tured with the songs of those bards." Unquestionably, a theologian, who should have neglected to become acquainted with sacred antiquities, may, like any other believer in the Christian Revelation, drink at the fountain of living waters, and animate his faith and hope by the reading of those Scriptures. But how can such an one fulfil his honourable and arduous duty of explaining the Bible to others? How can he answer objections, the greater part of which originate in ignorance of antiquity? How can he separate moral precept and religious truth from the drapery of the figurative language in which they are clothed? And how many proofs and arguments in behalf of their authenticity, are utterly lost to him, who neglects to study Biblical Archæology!

The work which we are now to introduce to our readers, is by no means free from defects. The original author is Dr. John Jahn, formerly professor of Oriental languages in the University of Vienna. His treatise was, at first, written in German, and extended through five octavo volumes: being of such extent, and accompanied with numerous plates, it was found too expensive for common use; and, after numerous solicitations to that effect, was abridged by the author himself, translated into Latin, and printed at Vienna, in 1814, in one thick octavo volume, intitled, Archæologia Biblica in Epitomen redecta à Johanne Jahn.' This Latin work, we believe, is well known to most Biblical students in England, and Mr. Horne has considerably improved upon it in the third volume of his "Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures."

Professor Jahn, who is advantageously known by other learned treatises on the criticism and interpretation of the Scriptures, has displayed profound erudition in the volume now under consideration. The following are the sources, which he has specified as the only genuine and undoubted ones, from which a good system of sacred antiquities must be derived, and those from which he has, consequently, compiled his treatise, viz. I. The Scriptures carefully examined, and compared together. II. Ancient Monuments of the East, as ruins, triumphal arches, pyramids. These, it is true, are of a more recent age: but they illustrate what occurs in the Bible relative to the edifices of Herod, and the temple of Jerusalem in the time of our Saviour. III. Ancient Greek, Oriental, Roman, and Egyptian coins. IV. The writings of Philo and Josephus, both of whom were contemporaries with the Apostles. V. Ancient Greek and Latin authors, who sometimes give a more full account of events and customs, which are merely mentioned or alluded to in the Bible, particularly Herodotus, Xenophon,

Arrian, Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, and others. VI. The Mishna, or text of the Talmud. And VII. Certain ecclesiastical writers, or others, who dwelt in Syria or other Oriental countries, and modern travellers in the east, who have marked the appearances of the country, and have given accounts of the manners and customs of the inhabitants. The following brief analysis of Jahn's Biblical Archæology will enable our readers to form a tolerably correct idea of the use, which he has made of these sources, as well as of the method which he has pursued.

His treatise is divided into three parts; domestic, political, and sacred antiquities. The first of these presents a rapid sketch of the political and physical geography of Palestine and the neighbouring countries, together with details relative to the construction, internal arrangement, and furniture of the Oriental dwellings; the private life and habits of the Nomades, or wandering inhabitants of the east; their agriculture, horticulture, and the principal plants raised by them; the mechanical arts, poetry, and music of the Hebrews; their sciences, commerce, clothing, food and feasts, state of domestic society, diseases, death, burial, and mourning. The second part treats. on the Hebrew commonwealth; the kings, officers of state, and other magistrates, trials and punishments, and military affairs. The third part, which discusses sacred antiquities, contains a historical view of the religion of the Bible, and an account of sacred places, seasons, persons, and things, of the idol deities mentioned in the Scriptures, and of the state of idolatry in the time of Christ. In this extensive field of discussion, Professor Jahn has contrived to bring together almost every thing that was necessary; and has itroduced very numerous references to the sacred writings. An extract or two will give our readers a tolerably correct idea of the manner in which this work is executed.

"The Nomades are a very ancient people, Gen. iii. 18. 21. iv. 2. 19, 20. xi. 2. They are numerous even at this day, and occupy large tracts of land. Nor is it wonderful; for their mode of life has many things to recommend it, especially freedom, and facilities for the acquisition of riches. These shepherds of the desert wander about without any fixed habitation. They despise and neglect all other business, but that of tending their flocks. Still they are not mean and uncultivated, but are polite, powerful, and magnanimous. Such were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity also, till they conquered the land of Canaan. They possess vast flocks and a great number of servants. The masters always go armed, and spend their time in hunt

ing, in the oversight of their affairs, in wars and predatory excursions. Part of the servants are armed, in order to keep from the flocks robbers and wild beasts. Part have only a staff, Sp, and a pouch which were anciently the whole property of travellers, and those who were not rich, except that instead of a pouch they carried a somewhat larger sack, py, 2 Kgs. iv. 42. 1 Sam. xvii. 40-43. Ps. xxiii. 4. Mic. vii. 14. Math. x. 10. Luke ix. 3. x. 4.

צִקְלוֹן ,what

"NOTE. If in the Bible kings are called shepherds, we are not to conclude, that the title is degrading to them; on the contrary, it is sublime and honourable. For the same reason, that it was applied to earthly monarchs, it was applied to God, who was the king of the Hebrews, and as the shepherd is to his flock, so was He the guide and protector to his children Israel, see Ps. xxiii. 1—4. Isa. xl. 11. Ixiii. 11. Jer. x. 21, xxiii. 1. xxxi. 10. 1. 6. li. 23. Mic. v. 5. Nahum. iii. 18. Ezech. xxxiv. 2-28. xxxvii. 24. Zech. xi. 15. In the Old Testament this tropical expression, viz. a shepherd, constantly indicates kings; but in the New Testament the teachers of the Jews, those, who presided in the synagogues, were denominated shepherds. The notions of the Jews in this instance seem to have coincided with those of the Stoicks, who would have it, that wise men alone, those qualified to be teachers, were true kings. The appellation of shepherds, however, used by the former, is the more modest of the two, though the same in significancy. The use of the word to denote religious teachers was received and transmitted in the Christian Church, and to this day we speak of the pastors or shepherds of a religious society, Ephes. iv. 11. Matth. ix. 36. John x. 12-14. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25. v. 4." P. 48.

"$44. EMIGRATIONS OF THE Nomades.

"These shepherds occupy almost the same positions in the deserts every year, i. In the summer they go to the north, or on to the mountains, in the winter to the south, or the vallies. When about to emigrate, they pluck up their tents, pile them upon the beasts of bur den, and go with them to the place, destined for their subsequent erection. The flocks live both night and day under the open sky. Hence their wool, being unexposed to the exhalations of sheepcotes, but always being in the open air, is finer than usual. The flocks become acquainted with the path, which they yearly travel, and afford but little trouble to those, who conduct them. Still they are guarded by hired servants, and by the sons and daughters of their owners, even by the daughters of the Emirs or chiefs, who to this day perform for strangers those friendly offices, which are mentioned, Gen. xxiv. 17— 20. comp. Gen. xxix. 2. Exod. ii. 16. The servants are subject to the steward, who is himself a dependent, though he has the title of nap, the senior of the house. He numbers the sheep at the evening, perhaps also in the morning, Gen. xxiv. 2. Jer. xxxiii. 13. If animals or their young are lost, the steward is obligated to make compensation. Some limitations, however, are assigned, Gen. xxxi. 38.

The hired servants sometime

Exodus xxii. 12. comp. Amos iii. 12. received a portion of the young of the flock, as their reward, Gen. xxx The servants, who, as well as the cattle, are sometimes comprehendel under the word, app, inhabited tents in the winter, but often dweł in tabernacles in the summer.

The masters, on the contrary, dwet

in tents the whole year, except when occasionally they retreated int the neighbouring cities, Gen. xix. 1. xxvi. 1. xii. 10. 20. xxxiii. 17 Lev. xxiii. 43. In the vicinity of the tents was erected a sort of watch

from which the approach of enemies could מִגְדָּל עֵדֶר טִירָה,,tower

be discerned afar off." P. 50.

"§.46. THE FLOCKS OF THR Nomades.

"These are goats and sheep, and they have great numbers of them. They are called by the Hebrews, collectively, NY, but, separately, , Jer. xlix. 29. Ezek. xxv. 5. The sheep are horned, and conmonly white, Ps. cxlvii. 16. Isa. i. 18. Dan. vii. 9. Black ones are very rare, ; some are covered with small spots, TP, some with larger ones, ', others are streaked, D, and others again, called 'py, are distinguished by variegated hoofs, or, as some say, by circular streaks round the body, like rings, Gen. xxx. 32-34. xxxi. 10-12. The sheep, mentioned in Ezek. xxvii. 18, whose wool is of a bright brown, inclining to a grey, y, are found in Ca

ramania.

"Further; there are three different breeds of sheep in the East. I. The common, of which we have specimens every day among ourselves. II. The deformed breed, with short legs, macerated body, and rough wool, called in Arabick nakad, and in Hebrew Tp. III. A breed larger than ours, and of very fine wool. Of this class of sheep, there are two kinds, the one, having immense tails, about four feet long, and five inches thick, N, the other, having short tails, and lage clumps of fat on the haunches. Sheep are profitable to their owners for their milk, 2, their flesh, and particularly for the wool,, which is shorn twice a year. A sheep hardly worth a florin will return a thousand to its owner, and many thousands of them are owned by a single shepherd in the vast deserts of the East, Job i. 3. 1 Sam. xxv. 3, 4. 1 Chron. v. 18-21. The annual increase of the flock is the greater on this account, that the sheep frequently bear twins, Cant, vi. 6. They bring forth twice a year, viz. in the spring and autumn, going with young only five months, but the spring lambs are esteemed preferable to those of the autumn. The lambs of a year

We may infer from what has כֶּבֶשׁ כְּבָשִׂים בַּר כָּרִים old are called

been stated, which indeed is the fact, that their sheep, which are the source of so much emolument to the Nomades, are very dear to them. They give them titles of endearment, and the ram, that is called out by its master, marches before the flock; hence the rulers of the people

re every where called leaders of the flock, Jer. xxv. 34, 35. l. 8. Isa. ziv. 9. Žech. x. 3. The Arabians have certain terms, by which they an call the sheep, either to drink or to be milked. The sheep know he voice of the shepherd, and go at his bidding, John x. 3. 14. Someimes a lamb is taken into the tent, and tended and brought up like a tog. Such an one is called in Heb., and in Årabick by a vord which means an inmate, 2 Sam. xii. 3. Jer. xi. 19.

"Before the shearing, the sheep are collected into an uncovered endosure, surrounded by a wall,,, also, aun, John 1. 11. 16. The object of this is, that the wool may be rendered finer by the sweating and evaporation, which necessarily result from the fock's being thus crowded together. These are the sheepfolds mentoned in the following as well as in other places, Num. xxxii. 16. xxiv. 36, 2 Sam. vii. 8, Zeph. ii. 6. There is no other kind than this, used in the East. Sheepshearings were great festivals, 1 Sam. xxv. 2. 4. 18. 36. 2 Sam. xiii. 23.

"Goats, as well as sheep, are comprehended under the collective noun, NY, but are properly called Dy from y, a she-goat. The

They are of a black צָפִיר and שְׂעִיר הָעִזִים תַּיִשׁ he-goat is called

colour, sometimes particoloured. They live under the open sky, with this exception only, that the kids are sometimes taken into the tent, to keep them from sucking the dam. They compensate their owners with their milk, more precious than any other, Prov. xxvii. 27; with their flesh, which in the East is highly esteemed, and with their hair, of which the Arabian women make cloth to cover their tents with. Of

When they חֵמֶת נאד נֶבֶל נְבָלִים אֹבוֹת,the skins bottles are made

are used to hold water or other liquids, the hairy side of the skin is external, with the exception, that in wine bottles, the hairy side is always turned in, and the other out.

"From the skins of kids small bottles are made, which answer the purpose of flasks. It is uncertain what that preparation by the means of smoke was, which is mentioned, Ps. cxix. 83. Perhaps it was the same with what, the Ambassador from Vienna informs us, is practised at this day among the Calmucks, who, by means of smoke, prepare very durable and transparent skins, and make from them small, but elegant flasks and bottles. The goats of Ancyra, with hair resembling silk, commonly called Camel's hair, appear to have been known to the ancient Hebrews, and Schultz, in Paulus's Collection of Travels, VII. 108-110. says, that he saw flocks of these goats descending from the mountains in the vicinity of Acco and Ptolemais, which exemplified the descriptions in Cant. iv. 1, 2. vi. 5.

"NOTE. It is not necessary to enumerate the different species of wild goats. It is worthy of remark, that geese, hens, and swine, were not known among the domestic animals of the Nomades. At a somewhat recent period hens, in some places, were raised by the Hebrews; for 7, a hen, that does not hatch its eggs,' is spoken of by Jeremiah,

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