been the guards of the king. Hence Herod the tetrarch sent one of his σ7x82αlwpα, or guard, to behead John the Baptist:" and the original words for "Potiphar and Arioch the captain of the guard," in Gen. xxxix. 1. and Dan. ii. 14, literally mean " Potiphar and Arioch the chief of the executioners." But let us next notice the ceremonies which were generally observed in carrying them into execution. In the first place the judges, used the utmost deliberation during the trial; the pannel was set on some high seat in the presence of all the court; two witnesses at least coinciding in their evidence were necessary to convict him, who laid their hands on his head while deponing, and when sentence was pronounced, the judge laying his hands upon his head, said, "Thou art guilty; thy blood be upon thine own head." After sentence, the person was led to the place of execution, which was always without the city, accompanied by two executioners, a band of officers, properly armed, to prevent either riot or escape, and a crier, who went before them proclaiming the following words: "A. B. is going to suffer such a death, because he hath committed such a crime in such a place, at such a time, and these persons, N. and N. are witnesses. If any person knoweth any thing in his favour, (of which we have an instance in the History of Susanna, verses 45. 50.) let him come and make it known." And a person also was appointed to stand at the door of the court, with a handkerchief in his hand, to wave to another person on horseback, who was stationed at some distance to bring the condemned person back to the court, if any thing favourable had occurred. Nay, the criminal himself had the privilege of retiring to the court-house five times, if he had aught to plead, that was judged of

Mark vi. 27. 1 Kings xxi. 9. Deut. xix. 15. d Susanna, ver. 34, 40.

consequence by the two scholars of the wise men, who were sent to accompany him for that purpose. But, if he had nothing to urge, and if no exculpatory evidence appeared, he was besought to confess, that he might not die with a lie in his heart, and might have his portion in the world to come. They generally, also, gave him a grain of myrrh or frankincense mingled in the wine, to render him less sensible of pain; and when the law had taken its course, the tree on which he was hanged, or the stone wherewith he was stoned, or the sword with which he was beheaded, or the napkin with which he was strangled, were generally buried with him, that none might say that they had been used at his execution. Such were the inferior and capital civil

punishments among the Jews.

SECT. V.

Ecclesiastical Punishments among the Jews.

The Nezipè or Admonition, its nature and duration. The Nedui or Separation. The Herim or Cutting off. The Shemetha or Greater Excommunication. A Copy of it.

THEIR ecclesiastical punishments admitted of various degrees, the lowest of which, viz.

c

1st. The Nezipè 75, or admonition, was always private, and administered by the minister, or leading men in the synagogue. Its common term of continuance was not less than seven days, nor more than thirty; and it differed from the next higher degree, in the following things. The person admonished remained at home, as one ashamed; yet other persons did not abstain from his company. And he needed no absolution at the

a Mark xv. 23. Lightf. Heb. and Talm. Exer. Acts vii. 58. viii. 1. Founded on Numb, xii. 14.

expiring of the term; for, when he had taken the reproof to heart, and the time had expired, he became free. In short, it was a voluntary act of the individual, arising from a conviction of his past misconduct, and the offence he had given to society and the church. It was submitting to the sentence of the synagogue as just and proper."

2dly, The Nedui ", or separation, was inflicted on those who despised the admonition, or had been guilty of refusing to pay any debt which the bench of three had found him liable to, or had been guilty of any of the twenty offences which are collected by Dr. Lightfoot, and Dr. Owen out of the Talmud. It might be pronounced by any of their religious assemblies, but was commonly executed by the synagogue, or rather by the bench of three attached to the synagogue; who sent their officer to summon him to appear on a certain day. Thus, they appointed him the second day of the week, or their first court-day; the fifth day of the week, or their second court-day; and the second day of the week following, or their third court-day. And if the matter was about money that was owing to any member of the synagogue, they allowed all the three days to run, before declaring him contumacious, and thereby subjecting him to the Nedui; but if it was concerning any of the twenty offences formerly alluded to, they inflicted the Nedui, on his refusing to appear the first time; for they justly thought that he who had been guilty of such offences should make every haste to express his contrition. The time of its continuance was commonly thirty days; but if the person neglected to apply for a remission at the end of that time, he became virtually subject

Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations on 1 Cor. v. 5.

Exposition on the Hebrews, vol. i. Exercit. 21st.

to the next highest degree of censure, although it was not always inflicted. During the continuance of this sentence, he was not prevented from hearing the law, or even from teaching it, if a master in Israel, provided he kept four paces distant from other persons. Nay, he might even go into the temple to attend divine service, but he entered in and came out at the contrary doors from the rest of the people. And if he died while under this sentence, they threw a stone upon his bier, to signify that he deserved stoning.

3dly. The next higher punishment was the Herem

, or cutting off. It was an authoritative and public censure, inflicted by the synagogue; and was commonly inflicted on those who despised the Nedui, or were guilty of higher provocations, and lasted for thirty days. With persons in that situation it was not lawful so much

as to eat.

The 4th and highest degree of ecclesiastical separation, was the Shemetha w, from now Shemeth, to exclude, expel, or cast out: meaning that they were cast out from the covenant of promise, and the commonwealth of Israel; and that they should be accounted by the Jews as an heathen man and a publican. It was inflicted on those who despised the Herem, and by the greater part of the Jews was esteemed total and final: the person that fell under it being left to the judgment of God, without hope of reconciliation with the church. Hence it is called in the Targum," the curse and execration of God:" and by the Talmudists, "the anathema of the God of Israel."

The above is the arrangement of ecclesiastical censures among the Jews, as given by Godwin, and Dr.

a Num. xxi. 25. Deut. vii. 27.

Moses and Aaron, Book v. ch. 2.

Owen: but Dr. Lightfoot' arranges them differently. For he places the Shemetha before the Herem, making the Shemetha the same as the lesser excommunication; and the Herem as equivalent to the greater.

Dr. Owen gives from Buxtorff the form of the greater excommunication, which I shall here transcribe.

"By the sentence of the Lord of lords, let such an one, the son of such an one, be in anathema, or accursed in each house of judgment, that above and that below (meaning by God and his church ;) in the curse of the holy ones on high; in the curse of the seraphims and ophannim (meaning the wheels or cherubims in Ezekiel's vision ;) in the curse of the whole church, from the greatest to the least. Let there be upon him strokes great and abiding; diseases great and terrible; let his house be an habitation of dragons or serpents. Let his star (or planet) be dark in the clouds. Let him be exposed to indignation, anger, and wrath; and let his dead body be cast to wild beasts and serpents; let his enemies and adversaries rejoice over him; and let his silver and gold be given to others; and let his children be cast at the door of his enemies; and let posterity be astonished at his day. Let him be accursed out of the mouth of Abiriron and Athariel; from the mouth of Sandolphon and Hadraniel; from the mouth of Ansisiel and Pathiel; from the mouth of Seraphiel and Sagansael; from the mouth of Michael and Gabriel; from the mouth of Raphiel and Mesharethiel. Let him be accursed from the mouth of Zazabib, and from the mouth of Havabib, who is the great God; and from the mouth of the seventy names of the great king; and from the mouth of Tzorlak the great chancellor (names partly significant and partly

a

Exposition of the Hebrews, vol, i. Exercit. 21.

b Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations on 1 Cor. v. 5.