations, the view doubtless being that part of the body may be sacrificed as repre- senting the whole. The hair was unshorn during the vow because, being designed for sacrifice to God, it must be kept inviolate till the set time. Among the ancient Arabians there were several groups bearing a strong resemblance to the Hebrew Nazirites, and it was for purposes of war or blood- feud that they consecrated themselves. Quite probably the earliest type of Naziritism was of similar import. To be a hero against his people's enemies is the end of Samson's consecration.
In the ascetic abstinence from wine and the abhorrence of everything connected with the vine, we find probably the remnant of a protest on the
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part of those who re^'iiiiletl themselves as true Jews against Mie aiU)ption hy Israel of Canaanitish culture, lu this the Keehabites were closely allieil to the Nazirites. Tliou;;h this protest had been lonj; forf;otten, the ascetic principle wo\ilil jiersist in its own strenjjth. The Nazirite, beint; specially consecrated to (iod, liad a certain atliiiity with the priests, who were also specially consecrated. Hence it was natural that regulations against delilenient, similar to those which applied to priests, should be imposed on Nazirites likewise. (For full discussion of all those points the reader is referred to UDB iii., art. ' Nazirite.')
4. Naziritism in the 1st cent. A.d. — By this time the law of the Nazirite had been minutely developed and expanded into a whole treatise in the Mishna. From the number and variety of the regulations we may infer that the taking of the vow was a very connnon occurrence. Men and women, both high and low in rank, became Nazirites. Berenice (Ac '25'^) took a vow (Josephus, BJ II. xv. 1). Queen Helena of Adiabene was a Nazirite for many years (I^uzlr, iii. 6), as was also Miriam of Palmyra. Women and slaves could take the vow, but only with the consent of their husbands or owners (i6. iv. 1-5). F'athers might dedicate minors, mothers were forbidden to do so (ib. iv. 29). If one saw a woman convicted of sin by the process of Nu 5""*', he was admonished to become a Nazirite, on the ground that the law of the Nazirite follows immediately in Nu 6.
The vow was taken for a variety of reasons, such as deliverance from or prevention of sickness (Josephus, BJ II. XV. 1), the fullilnient of a wish (Kaztr, i. 7), or as a penance (Neddrim, 96). We may suppose that the same variety of reason as might induce a Catholic to undertake a pilgrimage — penance, discipline, thanksgiving, or the acquisi- tion of merit — would lead the Jew to take a Nazirite vow.
The vow might be for a lifetime or any shorter period that the devotee might choose. In practice the shortest period was 30 days, and this was also the period in an indefinite vow (Ncizir, i. 3). The vow might be taken outside Palestine, but, so long as the Temple stood, had to be ended in Palestine. The followers of Hillel maintained that though a vow might be observed outside the Holy Land, the whole period must be observed over again in Palestine. The school of Shammai held that it was necessary to observe only 30 days in Palestine.
A man became a Nazirite simply by declaring his intention or wish to become one {ib. i. 1), but there were many formula; connected with the taking of the vow, some of which are not intelli- gible. It was not a valid vow to say ' Let my hand be ndztr,' it was valid to say ' Let my liver be nazir' ; but what was the meaning of saying either we cannot tell. The three restrictions of Nu 6 remained in force. If one said, however, ' Let me be a Nazirite on the day that Messiah appears,' one might drink wine on Sabbaths and feast days, since it was held Messiah would not appear on any of them {'Erubin, 43a). A life-long Nazirite might cut his hair once a year, unless he were a Sanison- Nazirite (Ndzir, i. 4a). This permission followed from the recognition of Absalom as a Nazirite (2 S 14-'*). The Nazirite was denied the use of a comb, but might dress his hair by other means (Ndztr, i. 6). On the expiry of his vow the Nazirite had to ofler sacrifices (iNu B""-) at the Temple while it stood, and ' take the hair of the head of his separa- tion, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.' The necessary expenses were hea\'y, and it was considered a meritorious thing for the wealthy to defray the expenses of poor Nazirites. The technical term for this charity was ' having so many Nazirites shorn ' (Ndzir, ii. VOL. II. — 6