SABBATH
191
SABBATH
(John vii, 22 sq. ; comp. Mishna,.S'^«5. c. 19 ; Schottgen, llor. Ihhr. i, 121 ; Lightfoot, Hor. Ihhr. p. 1028).
Deliberate profanation of this day was pnnished with death (Exod. xxxi, l-l sq. ; xxxv, 2), which was inflict- ed by stoning (Numb, xv, 32 sq.; Mishna, SanJiedr. vii, 8). But if the law of the Sabbath was broken through ignorance or mistake, a sin-offering was required, and the offence pardoned (comp. 5/(«&. vii, 1; xi, 0 : C!iri- thiilh, iii, 10). There were times, too, when the Jews dispensed with the extreme severity of their law (Isa. hi. 2; Iviii, 13; Ezek. xx, IG; xxii, S; Lam. ii, 0; Neh. xiii, 1(5) ; and the legal observance of the Sabbatli seems never to have been rigoroush' enforced until after the l'2xile. At this time, too, the meaning of the ^L•01•k which profaned the Sabbath was first strictly defined, since the lawgiver had left this to be determined by experience, and, in certain doubtfid cases, the individ- ual conscience, definitely prohibiting but one act — the kindling of a fire in one's house (Exod. xxxv, 3 ; comp. Eichhorn, Repert. ix, 32; xii^i, 258) for cooking (Exod. xvi, 23; Numb, xv, 32; comp. Mishna, Teriim. ii, 3). This was interpreted by the Jews, however, to include the lighting of lamps, and they used to do this before the Sabbath began (Mishna, S/iah. i'l, 7 ; xvi, 8; comp. Seneca, ICp. 95, p. 423, Rip.). This prohibition com- pelled the Jews to cook and bake their food for the Saljbath on the preceding day, and it was often kept warm in vessels set in dry hay or chips (Mishna, Shab. iv, 1 sq. ; comp. also Josephus, Wai; ii, 8, 9, on the Es- senes). The intermission of labor was required on feast-days as well as on the Sabbath, except the prep- aration of food (comp. Exod. xii, 16 , see Mishna, Yom Tob, V, 2 ; MeffUhi, i, 5). A later age, which sought to observe painfully the letter of the law, and to confide as little as possible to the judgment and conscience of individuals, extended the meaning of this woi-k much further, and strove to complete a formal code for Sab- bath observance. Marketing and public trade ceased on the Sabbath, of course (Neh. x, 31 ; xiii, 15, 1(5) ; and it was merely an auxiliary police regulation of Nehe- miah to close the gates on that day (Neh. xiii, 19). It was in the spirit of the law, too, tliat travelling on the Sabbath was forbidden, with reference to Exod. xvi, 29 (comp. Josephus, Attt. xiii, 8, 4). See Sabbath-day's JouKXEY. But the conduct of the Jewish armies in refusing to arm on the Sabbath, and suff"ering their en- emies to cut them down, certainly savored of fanaticism (1 Mace, ii, 32 sq. ; 2 jMacc. vi, 1 1 , Josephus, A nt. xii, 6, 2; War, ii, 17, 10; Life, p. 32; comp. Plutarch, -Sw;)??-- stlt. p. lf)9). A parallel may be found in the Jewish steersman who left the helm at the moment of a squall because the Sabbath was beginning (Synes. Ep. iv, p. U53, ed Petav.). Yet the apprehension of the great advantage which would thus accrue to the enemy led prudent commanders to observe this rest from fighting only so far as to abstain on the Sabbath from offensive operations (I Jlacc. xi, 34, 43 sq. ; Josephus, Ant. xiii, 1, 3 , xiv, 4, 2 sq.). Marching armies halted on that day (Josephus, Ant. xiii, 8, 4 ; comp. xiv, 10, 12). The last passage seems to show that the Sabbath law was made a pretext by Jews to escape from foreign military service when they wished (see again v'l??^ xviii, 9, 2 ; 10,2; \V(tr, iv, 2, 3 ; Michaelis, Mos. Rvcht, iv, 133 sq.). Yet in the last Jewish war less caution was exercised, even ill abstaining from offensive movement (Josephus, Wai; ii, 19, 2) ; and many an artifice was carried on by the aid of the Sabbath and its observances {ibid, iv, 2, 3. In this instance, it was less the fear of breaking the law than a shrewd calculation of advantage which prevent- ed the Jews from engaging the enemy on the Sabbath).
The Pharisees gave very minute directions on the observance of the Sabbath ; and although different teachers differed in many points, yet in the New-Tes- tament period we find great rigor prevailing. The plucking of single ears of grain in passing (5Iatt. xii, 2; Mark ii, 23 sq.; Luke vi, 1 sq.), the healing of the sick (Matt, xii, 10; Mark iii, 2; Luke vi, 7 ; xiii, 14;
John ix, 14, 16; Thilo, .4 /)ocr. p. 503), the walking of a cured patient with bis bed (John v, 10), all were con- sidered as desecrations of the Sabbath by the Phari- sees and their disciples; although when property was in danger, many acts which were certainly work were freely performed in case of pressing need (Matt, xii, 11 ; Luke xiv, 5 ; comp. Gemara, Shub. cxxviii, 1) ; yet even in the care of cattle (comp. Luke xiii, 15) all work was to be shunned which was not really necessa- ry {iSfidb. xxiv, 2 S(]). The Esseues seem to have been yet stricter in observing this day. The JMishna (Shab. c. 17) has severe regulations against the re- moval of goods; yet certain exceptions were allowed (comp. Philo, 0pp. ii, 5(59). On the severity of the Sa- maritans in this respect, see Gesen. De Theol. Samarit. p. 35 sq. ; comp. Origen, Princip. iv, 17 ; tom. i, p. 176). They refrained from sexual intercourse on the night of the Sabbath (luchhorn, Repert. xiii, 258). The JMish- na, in the tract S/iab.(2d part), which treats the whole subject of this article, names in jiarticular (vii, 2) thir- ty-nine forms of labor which are forbidden on the Sab- bath, each of which has, again, its variations and spe- cies. In the twofold Gemara to this tract (the Tosiph- fa to the tract S/iab. is found in Hebrew and Latin in LTgolini Thesaur. xvii; the tract itself has been sepa- rately edited by J. B. Carpzov, Leips. 1661), and in the Rabbinical writings the matter is spun out still further and finer (see Hulsius, Theol. Jud. i, 240 sq.; Buxtorf, Synag. Jud. c. 16 ; Schottgen, Hor. Hebr. i, 121 sq.). As to the healing of the sick, the rabbins generally allow- ed the use of all proper remedies if life was in danger (see Mishna, Yoma, viii, 6; Schottgen, op. cit. p. 122 sq. : "Danz, Chrisd Cnratio Sabbathica Vindic. [Jen. 1699] ; also in Meuschen, N. T. p. 569 sq.) ; but those which w'ere only designed to make the sick more comfortable were rigorously forbidden (see, e. g. Gemara, Berachoth, p. 11. According to the Mishna \^Shub. xxii, 6], even a broken bone was not to be set nor dislocations poul- ticed on the Sabbath ; yet see Maimonides, ad he). On the other forms of labor permitted on the Sabbath (Mishna, Shab. xxiv, 5) the reader may consult Y. H. Hasenmiiller, Opera Subbathum Depellan^ia (Jen. 1708).