2. Orifjin of the liedempiion ff the First-born. — This devotion of the first-born was believed to indicate a priesthood belonging to the eldest sons of families, which being set aside in the case of Reuben, was trans- ferred to the tribe of Levi. This priesthood is said to have lasted till the completion of the tabernacle (Jahn, Bibl. Arch, x, § 165, 387 ; Selden, De Syn. c. 16 ; Mish- na, Zebachim, xiv, 4, vol. v, 58 ; comp. Ezek. xxiv, 5). After the Ijuilding of the tabernacle and the introduc- tion of the extensive sacrificial service, which required a special priestly order, as well as a separate staff of servants, who could exclusively devote themselves to the ministry of the sanctuar}', the oflices of the first- born were superseded by those of the Levites (Numb. iii, 11-13), and it was ordained that the first-born of the other tribes, as well as the first-born of the ani- mals which could not be sacrificed, should henceforth be redeemed (ib. xviii, 15).
3. Redemption of the First-born of 3 fan. — The re. deniption of a child is to take place when it is a month old, when the father is to give to the priest five silver shekels of the sanctuary, i. e. about three dollars as the maximum. If it died before the expiration of 30 days, the Jewish doctors held the father excused, but liable to the payment if it outlived tiiat time (Exod. xiii, 12-15 ; xxii, 29 ; Numb, viii, 17 ; Lev. xxvii, G ; Lightfoot, Ilor. Ilebr. on Luke ii, 22 ; Philo, De Pr. Sacerd. i, ii, 233 ; Mangey). If the child was sickh^, or appeared otherwise to be inferior to children gener- allj^, the priest could estimate it at less than this sum (Numb, iii, 46, etc. ; xviii, 16). The priest had to come to the house of the infant, as the mother could not ap- pear with it in the Temple because her daj's of purifi- cation, according to the law (Lev. xii, 2, 4), were not as j'et accomplished. No bargaining was allowed, but if the priest saw that the parents were poor, he could, if he chose, return the money when the ceremony was over. When the mother's days of purification were accomplished, and she could appear in the Temj)le, she then brought the child to the priest to be presented publicly to the Lord (Luke ii, 22). The Jews still ob- serve this law of redemption. When the first-born male is thirty days old, the parents invite to their house their friends and a priest ("t^S) to a meal for the following daj'. The priest, having invoked God's blessing upon the repast, and offered some introduc- tory prayers, etc., looks at the child and the price of redemption presented before him, and asks the fiither which he would rather have, the mone}' or the first- born child. L'pon the father's reply that he would rather pay the price of redemption, the priest takes the money, swings it round the head of the infant in token of his vicarious authority, saying, " Tiiis is for the first- born, this is in lieu of it, this redeems it ; and let tliis son be spared for life, for the law of God, and for the fear of Heaven. INIay it please Thee, that, as he was spared for redemption, so he may be spared for the Law, for matrimony', and for good works. Amen." The priest lays his hand upon the child's head and blesses it, as follows : " The Lord make thee as Ephra- im and jManasseh!" etc. It is to this tliat the ajwstle Peter refers when he saj-s, "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold," etc. (1 Pe- ter i, 18). When the first-born son is thirteen j'ears of age, he fasts the day before the feast of Passover, in commemoration of the sparing of the first-born of the Hebrews in Egj-pt. See Fast.
4. Redemption of the First-born of clean Animals. — The male first-born of animals (cn'l 1103 ; Sept. Sia- volyov /.lij-pav ; Vulg. quod aperit vulvani) was also de- voted to God (Exod. xiii, 2, 12, 13 ; xxii, 29 ; xxxiv, 19, 20 ; Philo, I. c, and quis rerum die. hares. 24, i, 489, Mang.). The first-born of everj^ clean animal (i. e., ox, sheep, goat, etc.), from eight days to twelve months old, had to be taken to Jerusalem every year (Deut. xii, 6, etc.), and delivered to the priest, who offered it as a sacrifice to Jehovah, sprinkled its blood upon the altar, burned the fiit, and ate the flesh (Exod. xiii, 13 ; xxii, 30; xxxiv, 20; Numb, xviii, 15-17 ; Neh. x, 36). In the mean time the animal was not to be used for an}' work, for it belonged to the Lord (Deut. xv, 19) ; but if it had any blemish it was not to be sacrificed, but eaten up at home (ib. xv, 21, 22). Various refine- ments on the subject of blemishes are to be found in Jlishna, Bekoroth. (Sec Mai. i, 8. By "firstlings," Deut. xiv, 23, compared with Numb, xviii, 17, are meant tithe animals : see Reland, Antiq. iii, 10, p. 327 ; Jahn, Bibl. Arch. § 387). If, however, the man whose cattle had first-born lived at too great a distance from Jerusalem to carry them thither, he was commanded to sell them, and take the money to the sanctuary (Deut. xiv, 24, 25).