Moses and Aaron: Civil and Ecclesiastical Rites, Used by the Ancient Hebrews. Goodwin Thomas Aiken
Table of Contents
CHAP. I.
Of the form of the Hebrewes Common-wealth until Christ his coming, and when the Scepter departed from them.
The form and state of Government hath been subject to change and variation amongst all Nations, but especially amongst the Jewes, where these changes are observable.
At first, the Fathers of their several Families, and their First-born after them, exercised all kind of Government, both Eclesiastical and Civil, being both Kings and Priests, in their own houses. They had power over their own Families, to bless, curse, cast out of doors, disinherit, and to punish with death, as is apparent by these examples: of Noah towards Cham, Gen. 9. 25. of Abraham towards Hagar and Ismael, Gen. 21. 10. of Jacob towards Simeon and Levi, Gen. 49. 3. and of Judah towards Thamar, Gen. 38. 24.
In Moses his days then did this prerogative of primo geniture cease: and as Aaron and his posterity was invested with the right and title of Priests; so Moses, and after him Joshua, ruled all the people with a kind of Monarchical authority. For Moses was among the righteous as King, Deut. 32. 5.
After Joshua succeeded Judges; their Officers were of absolute and independent authority, like unto Kings, when once they were elected. But there were long vacancies, and chasms commonly between the cessation of the one, and the election of the other: yea for the most part, the people never chose a Judge, but in time of great troubles, and imminent dangers; which being over-past, he retired to a private life. After that Gideon had delivered the people out of the hand of the Midianites, he being offered the Kingdom, replyed, I will not reign over you, neither shall my Child reign over you, Judg. 8. 23. That of Samuel, that he judged Israel all the days of his life, 1 Sam. 7. 15. was[1] extraordinary. In this respect, their Judges symbolize with the Roman Dictators. This state of Regiment continued amongst them by the computation of S. Augustine[2], three hundred twenty nine years. In these vacancies or distances of time between Judge and Judge, the greater and weightier matters were determined by that great Court of the Seventy called the Senadrin; in which respect the form of Government may be thought Aristocratical. Kings succeeded the Judges, and they continued from Saul unto the Captivity of Babylon, that is,[3] about 502 years.
[1] Zepper lib. 3. leg. Mos. cap. 6.
[2] Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 18 c. 22.
[3] Zepper. leg. Mosaic. l. 3. c. 6.
From the Captivity unto the coming of Christ, (which time is thought[4] to have been five hundred thirty six years) the state of the Jewes became very confused. Sometimes they were ruled by Deputies and Vicegerents, who had not supream authority in themselves, but as it pleased the Persian Monarchs to assigne them; they were termed[5] ראשי גליות Rasche galiuth, αἰχμαλωτάρχαι Heads of the Captivity. Of this sort was Zorobabel and his successors, who are reckoned in the Hebrew Chronicles[6] to be these, Mesullam, Hananiah, Berachiah, and Hosadiah. All which are thought to have reigned under the Persian Monarchy, and to have been of the Posterity of David: as likewise the other succeeding ten chief Governours after Alexander the Great. In the last of these ten, the government departed from the House of David, and was translated to the Macchabees, who descended from the Tribe of Levi. They were called Maccabæi, from Judas Maccabeus,[7] and he had this name מכבאי Macchabæus, from the Capital Letters of this Motto, written in his Ensigne or banner, מי כמוך באלים יהוה Quis sicut tu inter Deos, O Domine? Where the first letters are, M, C, B, A, I. Among the Maccabees, soveraign authority continued until Herod the Askalonite his reign, at what time our Saviour Christ was born, according to Jacobs prophecy: The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feet, untill Shiloh, that is, the[8] Messias come, Gen. 49. 10.
[4] Vide Funcii Chronol.
[5] Maimon. in Iad. lib. vit. tract. Sanedr. in c. 4. sect. 13.
[6] Seder Olam minus.
[7] Carion chron. lib. 2. p. 144.
[8] Targum Uziel. eadem pæne verba habet Targum Jerosolym.
For the right understanding of this Prophecy, We must note two things; 1. The time when the Scepter was given to Judah: 2. When taken from him. But first we must observe how these two words, Judah, and the Scepter, are distinguished.
Some take Judah,
1. For the particular Tribe of Judah[9]: but this seemeth flat contrary to Scripture, for many of the Judges were of other Tribes, and all the Maccabees of the Tribe of Levi.
2. For the Two Tribes[10] which cleaved to Rehoboam; because in that division of the People, these Two Tribes alone were called Jews, and that from Judah, and that never before this division.
3. For all the whole body of Israel[11], consisting of Twelve Tribes; all which (in the judgment of these men) were afterwards by the singular providence of God, called Jews from Judah.
[9] Origen. hom. 17. in Genes. Epiphan. contra Ebionæos, &c. maxima Hebræorum pars.
[10] Cunæus de rep. Hebr. lib. 1. cap. 5. p. 81.
[11] Euseb. demon. lib. 8. cap. 1. Montacut. in Analect. p. 72. Casaub. contra Baron. pag. 16.
Some take Scepter,
1. For legal power[12],