LEVITICUS.

I. TITLE, CONTENTS, PERIOD.-This third portion of the Book of the Law or Pentateuch, a book composed in one continuous narrative in five sections, was headed by the Jews vay-yikra, its first word, meaning and he called, but indicating nothing whatever of the contents, as though the Jews would not venture to introduce a new word into their sacred writings, even for a title. For this heading the Greek Septuagint translators, not so scrupulous, substituted one of their own, which should designate the subject matter, namely AeviTikóv, what relates to Levi. The Latin Vulgate translators, following the Greek title, but taking a still further liberty, made the heading Liber Leviticus, by which what was a mere section of one continuous text was constituted a separate book. Proceeding in the same direction still further, the English version expands the title to, The Fifth Book of Moses called Leviticus. Some ancient versions, and one of the Talmuds, call it The Law of the Priests, a title which describes the contents about as well as Leviticus, both of them, however, being really inadequate. Besides ceremonial instructions for functionaries, there are solemn precepts bearing on the lives and principles of the people at large, with ample warnings that the nation is intended to occupy the promised land as a God-fearing one only. The period covered by the book is a single month, namely from the erection of the tabernacle at Sinai to the numbering of the people there, i.e., from the first day of the first month to the first day of the second month, in the second year from the departure from Egypt. In not a few passages Canaan

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is referred to as the land which it is the nation's object to reach (xxiii. 10; xxv. 2, &c.), and thrice by name (xiv. 34 ; xviii. 3; xxv. 38); while in three Sinai is expressly stated to be the locality where the laws then reciting were given to Moses by God (vii. 38; xxv. I; xxvii. 34).

II. MOSES RECEIVES DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS FROM GOD (Lev. i. 1, 2).—“And the Lord called unto Moses and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them." In these opening words, the Book of Leviticus proclaims itself a record of an express communication from God to Moses for the people of Israel. The form of words, sometimes slightly varied, is afterwards repeated every time a fresh subject is introduced, and may be found at the head of the following chapters: xi., xii., xvii.-xxv., xxvii.; while another shorter one, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,” is seen everywhere. The book concludes as it opens, its very last words being, "These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai." Planted in the very midst, or at the close, of many an instruction, adding emphasis to it, is the expression, “I am the Lord," declaring who is the ultimate author of the entire body of injunctions.

III. GENERAL VIEW OF THE SACRIFICES (Lev. i. 3-vii.). -The ritual of the Tabernacle was all based on the altar services, with which, therefore, the book opens; and five offerings are specified, the Burnt, the Meat, the Peace, the Sin, the Trespass; upon which collectively, before proceeding to each in detail, we remark as follows-(1.) In all cases but one the offering was an animal, the exception being the meatoffering, which consisted of the fruits of the ground. "Meat" in English did not at one time denote flesh-food exclusively, as at present. (2.) The animals offered in sacrifice were bullocks, sheep, goats, all young or full-grown, doves, pigeons; the gradations having reference to the offerer's

means.

In quadrupeds, male animals were the rule, but not without exception. (3.) The animal was not slain upon the altar itself, but on the ground; and, as a rule, at the north side of the altar. The mode of slaughter practised by the Jews of the present time is considered by them as the one employed in the ancient sacrifices. The bullock is never first stunned, as with us. That and all other animals are brought mechanically to the ground, or laid upon a stage; a very sharp knife is expeditiously drawn, once only, across the throat, and death is almost instantaneous with the least possible pain. The blood is caught in a bowl. In the sacrificial rite, the victim was not further dealt with until the blood had been entirely removed. (4.) The victim was led to the altar, and there presented to the priest, by the offerer himself, who on delivering it laid his hand upon its head, the meaning of which action we are not told. It is nowhere said that he made confession of sin along with that gesture; but this is often assumed from the case of the scape-goat, to be mentioned in its place. If we hesitate as to this, the action at any rate signified the offerer presenting the sacrifice and himself to God. The offerings in which the hand was thus laid were the burnt, the peace, and the sin. (5.) The victim is always represented as slain and flayed by the offerer; but as ordinary persons would be quite incompetent for such operations, we must assume that the offerer was merely responsible for the duty, which might be discharged for him by a professional person accustomed to it, all being done with skill, expedition, and cleanliness. In the case of a public sacrifice, a priest or Levite would be responsible for the slaughter, employing (as we may presume) an expert deputy if needful. In the case of a private offering, the priest's functions (after examining and passing the victim) began in bringing it into contact with the altar.

IV. THE BURNT-Offering (Olah) (Lev. i.).—The special design of this sacrifice is not defined further than by an intimation that the offerer obtained through it "an atonement," or a reconciliation (i. 4; xvi. 24). The priest's office

was to sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar; and when the offerer had flayed and divided up the carcass, to place the pieces upon wood burning on the altar, and thus burn "all on the altar, to be a burnt-sacrifice (olah), an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord" (vers. 5-9). The burnt-offering, much more ancient than the Law itself, which did not invent it, but only regulated it, dated from the most primitive period, and sacrifices were offered under the same name (olah) not only in the line of Abraham but outside it. Noah's offering after the flood (Gen. viii. 20), and Abraham's on Mount Moriah (Gen. xxii. 2-8, 13) were of this description; as were those of Job and his friends (Job i. 5; xlii. 8), those intended by Moses on leaving Egypt (Exod. x. 25), and that offered by Jethro previous to the Law (Exod. xviii. 12). In a multitude of instances the burnt-offering occurs all through the books of the Old Testament, and it is from an examination of these alone that we can determine the leading idea and intention of it. All the examples (some more clearly than others) suggest that the burnt-offering expressed generally an acknowledgment of God, faith in Him, homage and submission to Him, a means of approaching and worshipping Him. Consistently with such a view the burnt-offering was prominent in all state religious functions, and bore such a representative character, that it was never, for even a day, omitted in the intention of the Law of Moses, after that Law was promulgated. The morning lamb and the evening lamb (Exod. xxix. 42) were burnt-offerings, and it would seem to have been principally in consequence of them, that the altar of "burnt-offering" was so called; for the brazen altar received all offerings, not the burnt-offering alone. Nor is the fact to be lost sight of, that the burnt-offering stands at the very head of the list, which the first chapters of Leviticus treat of.

V. THE MEAT-Offering (MINCHAH) (Lev. ii. ; vi. 14– 23; vii. 9, 10).—The word minchah means gift, which does not much help us to define the purpose and intention of