or in an open court, consecrate this planet by praising God, "who hath been pleased to renew the moon, and who will, in the same manner, renew the Jews, his elect people," &c.-The prayer concludes with a blessing addressed to God, through the moon, the work of his hands. Three leaps, which are to be regarded as the transports of a holy joy, attend this benediction; immediately after which, they say to the moon, "May it be as impossible for my enemies to hurt me, as it is for me to touch thee."These words are succeeded by several imprecations against their enemies. They now join in a particular prayer to God, in which they style him the Creator of the planets, and the restorer of the new moon. Then, with their hands devoutly lifted up towards heaven, they beg of God to deliver them from all evil; and having remembered King David, they salute each other, and depart. Eclipses of the sun and moon are looked on by some Jews as ill omens.

The Talmudists do not agree in fixing the time when the world began. Some insist that it was in the spring, that is, in the month NISAN, which is our March; others, that it was in autumn, that is to say, New-year's day. in the month TISRI, which answers to our September. This last notion has so far prevailed, that they begin their year from that time. And notwithstanding it is written in the 12th chapter of Exodus, of the month NISAN, “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months,” yet afterwards they altered it, and began their year with the month TISRI, or September.

From thence came the feast RoscH HASANA, or New-Year's Day, which is kept on the two first days of TISRI; for, in Leviticus, chapter xxiii. verse 24, it is written, "In the seventh month, in the seventh day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath," &c. During this festival all manual operations and transactions in trade are entirely laid aside.

They hold, from tradition, that on this day particularly God Almighty judges the actions of the year past, and orders all things that shall happen for the year to come. From the first day of the month ELUL, or August, therefore, they begin their penance; which consists in plunging themselves into cold water, and in confessing themselves, scourging, and beating their breasts with their fists, while in the water. In some places they wash themselves before it is day, say their prayers, and acknowledge their manifold sins and iniquities, and repeat some penitential psalms. There are many who give alms without ceasing until the day of absolution. This they continue forty days, and sound a horn on the beginning of the month Elul. On New-Year's-Eve they say all their prayers fasting.

These religious ceremonies are generally observed a week, at least, before the feast; and on the eve thereof they generally employ their time in washing, and procuring, by way of discipline, thirty-nine stripes to be given them; as it is written in Deuteronomy, chapter xxv., "Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed," &c. This flagellation is called MALEUTH.

The ancient Jews formerly laid all their sins upon a he-goat, which afterwards they drove into the desert; but the modern Jews, instead of a goat, now throw them upon the fish. After dinner they repair to the brink of a pond, or river, and shake their clothes over it with all their force. This practice is taken from a passage of the prophet Micah, chapter

vii. verse 19, "He will have compassion on us; he will subdue our iniquities, and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."

piation.

After these two holy days are over, the Jews still continue to rise before day to say their prayers, fast, and do penance, until the 10th of the month Tisri, which is the fast, or day of expiation, and called Joм The fast of ex- HACHIPUR; for they consider that the Supreme Being is employed in examining the actions of mankind during the first nine days, and that he pronounces sentence on the tenth. In the 23d chapter of Leviticus it is said, "On the tenth of the seventh month, there shall be a day of atonement," &c., and during that day all manner of work is laid aside, as on the Sabbath. They observe this fast with such strictness, that they neither cat nor drink anything; thinking, by this abstinence, that their names will be enrolled in the Book of Life, and blotted out of the Book of Death, wherein they would assuredly be found without due repentance.

They indulge themselves in eating on the eve of this festival, because the next day is a fast. Many of them wash, and have thirty-nine stripes given them, called MALEUTH; and such as are possessed at that time of other people's effects, are commanded to make restitution. They likewise ask pardon of such as they have injured, and forgive those that have injured them. Nay, they seek them out, and sue for peace and reconciliation; and if this be refused, they protest against such an implacable spirit before three witnesses, and thrice return to the charge; after which the penitent's conscience is entirely discharged from all animosity and hatred. They likewise give alms, and show all the demonstrations of a sincere repentance.

Two or three hours before the sun sets they go to prayers, and then to supper; but all must be over before sun-set. They now dress themselves in new robes, or put on their funeral clothes, and thus attired, each with a taper in his hand, they go without their shoes to the synagogue, which, on this night, is splendidly illuminated with lamps and candles. There each man lights his taper, and repeats several prayers and confessions in a loud, but melancholy tone, as a demonstration of the sincerity of his repentance. The confession of each penitent is alphabetically digested, each sin having its proper letter, so as to be recollected with the greatest ease. The external signs of godly sorrow, at once conspicuous in a repentant Jew, who condemns himself before God, by a long account of his transgressions, is certainly very remarkable. These signs are dirty tattered clothes, mourning, or shrouds; a melancholy and dejected countenance, a long beard; down-cast eyes, made languid by penance, and disposed to weeping; a holy eagerness determining the penitent to press through the crowd of devotees, and be foremost in the synagogue; and so perfect a distraction as to deprive him of the use of his senses, whilst he is running over the alphabet of his sins. In short, he appears to have just strength enough to support his body during the meditation of the soul. This lasts three hours at least; after which they go home to bed. Some, indeed, stay all night long, and all the next day in the synagogue, saying their prayers and repeating psalms. In the meantime, the women light up candles and lamps at home, and according as the light burns, prognosticate good or evil fortune.

It ought to be remarked, that those who have led a scandalous and dissolute life, are not only admitted, but invited, into the congregation, on the first evening of the festival. Two rabbis, who stand on each side of the chaunter, perform this solemn invitation, and declare to the congregation, That they are allowed to pray with the wicked."—After which, the chaunter opens the HECHAL, and sings a prayer of moderate length, which the congregation repeat after him, but not so loud as to be heard. This cancels all rash vows, oaths, and resolutions, of the preceding year, in case they were made voluntarily, without any compulsion.

The next morning, such as went home repair again by day-break to the synagogue, dressed as before, and there stay till night, standing all the time, saying their prayers without intermission, repeating psalms and confessions, and beseeching God to pardon all their transgressions.

In the course of the service, various portions of Scripture are read, particularly part of Leviticus, chapter xxvi., Numbers, chapter xxix., and Isaiah, chapter lvii. They mention in their prayers the additional sacrifice of the day, and entreat God to build their sanctuary, to gather their dispersions among the Gentiles, and conduct them to Jerusalem, where they may offer the sacrifice of atonement, agreeably to the Mosaic law. In the afternoon service, besides portions of the law and prophets, the greatest part of the book of Jonah is read.

Some Jews prepare their tents for the Feast of Tabernacles, immediately after the Expiation.

The feast of

On the fifteenth day of the same month, TISRI, is the Feast of Tents, Tabernacles, or Booths; which is called SuccоTH, in commemoration of their encampment in the wilderness, when they Tabernacles. departed out of Egypt; and under which they were preserved as a nation for forty years together, in the midst of frightful and barren deserts. In the 23d chapter of Leviticus, it is written, "In the 15th day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days; on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt."

And

Every one, therefore, makes a booth, or tent, in some place near his house, which he covers with leaves, and adorns in the best manner that he can. The rabbins have been very punctual as to the fashion and nature of these booths, as well as their dimensions. No tent must be more than twenty cubits high, nor less than ten spans. Such as are rich adorn them with tapestry, over which they hang boughs of trees laden with fruit, as oranges, lemons, and grapes. These tents must be neither set up under a house nor tree. They eat and drink in these tents, and some lie all night in them, or at least spend in them so much time of the night and day as they used to pass at home, during the eight days that the festival lasts.

It continues nine days in reality, although the law instituted and commanded seven; but ancient custom has added one; and another day was

ordained over and above for the solemn assembly, in Numbers, chap. xxix. verse 35. The two first and the two last days of this festival, like those of the Passover, are very solemn; but the other five are not so strictly observed.

This festival of Tents, or Tabernacles, begins at home, with some particular benedictions, and is succeeded by a supper. Private devotion now succeeds the public, and the father of the family never begins to consecrate the festival till he has been first at prayers in the synagogue till night. They leave their tents at the end of the eighth day, as soon as night draws on.

Chances.

On the 14th of the month ADAR, which is our March or February, the feast of PURIM is observed, in commemoration of Esther, who upon that day preserved the people of Israel from a The feast of total extirpation by the conspiracy of Haman, who was hanged, with all his children. This feast was called PURIM, because it was written in the 9th chapter of Esther, "Therefore they called those days PURIM," &c.; the word signifying Lots or Chances; for Haman, their enemy, had cast lots to destroy them on those two days.

The first only, however, is strictly and solemnly observed. They fast on the eve, but during these two days they may traffic, or do any manner of work; yet on the first day, though under no obligation, they voluntarily abstain from both.

On the first night, they go to the synagogue, where, after their ordinary prayers, they commemorate their happy deliverance from that fatal conspiracy, and the Chazan reads and explains the whole book of Esther, which is written on vellum, and rolled up like the Pentateuch. They also call it MEGHILLA, or volume. The CHAZAN, or Reader, is allowed to sit at this lesson, whereas he must stand while he reads the law. After he has unrolled the volume, he pronounces three prayers, and returns thanks to Almighty God, for calling them together to share this ceremony, and for delivering them out of the merciless hands of Haman. He then reads the history of Haman and Esther.

The Jews observe similar ceremonies in the service of the next morning, and read on this day out of the Pentateuch, the 17th chapter of Exodus, verse 8, "Then came Amalek," &c. They have, likewise, particular prayers and blessings for this happy occasion.

On this feast they bestow public alms upon the poor, and all relations and friends visit, and send each other presents of such things as are good to eat. Scholars make presents to their tutors, masters to their servants, and persons of distinction to their inferiors. In short, the whole day is spent in cheerfulness and gaiety, as it is written in the 9th chapter of Esther, "That they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor," &c.

When the year consists of two ADARS, the Jews call the 14th day of the first ADAR the little PURIM; but it is merely nominal, for none of the above ceremonies are observed thereon.

The 15th day of the month NISAN, which often answers to our April, is the first day of the Passover, which is called PESACH, or The feast of the the passage over, in commemoration of the departure of the Jews from Egypt. It continues a whole week; but such as

Passover.

F

live out of Jerusalem and its territories make it hold eight days, according to the ancient custom, when the new moon, by the SANHEDRIN's order, was proclaimed, without any computation. This festival is ordained in the 12th chapter of Exodus, and in several other parts of the Bible. The Sabbath which precedes the Passover is called the GRAND SABBATH; on which day the rabbins preach a sermon on the Paschal Lamb.

The two first and two last days of the Passover are solemn festivals, on which no person is permitted either to work, or do any manner of business; nay, they keep them as strictly as the Sabbath; only that they make a fire, dress their meat, and carry what things they want from place to place. On the four middle days they are only obliged to refrain from work, but are permitted to touch money.

During these eight days they must neither eat, nor have, any leavened bread, or any leaven in their houses, nor even in their custody; so that they eat none but unleavened bread all that time: according to Exodus, chapter xii., verses 15, 16, 17. This bread they call AZYMA.

In order to obey this precept as punctually as possible, the master takes a wax candle, and searches the house over with the utmost care, to clear it of everything that is fermented, prying into every corner, and even into all the trunks and cupboards. He now beseeches God to make up the defects of his search, "that all the leavened bread which is in the house may become like the dust of the earth, and be reduced to nothing." When the house is well scoured, they whitewash it, and supply it with a new table and kitchen furniture, or with such as is reserved for the service of this day only. If they have been used before, and are of metal, they must be first heated in a forge, and newly polished before they can be used; because nothing which has touched leavened bread may be made use of during those eight days. About eleven o'clock on the next day they burn a bit of bread, to give notice that the prohibition against leavened bread is then begun; and this ceremony is attended with a particular declaration, that the head of the family has no leaven in his custody; that if he has, it is unknown to him, and that he hath done to the utmost of his power to prevent it.

They go to prayers in the evening; and at their return home, the master, with his family and other domestics, after washing their hands, sit down to a table which is duly prepared for their entertainment in the day-time, and set off with all the elegance and grandeur that the circumstances of each person will admit of. Instead of the ceremony which was formerly observed, in conformity to the 12th chapter of Exodus, viz., "To eat the lamb with unleavened bread, and bitter herbs," &c., they have some small pieces of lamb or kid, dressed with unleavened bread. Sometimes they have a plate covered, in which there are three mysterious cakes, one for the high-priest, one for the Levites, and a third for the people; also the blade-bone of a shoulder of lamb, or, at least, some part of it. The Portuguese Jews have the bone on the table during the whole eight days of the Passover. When the shoulder is served up whole, at this ceremony, they have a hard egg with it. To this they add a dish representing the bricks which their ancestors were formerly forced to make in Egypt. This meat is a thick paste, composed of apples, almonds, nuts, figs, &c., which they dress in wine, and season with cinnamon,