the Temple, comp. Mishna, Middoth, ii, 3), while the third remained in its place. When it became dark, they all went out to roast their paschal sacrifices (Mish- na, Pesachim, v, 5-10). A spit, made of the wood of the pomegranate-tree, was put in at the mouth of the paschal lamb, and brought out again at its vent ; it was then carefully placed in the oven so as not to touch its sides, lest the cooking should be affected (comp. Exod. xii, 9; 2 Chron. xxxv, 13), and if any part of it hap- pened to touch the earthenware oven, it had to be pared off; or if the fat which dripped from it had fallen on the oven, and then again fallen back on the lamb, the part so touched had also to be cut out (Pesachim, vii, 1, 2). If any one broke a bone of the paschal lamb, so as to infringe the command in Exod. xii, 46, he incur- red the penalty of forty stripes (Pesachim, vii, 11). The bone, however, for the breaking of which the offender was to receive the stripes, must either have some flesh on it or some marrow in it, and he incurred the penalty even if some one had broken the same bone before him (Mai- monides, Hilchoth Korhan Pesach. x, 1, 3). The oven was of earthenware, and appears to have been in shape something like a bee-hive, with an opening in the side to admit fuel. According to Justin IMartyr, a second spit, or skewer, was put transversely through the shoul- ders, so as to form the figure of a cross. As Justin was a native of Flavia Neapolis, it is a striking fact that the modern Samaritans roast their paschal lambs in nearly the same manner at this day. " The lambs (they require six for the community now) are roasted all together by stuffing them verticallj', head downwards, into an oven which is like a small well, about three feet in diameter, and four or five feet deep, roughly stoned, in which a fire has been kept up for several hours. After the lambs are thrust in, the top of the hole is covered with bushes and earth, to confine the heat till they are done. Each lamb has a stake or spit run through him to draw him up by ; and, to prevent the spit from tearing away through the roast meat with the weight, a cross piece is put through the lower end of it" (Miss Rogers's Bo- rnestic Life in Palestine). Vitringa, Bochart, and Ilot- tinger have taken the statement of Justin as represent- ing the ancient Jewish usage; and, with him, regard the crossed spits as a prophetic type of the cross of our Lord. But it would seem more probable that the trans- verse spit was a mere matter of convenience, and was perhaps never in use among the Jews. The Kabbinical traditions relate that the lamb was called (Juleatus, '•qui quum totus assabatur, cum capite, cruribus, et in- testinis, pedes autem et intestina ad latera ligabantur inter assandum, agiius ita quasi armatum repr«senta- verit, qui galea in capite et ense in latere est muuitus" (Otho, Lex. Rah. p. 503).
6. The Paschal Supper. — The paschal sacrifices hav- ing been taken to the respective abodes of the compa- nies, and the meals prepared, the parties arranged them- selves in proper order, reclining at ease on the left side, round the table. A cup of wine was filled for every one, over which the following benediction was pronounced: '• Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine! Blessed art thou, O Lord our (iod. King of the universe, who hast chosen us above all nations, and exalted us above all peoples, and hast sanctified us with thy commandments. Thou hast given us, O Lord our God, appointed seasons for joy, festivals and holydays for rejoicing, such as the feast of unleavened bread, the time of our liberation, for holy convocation, to commemorate our exodus from Egypt. Yea, thou hast chosen us, and hast sanctified us above all nations, and hast given us thy holy festivals with joy and rejoicing as an inheritance. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who hast sanctified Israel and the festi- vals I Blessed art thou, O Lord our God. King of the universe, who hast preserved us and kept us, and hast safely brought us to this period !" 'I'he cup of wine was then drunk, and a basin of water and a towel were hand- ed round, or the celebrators got up to wash their hands
PASSOVER
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PASSOVER