which is 54, and does not make two of their Months, or the Time to the firft of the first Month. I need only hint that this was a few Weeks before the Time of Sacrificing at the Feaft, which I fuppofe was the Feast of Ingathering, which I fuppofe is that Noab obferved.

We will suppose that the Egyptians and other Heathens began their Year at fome other Time, than where the Ancients and Patriarchs began their Year, to distinguish themselves from the Believers. And we have some reason to fuppofe, as will appear hereafter, that the Egyptians begun theirs, as the Jewish Months now ftand compared with ours, in December; and that in fuch order. 1 April, was their fifth Month, June, their feventh Month; and that, as aforefaid, the Jews had left their old Account and fallen into the Ufage of this, when the Pafchal Lamb was to be eaten, as it was, I think, at the fame time that the Lamb was offered, at waving of the Sheaf of firft cutting. Mofes began with that Law to restore the Time of that firft chief Feaft (whether that altered the Numeration of other Months will be confidered) when he re-established the Feast of the firft Lamb, and first reaped Corn, and the End of Harveft or Ingathering, he did not name what Month the latter would fall in, but at the End of feven Weeks from the First,

The

The Miracles fhew the Season of the Year. They would not have answered the End, have affected the Egyptians, if the Grain had not been growing or upon the Earth. And it fuited their going off, the Land was dry, and there was Grafs upon the Ground for their Cattle, and Grain might be procured till they were fupported by Miracles in the Wilderness.

It feems to me, that, during their March, which, one may call Mofes's Government, and by their own Rules had nothing to do with Ecclefiastical Affairs or Feafts, they did not count Abibfor a Month, nor use any Names for their Months, but began at the Day they started, and used entire Months, whatever Number of Days they allowed, from the Day of their going out, as 'tis expreffed, Exod. xvi. 1. xix. 1. While they were in the Wilderness, before the Words about Abib, whatever they fignify, were to take effect, which was to be at their coming into Ca

naan.

When Mofes had occafion to mention or renew a Feaft, which was to be held in another Month; he neither tells you that this account was taken from the Patriarchal Account, nor from what they have fuppofed his new Appointment, nor from any Era. So I think we muft understand it to be the feventh Month or Moon, or whatever it was which was in ufe or current among them while they were in Egypt. And I think 'tis plain they had but one way of counting, and that was as the Egyptian Months ftood. For if that of the Paffover was an Ecclefiaftical

clefiaftical Account or Declaration, then Abib was only the Month to be observed, and that it is diftinguished by Rafband Rafhan, only the chief, the prior, or foremoft; if but two, the prior of the Feast Months, which it was because the Service begins in it. And it would only be used in Days relating to the Feafts or Convocations in the fame Manner, because all the rest of the Fafts or Feafts in thofe or other Months, were not of divine, but of private or national Inftitution, and because the Word does not fignify, the Beginning, nor the first in Numbers, 18 is used for that, Ezek. xxvi. 1.

When they came to Jordan they found the Banks overflow'd, Jof. iii. 15. but it was in the Time of Harvest, iv. 19. They paffed over it into the Land of Canaan the tenth of the Month which appears by the Season to be the fame, I fuppofe April. Jof. v. 10. They kept the Paffover the 14th in the Evening, ver. 11. they eat new Corn of that Land. And there was an Allowance made for those who were unclean or on a Journey, Numb. ix. 10, II. to keep this Feaft in the Month

This Word is, ftrictly speaking, another in Time, a Time reiterated, and is generally confined to the next in fucceffion, and admits here of two Queries; firft, whether it was the Month next after Rafhan, or the Month after the Perfon returned from his Journey, or was in a Capacity to keep it, is intended here; the fecond, if, as this no doubt belongs to the Eclefi

aftical

aftical Affairs, is whether ever Abib upon that Account was the firft in Number; if not, whether as there was but two Months in which there were Feafts, and it mean the chief or prior, whether that at the End of feven Weeks be not the other. We find 2 Par. xxix. that the Temple was cleanfed in the Month N, and the, Feaft kept Cap. xxx. in the Month, but the Questions are not determined, there is Room to fufpect whether that was not the first Month of Hezechiab's Reign.

For what End, I mean, (for what) Feaft or &c, the Babylonians made Nifan, which by the Jewish Account begins 10 or 15 Days before the vernal Equinox, their chief or firft Month I pretend not to know. Whether the Jews found them in this Order or put them into this Order as they now ftand, and parallel to our Months, fince the Captivity, beginning with March or April, is not fufficiently cleared. We must try if we can find any Connexion to difcover which was the feventh Month. It appears to me that Efra, &c. at their Return from the Babylonish Captivity, who I think did not pretend to be a Prophet, nor had any Prophet to direct him, and by any Thing I find, was not skilled in the Hebrew Tongue, for they say, Neh. viii. 14. they found it written in the Law that they were to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in the feventh Month: and I think they made the Mistake for want of knowing which that seventh Month was; For it does

not

not appear that they had any Knowledge either by Memory, Tradition or Writing in which Month of the Year it had been kept, nor that they had read all the Bible, for they fay v. 17. For fince the Days of Joshua the Son of Nun unto that Day had not the Children of Ifrael done fo, because it is affirmed 2 Par. viii. 12. Then Solomon offered- -even after a certain Rate every Day, according to the Commandment of Mofes in the Feast of unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles, (and it is very strange if there were no Tabernacles.) They fay ib. x. 33. that they made Provifion for the fet Feafts, and I hear nothing of the Feast of Weeks, whether they understood that or no appears not.

Sheaf Lamb, &c.

Thou

Exod. xxii. 29. fhalt not delay to offer the firft of thy ripe Fruits and of thy Liquors. Exod. xxiii. 16. And the Feast of Harvest, the first Fruits (thofe firft ripe) of thy Labours which thou haft fown in the Field. Exod. xxxiv. 22. And thou shalt obferve the Feast of Weeks, of the

בכורי

Same as Paffover.

Exod. xii. 3. They hall take to them every Man a Lamb- -and ye fhall keep it up untill the 14th Day and kill it in the Evening, v. 18. in the firft Month, on the 14th Day of the Month at Even ye shall eat unleavened Bread, until the 21 of the Month at Even.