Sacrificial Festival (Srt). This was held with the pieces of the victims laid aside from sacrifices of a joyful nature {epi/lce sacra?, dapes), not only in all ancient heathen nations (Saubert, Be Sacrific. c. 26 ; Feith, Antiq. Horn, i, 10, 7 ; Stuck, Antiq. Conviv. i, 33 ; Lakemacher, Antiq. Grcecor. Sacrce, p. 384 sq. ; Doug- taei Annal. i, 235; on the Romans, see, among others, Josephus, War, vii, 1,3; comp. also Plato, Leg. v, p. 738 ; Herod, vi, 67), but also among the Israelites (Deut. xii. 6 sq.; 1 Sam. ix, 19; xvi, 3, 5; 2 Sam. vi, 19). Only the thank-offerings of individuals, however, among that people gave opportunity for these festivals, since of these alone certain rich portions were consumed on the altar (Lev. iii, 3 sq., 9 sq. ; xiv, 15) ; the breast and the right shoulder belonged to the officiating priests (vii, 31 sq.), and all the rest of the flesh was restored to the offerer (Deut. xxvii, 7). This was to be eaten on the same or the following day (Lev. vii, 16), and in the company of all members of the household and of bidden guests (the Levites especially were often invited) (Deut. xii, 12). Other sacred meals were held at the times of festivals (xvi, 11 sq.). Upon the tithe meal, see Tithe. Hea- then sacrificial meals, which were held sometimes in the temples (1 Cor. viii, 10), sometimes in private houses,
SACRIFICIAL INSTRUMENTS 228 SACRIFICIAL OFFERING
are mentioned (Numb, xxv, 2). The participation of an Israelite in tliesc was accounteii idolatry (xxv, 3 sq. ; I'sa. cvi, 28; Tob. i, 12; 1 Cor. x, 20 sq. ; Hev. ii, 1-i); lience, too, the apostles forbade Christians to join them (Acts XV, 29 ; xxi, 25), or at least warned against them on account of those who were weak in faith (I Cor. viii, 1 S(i. ; X, 28 sq.). Such '• meat offered to iilols," how- ever, was set forth on tlie table not only at the sacriti- cial meals (1 Cor. viii, 10; x, 27), but the poor or the avaricious used to preserve it for future use (Theophr. Char, x) or sell it to traders {ibui. xxiii); hence it might easily happen that one who bought at the meat market received it (1 Cor. x, 25). — Winer. See Festival.
Sacrificial Instruments in the Israelitisii SANCTtAKV. For the use of the priests in offering sac- ritices. especially those with blood, there were kept in the tabernacle (Exod. xxvii, 3 ; xxxviii, 3; Numb, iv, 14) and in the Temple (1 Kings vii, 40, 45; 2 Kings xxv, 14 sq. ; Jer. lii, 18 sq.) the following inplements of brasi :
1. w^r"^, yf/iw', shovels, perhaps to free the altar of burnt-offering from its ashes; to which the PIT'O, si- roth', or pots, belonged, into which they were thrown.
2. ripiT'O, mizrakoth', basins, to take up the blood of the victims for sprinkling.
3. ri;5T'2, mizlagoth' , forks, fiC'^h-forlcs.
4. rinrro, machtoth' , firepans, in which coals were taken up.
The brazen n'l^T'3, mezammeroth' (Jer. lii, 18), may be considered as belonging here, and will then doubtless mean sacrificial knives, elsewhere called CE^rr^, "!«(•/(/('/)/«'»)'. See Knife. The golden rosfs or vessels mentioned in 1 Kings vii. 50 are certainly dif- ferent from those just mentioned (No. 2), and were in- tended for use in the holy place. — Winer. See Sacri- kick; TeMI'LE.
Sacrificial Offering. There is no doubt that the origin of sacrifices is to be referred to the very ear- liest ages of humanity, where also the Mosaic history places it (Gen. iv, 3 sq. ; viii, 20; xxii, 2; xxxi, 54; xlvi, 1 ; comp. Hottinger, De On'fjine Sacrific. Patri- arch. [Marb. 1706]). While men as yet made little distinction between the sensible and the supernatural, they sought to acquire or tix the favor of their gods, or to ex[)ress their gratitude for their gifts, by thank-offer- ings, usually of some kind of food, since they attributed to their gods the wants of men (Lev. xxi, 0; xxii, 25; Numb, xxviii, 2; comp. Pliny, ii, 5, p. 73 [ed. Hard.] ; Homer, Iliad, iv, 48; Aristoph. .Aves, 151(> sq.; comp. I'auly's lieal-fCncyklop. iv, 839 sq.). (On the meaning and kinds of offerings, see IMelancthon, in the Apol.A.C. p. 253 sq. A contracted view is taken liy Sykes, Ueber d. Xalnr, Absicht u. Urspr. d. Opfer [Ilalle, 1778]. There is a vain attempt to philosophize, by Kosenkranz, in the //(///. Enrjikl.yoX. iii, § iv, ]). 74; comp. IJaader, I'diir line kiiiifl. Theorie d. Opfers iiml Ciiltus [Mmiich, 183C> I ; Hiilir, Syiubid. ii, 288 sq.) The sensualism of an early age expressed itself, too, in supi)osing a god to he pleased with the odor of sacrifices (Lev. i, 9, 13; Numb. XV, 7 s(|. ; Luciau, Icaromen. 27). The sacrifices were usually of such food as men themselves most en- joyed, and of the greatest excellence in their kind (1 .Sam. XV, 15; I'sa. Ixvi, 15), and were either raw or pre- )>ared in such a way as to be most palatable. Hence doubtless the use of salt (q. v.). I'erhaps the first of- ferings were productions of the vegetable kingdom (I'lalo, Leff.\i,~H->}, and then honey, milk, etc., animals not liciug offered until later (Thci)|>hr. in I'orphyr. Ab- slini'iil. ii, 5, and xxviii, .33; comp. I'lalo, /.ei/. vi, 782; Ovid, Fasti, i, 337; I'ausan. viii. 2, 1). For the history informs us that man began with vegetable food, and afterwards to eat flesh (comp. (Jen. i, 29; ix, 3; see Schickedanz, J)e Nnliira Sarrif. V. T. ex Seculi Morib. repttcnd. [Francf. 1784], and in the Symbol. Jjtiisb. II, ii,