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-Cursed be Zeresh!-Blessed be Esther!-Cursed be all idolaters!-Blessed be all the Israelites! And blessed likewise be Harbonah, at whose instance Haman was hanged!' In order to heighten the general joy of this festival, Buxtorf relates that some Jews wore party-coloured garments, and young oxen's tails in their hats, and ran about the synagogue exciting the congregation to laughter! Further to excite and increase mirth, the men and women exchange apparel; this, though positively forbidden by law, they consider innocenton this festive occasion.-Alms are given to the poor; relations and friends send presents to each other; and all furnish their table with every luxury they can command. These two days are the bacchanalia of the modern Jews; who think it no sin to indulge themselves largely in their cups, some of them indeed to intoxication, in memory of Esther's banquet of wine; at which she succeeded in defeating the sanguinary designs of Haman."-Rev. T. H. HORNES's Introd. to Crit. Study, &c. vol. iii. part. 3. c. 4.

S.

The Karaite Jews.

This sect, now found almost solely in the Crimea,ļis said to have separated from the main stem, as early as the Return from Babylon. They derive this name from Kara, a Babylonish word for scripture; because its members measure their rule of faith by the pure letter of the law, rejecting entirely all talmuds, traditions, rabbinical writings, and marginal interpolations of scripture. On this account the Rabbinists hold them in detestation.

They deem it an act of piety to copy the bible, or copious commentaries upon its text, once in their lives. All their MS. copies of the Old Testament begin with the book of Joshua; even the most ancient do not contain the Pentateuch, which is kept apart in a printed version for the use of their schools.

The members of this sect are irreproachable in their conduct. In the Crimea their honesty is proverbial, and their word is considered equal to a bond. They observe their fasts most scrupulously, abstaining even from snuff and smoking for twenty-four hours together. They give great attention to the instruction of their children, who are publicly taught in their synagogues.-See Dr. E. D. CLARKE's Travels.

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When an intercalary month was necessary, it was added after Adar, and was therefore called Ve-Adar, or the second Adar.

The Jews had both a civil and an ecclesiastical year. The ecclesiastical year began on the first day of Nisan or Abib, nearly coincident with the vernal equinox, and was instituted to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. The civil year commenced on the first of Tisri, nearly coincident with the autumnal equinox, (the time when all other nations of the east began their year) and was referred to in all civil mattersas contracts, bargains, and for the calculation of jubilees and

sabbatical years. It was ushered in with the sound of trumpets, to give notice of its commencement; and hence the festival then observed derives its name.

The Hebrew months, originally distinguished as the first, second, third, &c. as among the antediluvians, Gen. vii. 11.— viii. 4, 5. afterwards acquired specific names, indicative of the phænomena of nature, the season of the year, or of some circumstance or custom peculiar to each. Thus Abib signifies green corn; Nisan, flight, from the flight of the Israelites from Egypt; Zif, glory, splendour; Sivan, a bramble; Elul, mourning ; (from some circumstance in their history with which we are not acquainted:) Ethanim, harvests; Bul, the fall of the leaf; Chisleu, chilled; Thebet, miry; Shebet, a sceptre; and Adar, a mıgnificent covering, probably referring to the luxuriant covering of flowers with which the earth is then invested, in warm climates. The meaning of Thammuz and Ab does not appear to be ascertained.-See PRIDEAUX's Connect. and Dr. HALES'S New Analysis of Chron.

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875 875 745 640 550 480 415 253 188
930 930 800 695 605 535 470 308 243 56
857 752 662 592 527 365 300 113

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987 1042...

1057 1140 1235

1290 1422

912 807 717 647 582

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822 732 662 597
905 815 745 680

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1557

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This table shows what year of the life of any preceding patriarch synchronized with the first year of the life of any

succeeding one: how long the antediluvian patriarchs were cotemporary with each other: and the facility with which the history of the world could be transmitted to posterity, Methuselah being 243 years cotemporary with Adam, and 98 with Shem. The year A. M. 1656 was spent in the ark. Gen. v. 3-32.-vii. 6.

The indifference of the sacred writers to the niceties of computation is not only evident from the round numbers in which the whole of the Scripture Chronology appears, but from occasional remarks made by the writers themselves. Thus according to Gen. vii. 6. Noah was 600 years old at the beginning of the flood; but according to v. 11, he was in his 600th year. In 1 Kings ii. 11. David's reign is limited to forty years; but from 2 Sam. v. 5. receives an addition of six months. According to 1 Kings vi. 37, 38. the building of the temple occupied seven years; but as it was begun in the month Zif, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, and finished in Bul,* in the eleventh year, it occupied seven years and six months. When therefore it is said Gen. v. 3. "Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begat a son," it is questionable whether he were entering on, or completing his 130th year. It has been generally assumed, however, that he had completed his 130th year, in consequence of which his 131st synchronized with the first year of Seth.

Sce Appendix T.

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