Further, dancing was also an ordinary concomitant of music among the Jews; sometimes it was used on a religious account. Thus, Miriam with her women glorified God (after the deliverance from the Egyptians) in dances as well as songs (Exod. xv. 20.), and David danced after the ark. (2 Sam. vi. 14-16.) It was a thing common at the Jewish feasts (Judg. xxi. 19. 21.), and in public triumphs (Judg. xi. 34.), and at all seasons of mirth and rejoicing. (Psal. xxx. 11. Jer. xxxi. 4. 13. Luke xv. 25.) The idolatrous Jews made it a part of the worship which they paid to the golden calf. (Exod. xxxii. 19.) The Amalekites danced after their victory at Ziklag (1 Sam. xxx. 16.), and Job makes it part of the character of the prosperous wicked (that is, of those who, placing all their happiness in the enjoyments of sense, forget God and religion,) that their children dance. (Job xxi. 11.) The dancing of the profligate Herodias's daughter pleased Herod so highly, that he promised to give her whatever she asked, and accordingly, at her desire, and in compliment to her, he commanded John the Baptist to be beheaded in prison. (Matt. xiv. 6, 7, 8.)

SECTION III. On the Commerce of the Hebrews.

The Scriptures do not afford us any example of trade, more early than those caravans of Ishmaelites and Midianites, to whom Joseph was perfidiously sold by his brethren. Subsequently, the most distinguished merchants of antient times were the Phoenicians, whose first metropolis was Sidon; but afterwards Tyre became their great emporium; the commerce of which is particularly described in Isa. xxii. and Ezek. xxvii. xxviii.

The commerce of the East appears to have been chiefly carried on by land; hence ships are rarely mentioned in the Old Testament before the times of David and Solomon. Though chariots were not unknown to the antient

inhabitants of the East, yet they chiefly transported their merchandise across the desert on camels, a hardy race of animals, admirably adapted by nature for this purpose; and, lest they should be plundered by robbers, the merchants used to travel in large bodies (as they now do), which are called caravans; or in smaller companies termed kafilés or kaflés. (Job vi. 18. 19. Gen. xxxvii. 25. Isa. xxi. 13.)

Although the land of Canaan was, from its abundant produce, admirably adapted to commerce, yet Moses enacted no laws in favour of trade; because the Hebrews, being specially set apart for the preservation of true religion, could not be dispersed among idolatrous nations, without being in danger of becoming contaminated with their abominable worship. He therefore only inculcated the strictest justice in weights and measures (Lev. xix. 36, 37. Deut. xxv. 13, 14.); and left the rest to the wisdom of future ages and governors. David may be considered as the founder of the foreign commerce of the Hebrews; and, besides the facilities for traffic, which he obtained by subduing the kingdom of Edom, and making himself master of the two ports of Elath and Ezion-geber, on the Red Sea, the commercial relations which he had established with Hiram I., king of Tyre, were still further extended by Solomon with Hiram II., who furnished artisans for building ships for both monarchs at Ezion-geber, Solomon's port on the Red Sea.

Solomon's ships, conducted by Tyrian navigators, sailed in company with those of Hiram to some rich countries, called Ophir (most probably Sofala on the eastern coast of Africa), and Tarshish, a place supposed to be somewhere on the same coast. The voyage

required three years to accomplish it; yet, notwithstanding the length of time employed in it, the returns in this new channel of trade were prodigiously great and profitable, consisting of gold, silver, precious stones,

valuable woods, and some exotic animals, as apes and peacocks. We have no information concerning the articles exported in this trade. Solomon also established

a commercial correspondence with Egypt; whence he imported horses, chariots, and fine linen-yarn; the chariots cost six hundred, and the horses one hundred and fifty shekels of silver each. (1 Kings x. 28, 29. 2 Chron. i. 16, 17.)

After the division of the kingdom, Edom being in that portion which remained to the house of David, the Jews appear to have carried on the oriental trade from the two ports of Elath and Ezion-geber, especially the latter, until the time of Jehoshaphat, whose fleet was wrecked there. (1 Kings xxii. 48. 2 Chron. xx. 36, 37.) During the reign of Jehoram, the wicked successor of Jehoshaphat, the Edomites shook off the yoke of the Jewish sovereigns, and recovered their ports. From this time the Jewish traffic, through the Red Sea, ceased till the reign of Uzziah; who, having recovered Elath soon after his accession, expelled the Edomites thence, and, having fortified the place, peopled it with his own subjects, who renewed their former commerce. This appears to have continued till the reign of Ahaz, when Rezin, king of Damascus, having oppressed and weakened Judah in conjunction with Pekah, king of Israel, took advantage of this circumstance to seize Elath; whence he expelled the Jews, and planted it with Syrians. In the following year, however, Elath fell into the hands of Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, who conquered Rezin, but did not restore it to his friend and ally, king Ahaz. Thus finally terminated the commercial prosperity of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. After the captivity, indeed, during the reigns of the Asmonæan princes, the Jews became great traders; and throughout the period of time comprised in the New Testament history, Joppa and Cæsarea were the two principal ports; and corn continued to be a staple article of export to Tyre. (Acts xii. 20.)

The most antient mode of carrying on trade was by way of barter, or the exchanging of one commodity for another; a practice which obtains in some places even to this day. Although the Scriptures frequently mention gold, silver, brass, and money, yet the use of coin or stamped money appears to have been of late introduction among the Hebrews. Judas Maccabæus is the first Jewish prince who is recorded to have coined money, which privilege was granted to him by Antiochus Sidetes, king of Syria. Before that time all payments were made by weight. Weights and measures were regulated at a very early period in Asia. Moses made various enactments concerning them for the Hebrews; and both weights and measures, which were to serve as standards for form and contents, were deposited at first in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, under the cognisance of the priests. On the destruction of Solomon's temple, these standards necessarily perished; and, during the captivity, the Hebrews used the weights and measures of their masters.

For tables of the weights, measures, and money used in commerce, and which are mentioned in the Bible, the reader is referred to No. I. of the Appendix to this volume.

CHAPTER VIII.

AMUSEMENTS OF THE JEWS. ALLUSIONS TO THEATRES, TO THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES, AND TO THE GRECIAN GAMES, IN THE NEW

TESTAMENT.

THE whole design of the Mosaic institutes being to preserve the knowledge and worship of the true God among the Israelites, will sufficiently account for their silence respecting recreations and amusements. Although no particular circumstances are recorded on this subject,

we meet with a few detached facts which show, that the Hebrews were not entirely destitute of amusements.

I. The various events incident to DOMESTIC LIFE afforded occasions for festivity. Thus, Abraham made a great feast on the day when Isaac was weaned. (Gen. xxi. 8.) Weddings were always seasons of rejoicing: so also were the seasons of sheep-shearing (1 Sam. xxv. 36. and 2 Sam. xiii. 23.); and harvest-home. To which may be added, the birth-days of sovereigns. (Gen. xl. 20. Mark vi. 21.) Of most of these festivities music and dancing were the accompaniments.

II. MILITARY SPORTS and exercises appear to have been common in the earlier periods of the Jewish history. By these the Jewish youth were taught the use of the bow (1 Sam. xx. 20. 30—35.), or the hurling of stones from a sling with unerring aim. (Judg. xx. 16. 1 Chron. xii. 2.)

III. Among the great changes effected in the manners and customs of the Jews, subsequently to the age of Alexander the Great, may be reckoned the introduction of gymnastic sports, THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES, and GAMES in imitation of those celebrated by their Grecian conquerors. Games were first introduced into Jerusalem by the profligate high-priest Jason, in the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. (2 Macc. iv. 9-15.) The restoration of divine worship, and of the observance of the Mosaic laws and institutions under the Maccabæan princes, put an end to these spectacles. They were, however, revived by Herod, who, in order to ingratiate himself with the Emperor Augustus (B. c. 7), built a theatre at Jerusalem; and also a capacious amphitheatre, without the city, in the plain; and who also erected similar edifices at Cæsarea, and appointed games to be solemnised every fifth year with great splendour, and amid a vast concourse of spectators, who were invited by proclamation from the neighbouring countries. The Gentiles were highly delighted with these exhibitions, which were so utterly