NAZARITE
880
XAZARITE
xxxi, 3, 10, 1-i; see Saalscliiitz, Das Mosaische Recht, p. 158).
2. Oriffin of the Custom. — The germs of the custom now under consideration reach farther back tlian the sojourn in the wilderness. The manner in whicli the topic is introduced in the liook of Numbers (ch. vi) in- dicates that tlic iiazir was not unfamiliar to tlie minds of the Israelites. The application of the term to the undressed vine of the sabbatical year in a previous book (Levit.) tends to the same conclusion. A custom of this kind might have readily grown up during the long sojourn in Egypt, and have there served as a protest against the prevalent idolatry. Cyril of Alexandria considered that letting the hair grow, the most char- acteristic feature in the vow, was taken from the Egyp- tians. This notion has been substantially adopted by Fagius, Spencer, Slichaelis, Hengstenberg, and some other critics. Hengstenberg affirms that the Egyptians and the Hebrews were distinguished among ancient nations by cutting their hair as a matter of social pro- priety ; and thus the marked significance of l()ng hair must have been common to them both. The arguments of IJiihr, however, to show that the wearing of long hair in Egypt and all other heathen nations had a meaning opposed to the idea of the Xazaritish vow, seem to be conclusive. The head of the Nazarite was perhaps con- sidered as adorned with its growth of hair (Lampe, in JUiscell. Gron. iv, 107 sq.), which, as a kind of crown, showed his consecration, and the touch of a knife or ra- zor was a profanation of that which belonged to God. In other ancient nations it was usual to promise a god, especially in times of danger, the offering of the hair of the head or of the beard; and sometimes the hair was offered without a vow, especially by new-married wom- en. (Compare Spencer, Legg. rit. iii, G, 1 ; Doughtaei A mihct. i, 97.) So among the Egyptians (Diod. Sic. i, 18, 83 sq.), the Syrians (Lucian, JJea Syr. c. CO), the (ireeks (Homer, //««(/, xxiii, 41 sq. ; Plut. Thes. c. 5; Theodoret, Qncest. in Lev. 28; Wachsmuth, Hellen. Al- terthnm, ii, 558), the Romans (Suet. Nvr. 1 1 ; Martial, ix, 17, 3 sq.), and the Arabians (see Koirni, ii, 192 ; Hamas, p. 2 sq.). But the most striking resemblance to the Jewish custom is that found by Morier among the mod- ern Persians. "It freipiently happens after the birth of a son, that if the parent be in distress or the child be sick, or that there be any other cause of grief, the mother makes a vow that no razor shall come upon the child's head for a certain period of time, and sometimes for all his life. If the child recovers and the cause of grief Ije removed, and if the vow be but for a time, so that the mother's vow be fulfilled, then she shaves his licad at the end of the time prescribed, makes a small entertainment, collects money and other things from her relations and her friends, which are sent as nezers (offerings) to the mosque at Kerbelah, and are there consecrated" (Second Jouj-nei/, p. 109). The abstinence of priests among the ancient Egyptians from certain kinds of food, as a token of peculiar sanctity, is a kin- dred ordinance (I'orphyr. Abstin. iv, 7) ; and some have supposed that the Xazaritish vow had an Egyptian or- igin, and was simply modified by the Hebrews to ac- cord with their system (Sjiencer, Legg. Rit. iii, 6, 1 ; Ulichaelis, Mos. R. iii, 27) ; but the resemblances cited from the Egyptian priesthood are too fragmentary to support the theory. Indeed, the abstinence of the priests was not in the nature of a vow, but was a <juali- fication for their sacred ollicc. And although they were required to practice celibacy, we do not find that wine was forbidden to them. Besides, each feature of the Xazaritish vow is so intimately associated with Hebrew ideas and practices that the search for a foreign origin is wholly unnecessary. The reflections of Ewald {Isr. (7fscA.ii,403 sq.) on tliis subject are too elaiioratc. With- out reason, some, csjiecialh' Iloman Catholic writers, have thought that the first traces of monachism were to be found in this institution. See (i. Less, Super lege Mos. de Nasiraatu, j)Hma eaque antiquissima vUcb
Monasf. improbatione (Gott. 1789). Comp. Michaelis, Orient. Bihlioth. vi, 235 sq. The only resemblance is in the general purpose, there is none in the nature of the vow. See Dassov, Vota Monast. et Nusiraor. inter se collata. (Kil. 1703); comp. Carpzov, Appar. 151 sq., 799 sq. ; Keland, Antiq. Saa: ii, 10; Biihr, Symbol, ii, 430 sq. ; G. E. Meinhard, de Xasirais (.len. 1676) ; Zorn, ill Miscell. Leips. Nov. iv, 426 sq. See Hair.
3. What constituted a Nazarite. — The special vow whereby one bound himself to be a Nazarite (T'T3 'TIS) involved the following three things: («.) He is to ab- stain from wine and strong drink— or as Onkelos, who renders "ir'i'l "p^ by '[:'■T'J^ nn Ttn^, and the an- cient Jewish canons will have it, from old and new wine — vinegar made of wine or strong drink ; licpior of grapes ; grapes either moist or dried : and, in fact, from every production of the vine — even from the verj- stones and skin of the vine. According to the Jewish canons, however, "strong drink made of dates, or such like, is lawful for the Xazarite" (]Maimonides, Hilchoth Neziruth, V, 1). (6.) He must refrain from cutting the hair off his head during the whole period of his Xazariteship. (c.) He must avoid every contact with the dead, even if his parents or brothers or sisters were to die during his Xazariteship.